[Retired Starman]

Just a little background and reasoning behind this announcement.

As Big Al has pointed out. Team update gives power to the LRI to require an interlock on robots which are moved in a state where accidental firing of a mechanism is a possibility. Safety is our prime concern. We don't want to see fingers cut off or heads bashed by these kickers. Accidents have already happened at other regionals, and FIRST does learn from its mistakes. Hence the announcement three weeks into the season.

The Peachtree Planning Committee discussed the pros and cons of this requirement this past week before issuing this announcement. In the announcement, we indicated that the interlock is to be used during transport or when when the robot is charged in the pit area. We expect the interlock to be removed once the robot is placed on the field, at which time the robot should be in compliance with all other rules. The interlock needs to be a safety feature, not a permanent part of the robot. If removable, it will not count against the weight of the robot.

As an example, a team might be using a pneumatic system which has actuators charged with large air supplies and held in the cocked position only be a gate latch. In a case like this, we would like to see a physical lock (a bolt, zip tie, or carabiner) on that gate latch to keep it from snapping open during transport. The safety can be removed once the robot is safely on the field.

Since the original Chief Delphi post did not quote the entire announcement, interested parties might like to read the entire announcement in order to make informed comments. The original is posted on the gaFIRST.org site at the link on email blasts. I think once you read it, you will understand more about how we arrived at this decision.

Robot inspectors will work with teams to see that their robots are safe, as is our charge. We will try to do this without undue stress on teams or unreasonable requirements.

Anyone wanting more information or to discuss this will the inspectors can use the email/phone contact information in the announcement.

See you at the Peachteree, and let's all keep it safe.

Dr. Bob, Robot Inspector
Chairman's Award is not about building the robot. Every team builds a robot.