[Al Skierkiewicz]

Sorry I have been away from CD this week as I attended the Duluth Regionals. So I have a few things to remind teams of following that event.

1. What is a robot side? Well it is the frame that exists between two exterior corners as determined by the "string test". If you wrap a string or tape measure around the FRAME PERIMETER, a side is between two corners. If your robot is rectangular then it has four sides. If your robot is "U" shaped to pick up balls, then the side that has the opening is one side, not two. If the distance from one outside corner to the next is less than 8", then the entire side must be covered in bumper. In no case can a bumper segment (as determined by the backing) be less than 8" long.
2. If your made bumper segments that are less than 8" long, you will have to change them to comply. Teams that have smaller FRAME PERMIMETERs can achieve this with a change in the frame aspect ratio to allow a wider frame segment on each side of the opening of the ball pickup.
3. Teams that are using tank track kits will have a challenge meeting the bumper rules. The front and back of the track needs to be covered by bumpers but they do not have to be at the same height. All bumpers must be in the BUMPER ZONE, the 4-12 inches above the floor.
4. Bumpers need to be backed up by frame as the rules specify. This is a challenging one for teams, but this game is very rough on robots and improving your frame and bumper attachments will go far in keeping you playing throughout the season.
5. Hard parts on the bumpers can only extend outside the FRAME PERIMETER by 1 inch. If you are using drywall screws to attach your bumpers, most will exceed the 1" rule. The end of the screw will damage your bumpers and other robots, and may injure your team members. You will be asked to show your bumper attachment during inspection. #12, 3/4" screws work great if you don't have a better attachment worked out. They are available everywhere.
6. MDF, HDF, chipboard and paper board are not "solid, robust wood". 3/4" plywood is best, but hardwoods in the 3/4" dimension work as well but are more expensive. 5 inch +/- 1/2" is the height rule for the backing board.
7. Teams are having many issues related to electrical. If you haven't seen the game played, I can tell you going over any defense is hard on robots. Please check all electrical connections but in particular make sure the battery, PDP and main breaker connections are tight. If you crimp your own #6 terminals, then use a crimper meant for that service. Some terminals can also be crimped in the corner of a vise in a pinch. When done correctly, the wire will not move around in the terminal and you will not be able to pull the wire out of the terminal. The severe shock robots receive this year cause brownout conditions on loose electrical connections.
8. Check other wiring, particularly power wiring to RoboRio, PCM and VRM modules and all CAN buss wiring. Give every wire a "tug test" to insure the wire doesn't pull out. I found more than 20 robots this weekend that had one or more loose connections. Most often teams have simply not stripped the wire long enough for the push terminals to grab the wire.
When in doubt on anything, come over and ask the LRI or other inspectors for advice or assistance. Small problems become huge on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.