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Originally Posted by Dave Flowerday
That's an interesting problem with this rule. If FIRST indicates that a robot which "falls" to a 38x60 base then gets the 38x60 base to touch the loading zone with, how is that any different from a robot which "folds out" to have a similar size base, as I assume Chris' robot does? I find the two concepts to be pretty much the same thing, so based on their current ruling I'd say that the next logical answer is that robots which fall over cannot use their 38x60 base to touch, making it almost impossible to be "in" the loading zone. Now, common sense should take over here and say that that's ridiculous and pretty much dooms teams who went with that design. But if you allow teams to increase their loading zone contact by falling over at the start but not teams who deploy outriggers, isn't that a bit unfair?
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Depending on how they interpret it, a robot that falls over may have its side considered to be an apendage that remains in the 28x38 base. The location of the side relative to the base has not changed, the only thing that has is the orientation of the base. Now, I'd find that interpretation to be a bit rediculous but I also find the whole rule to be a bit silly.
My bet is that FIRST is trying to come up with a better way to word the rule than they have already. I'm not sure if there's really a good way to do it other than to say that you must "obviously" be in the loading area. I don't think it will be that difficult to determine. Either way my money's on them changing the rule (yet again).
Matt