Actually... to agree and expand on both what DTengineering and Al have said... perhaps ther is a solution for future FIRST years to allow solenoids.
Solenoids arent dangerous really except for if they get hot and catch fire (as i said). So, maybe FIRST can require safety equipment be installed in/with each solenoid before it is used kind of like how FIRST requires fuses, or AllenBradley lights, or whatever.
What if FIRST just required that teams put a specifically specified Temperature acting snap action switch be put in series with the solenoid, and that it be attached to the solenoid in a specifically defined manner. (
Like this one.). Or, maybe FIRST can have KOP solenoids made that incorporate a thermocouple or something like that switch i listed above.
Anyways, with heavy regulation on which solenoids can be used, or a special KOP solenoid with temperature sense (or just one of the bimetal overtemp switches) could make using solenoids safe.
Are there other safety risks i'm overlooking? Is this too complicated? Too hard to enforce? What are your thoughts? (bell rang, gotta go...)
-q