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When I watched the Curie QF involving the team 121 tipping incident I initially thought the referees made a bad call. I was probably clouded with emotion, but the actions 121 took seemed no worse than anything I had seen all season long. Granted I was watching the match on the web, so I may not have gotten the full effect.
Upon watching the match again (thank you SOAP 108) it did appear that team 121 used their pneumatic wall to flip team 126. It doesn't matter that the pneumatic device can't lift a bin. To someone who doesn't know the specs of 121s robot the wall seems rather powerful.
This being said, I still think their were more obvious incidents of tipping that went by as "non-calls". The job of a FIRST referee is very difficult. I propose, in an effort to make things easier on the referees and clearer to teams, that next year FIRST attempts to clearly define the rules on tipping and tipping device. If teams bring their ideas on these definitions and rules to the team forums, hopefully we won't have to have any of these tipping debates next season.
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:: Karthik Kanagasabapathy :: "Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" -- R.W. Emerson
My TEDx Talk - The Subtle Secrets of Success
Full disclosure: I work for IFI and VEX Robotics, and am the Chairman of the VEX Robotics and VEX IQ Game Design Committees .
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