Thread: Bumpers
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Unread 06-01-2008, 01:47
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Re: Bumpers

Quote:
Originally Posted by ICanCountTo19 View Post
Everyone seems to be discussing scoring and balls, and I didn't feel this fit anywhere so...

I've read through the majority of section 8, and it mentions the STARTING CONFIGURATION and the PLAYING CONFIGURATION but fails to say how bumpers apply to these.

What I mean is if I wanted to make a robot that tips over at the start to give me a larger base (as I know has been done in the past) in my starting configuration do I have to have bumpers covering 2/3 of the perimeter in the bumper zone, or does this only apply to the playing configuration(s)

This 2/3 also confused me, if we wanted to create a plow of some sort in the base to herd balls is this blow added to the perimeter.
If I normally have 38"+38"+28"+28", a simple rectangle, would mean 88" of bumpers, then would a rectangle with a 10" indent in the 38" with a length of 30" mean 38"+28"+28"+4"+10"+30"+10"+4" mean I'm forced to have 103" which isn't even possible if I only want to put bumpers on the 3 unindented sides (38+28+28=94 which is <103)?

Sorry if that was lengthy and confusing

Just make sure your plow is not like a wedge. According to
<R19> "Wedge” ROBOTS are not be permitted. ROBOTS shall be designed so that interaction with opposing 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) that are used to push against or interact with an opposing ROBOT must be within 10 degrees of vertical. Devices deployed outside the ROBOT footprint should be designed to avoid wedging. If a mechanism or an appendage (e.g. a harvester for retrieving GAME PIECES) becomes a wedge that interferes with other ROBOTS, penalties, disabling, or disqualification can occur depending on the severity of the infraction.

I was thinking about making the same suggestion until reading this rule.