Quote:
Originally Posted by Munchskull
Anyone know why this is a rule?
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Part of it is probably fairness, so teams with fewer funds or rookies have the same opportunities as teams that have been around a dozen years. Keep in mind rookies get a compressor in the rookie KoP, so we know that every team has access to at least that one, even if it is old.
Beyond that, I would say there's a big argument to be made for safety, simplicity and inspectability. We need to be able to ensure a system at competition is properly set up and controlled. We don't want compressors being run manually by hooking them straight to a battery. We don't want teams to have the ability to create a dangerous over-pressure situation just for a small advantage on the field. Having a regulated and fixed set up with one compressor and other required parts makes it a lot easier to ensure every team is being safe, and a lot easier to ensure everything is set up legally.
Keep in mind this is not a new rule. It's been in place as long as I've been Inspecting. For example, in 2010 (Breakaway) R75 stated " Compressed air for the pneumatic system on the ROBOT must be provided by one and only one compressor."