[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by gorrilla

I dont think FIRST would let a team have a large,SHARP!, spinning object on the robots

I disagree. With proper guards it is no more dangerous than a fan in your house.

Originally Posted by RogerHebert

<R06>

Originally Posted by smurfgirl

this goes against the spirit of the rules

Originally Posted by EricH

For those of you saying that a downforce would be legal

Originally Posted by GUI

increasing normal force will increase traction, which is in violation of R06.

Originally Posted by Ziaholic

Downward force does increase traction which would be illegal.

Originally Posted by professorX

I believe that you are not able to do this.

Originally Posted by EricH

This increases the frictional force that is available, increasing the traction.

I get the feeling that all of you are serious in thinking that increasing the normal force is not legal?

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

I agree with Bongle that using a fans pushing down to increase downforce is a little silly. I don't think it's going to be illegal, however.

Finally, a voice of reason. Thank You Kevin.


With the caveat that my proposal was to use fans horizontally to push air and move the robot and not to push downwards harder (since the effect would be somewhat, as Kevin puts it, silly) I have to say...

If increasing the normal force is not legal, then your robot must weigh nothing, since adding ANY weight at all increases the normal force. Clearly, we are allowed robots that weight something...

Put another way: There is no difference between adding a 20 pound weight atop a 100 pound robot and adding a fan pushing downwards with 20 pounds of force atop a 100 pound robot. Both "increase traction" by modifying the normal force. And if it is legal on that 100 pound robot, then it is perfectly legal on a 120 pound robot, since the rules define (and inspectors measure) a specific robot weight, not a specific downforce.

I hope someone asks Q&A, because I find the whole discussion silly (and will eat crow if wrong), but can also assure you that this is not a consideration for our robot.

What we are considering is wheels aided by fans. After all, what would you do with an extra 50% (or so) maneuverability???