[JB987]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

The big concern with this change and bag and tag is someone accidentally unbagging early, and then having to go through some visible process with the LRI so that everyone knows things are fair.

At past events (at least in MN), we've visited each pit after that team is finished loading in and out a nice big green or red sheet on the robot saying they could un bag or that there is a problem they need to resolve first (like taking the bag and tag sheet back to the hotel with them instead of leaving it with the robot as requested). It provides a nice, obvious reminder for teams when they actually get to the venue to do work, and as a system has worked quite nicely. It also reduces pain all around as most teams get checked off the night before, and we only have to worry about a couple of teams the morning of.

With this change, teams will be hanging out in their pit the night before. Sure, they'll set up... And then they'll want to walk around, talk to other teams, check out other robots. Do we try to regulate or stop that? It'll be just like the chaos that normally happens when pits open for work on the first day. If we use the same red and green sheets, someone will undoubtedly see green and snip the ziptie without thinking. If we wait until everyone leaves, then the volunteers have to stay longer to finish the job.

And most of our venues don't have room for a "robot jail". It's something we've used for our state event before, but that event is only 30 teams held in a venue that holds a 63 team regional earlier in the season, which gives us plenty of room.

I like the color code, John. Maybe inspectors could put a white sheet marked 'pre-inspected' on robot bags that clear initially, still use red for problems and kick teams out a half hour earlier than normal if you don't want to ask volunteers to stay a half hour extra. During half hour window with no teams in pits the inspectors just put a green check mark or sticker on the white pre-inspection sheet taped to the robot bags? Teams are told before, during load in that absolutely no bags are to be opened before Thursday morning and then only if green checked? Our load-in at LVR has been 6-8pm. Venue set up has always been far enough along that we could move start to 5:30 without problem if we still wanted teams to have 2 hours for load in/pit set up and get volunteers out by 8 pm. Several ways to make things work, I think.