I think the biggest thing we can do is better claify rule R13
Quote:
R13 Physical ROBOT elements created before Kickoff are not permitted. Exceptions are:
A. OPERATOR CONSOLE,
B. BUMPERS (a protective assembly designed to attach to the exterior of the ROBOT and
constructed as specified in Section 4.7 BUMPER Rules),
C. battery assemblies per R5,
D. FABRICATED ITEMS consisting of one COTS electrical device (e.g. a motor or motor
controller), connectors, and any materials used to secure and insulate those connectors
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Many people have missed the addition of D. which allows you to reuse all COTS electrical devices where you just modified the wires for use on the robot by adding connectors.
Also the interpretation of that rule varies from team to team. I have met several teams that think if you buy a 4'x8' sheet of Lexan during the 2015 season and cut a section out for use that year then you can not use any part of that sheet in 2016. This is an extreme strict constructionist view of that rule that I don't agree with but because of the limited explanation in the rules several teams view it that way.
Similarly if you are a strict constructionist on what it means to modify a COTS parts, things like adding lubricant to a gear or a small amount of normal wear would be considered modified and that part would be unable to be used on any future robot.
Quote:
A FABRCATED ITEM is any COMPONENT or MECHANISM that has been altered, built, cast, constructed,
concocted, created, cut, heat treated, machined, manufactured, modified, painted, produced, surface
coated, or conjured partially or completely into the final form in which it will be used on the ROBOT.
Note that it is possible for an item (typically raw materials) to be
neither COTS nor a FABRICATED ITEM. For example, a 20 ft. length
of aluminum which has been cut into 5ft. pieces for transport is
neither COTS (it’s not in the state received from the VENDOR), nor
a FABRICATED ITEM (the cuts were not made to advance the part
towards it’s final form on the ROBOT).
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The above portion of the manual is very important and often overlooked by some teams. We have to be able to judge weather or not the modification to a COTS parts were made to "advance the part towards it's final form on the robot."
Clearing up these portions of the manual will help several teams who have been spending more money then they need to ensure they have pristine new parts and stock to use for each season.
More specifically to this subject, I think it could be useful to allow some previously constructed components to go on to future robots. However what we don't want to see is a team just reenter the same robot year after year and just change out a few mechanisms.