[Taylor]

A little background:

Question:
We intend to have a door open up and deposit balls into the lower goal.
If the door swings open and transits outside of the starting footprint but ends up inside the footprint would this be legal?

Answer:
If the door is part of a shooter mechanism (see this question/answer), then it cannot transit outside the 28" x 38" starting footprint without violating Rule <S03>. If the door is not part of the shooter mechanism or is part of a ball delivery system in which the balls are motivated solely by gravity (see this question/answer) then it may be permitted to extend beyond the starting footprint. However, it must still satisfy all relevent 2006 FRC rules. In particular, any sloped surface upon which balls roll out of the robot may be subject to Rule <R04>.

Rule <R04> "Wedge” robots are not allowed. Robots must be designed so that interaction with other robots results in
pushing rather than tipping or lifting. Neither offensive nor defensive wedges are allowed. All parts of a
robot between 0 and 8.5 inches from the ground (the top of the bumper zone – see Rule <R35>) that might
push against another robot must be within 10 degrees of vertical. Devices deployed outside the robot's
footprint should be designed to avoid wedging. If a mechanism or an appendage (a ball harvester, for
example) becomes a wedge that interferes with other robots, penalties, disabling, or disqualification can occur
depending on the severity of the infraction.


My question is this: If we have a drawbridge-style gate that has an axis of rotation above 8.5 inches off the floor, and that is deployed only at the corner goals with no intention of being operated anywhere else, sort of like the red robot with the dumping basket and white paddles in the game animation, would that be considered an infraction of the above? It will only be used at the corner goals, and is not intended to "become a wedge that interferes with other robots."