[rees2001]

Originally Posted by AJunx

Preface: I do not like the idea of changing the rules (via reinterpretation or rewording) after teams have spent countless hours designing a robot that follows the spirit of the original rules.

The Sunlight Rule:
In order to be IN the loading zone, your robot must be in a position so that it is blocking sunlight (any kind of light that would be coming from above the loading zone) on some part of the loading zone. In so doing, the base of your robot must be blocking enough sunlight to make it CLEAR and OBVIOUS to the referee that you are IN the loading zone.
In order to avoid changing the spirit of the rule, <G12> still applies (no tethers, tape measures, long extension arms, etc).

I should clarify that the term "base" when used in the Sunlight Rule is not referring to the 28" by 38" base, but rather to the common sense base (the base that the robot is driving around on, whether it be 20 X 20 or 38 X 60). Also, the base does not consist of arms, tethers, tape measures, long extenders, etc.

-Andrew

I think you have hit the nail on the head here Andrew. I especially appreciate your definition of "base." A common sense base is what my kids thought they had made. It seems blatantly obvious as to which side is a teams base. Not every team is going to use the 28x38 footprint. We shouldn't be restricted to using it with 6 days of construction left.

Thanks