I have re-read the rules and agree that <G32> defines what is and isn't allowed concerning ROBOT-to-ROBOT and ROBOT-to-TRAILER interactions. For reference this is the whole rule:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
<G32> ROBOT to ROBOT Interaction - Strategies aimed solely at the destruction, damage, tipping over, or entanglement of ROBOTS or TRAILERS are not in the spirit of the FRC and are not allowed. In all cases involving ROBOT-to-ROBOT or ROBOT-to-TRAILER contact, the TEAM may receive a PENALTY and/or their ROBOT may be disqualified if the interaction is inappropriate or excessive. However, it is noted that Lunacy is a highly interactive game. Robust construction of ROBOTS will be very important in this high-speed competition. ROBOTS should be designed to withstand the contact that will occur during the MATCH. Appropriate contact is allowed under the following guidelines:
A. High speed accidental collisions may occur during the MATCH, and are an expected part of the game.
B. Contact within the BUMPER ZONE is generally acceptable.
C. If a portion of the BUMPER PERIMETER polygon is unprotected by BUMPERS, any contact by another ROBOT within the unprotected region (including the vertical projection of the unprotected region) will be considered incidental contact and will not be penalized.
D. Contact with a tilted or tipped ROBOT outside the BUMPER ZONE (particularly by the BUMPERS of the contacting ROBOT) will generally be considered incidental contact and will not be penalized.
E. Contact outside of the BUMPER ZONE is not acceptable, and will result in a PENALTY. The offending ROBOT may be disqualified from the MATCH if the offense is particularly egregious or if it results in substantial damage to another ROBOT.
F. A ROBOT may not attach to and/or climb onto a ROBOT or TRAILER. Doing so will be interpreted as an attempt to damage an opposing ROBOT, and will be penalized as such.
G. Use of any sloped or angled feature of the ROBOT as a wedge to overturn an opposing ROBOT or TRAILER is explicitly prohibited, and will be assigned a PENALTY.
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have bolded the parts I am using to draw my conclusions below:
1) Even though the rule is titled "ROBOT to ROBOT Interaction" by including the bolded "ROBOT-to-TRAILER" it is clear from the beginning that they are including robot to trailer interactions in this rule, however, robot to robot and robot to trailer interactions are somehow different since they specifically list them separately.
2) Section "E" clearly states that contact outside the BUMPER ZONE is not acceptable. There is no distinction made between ROBOTs and TRAILERs thus, since the rule is discussing the interactions of both, I have to assume that contact outside the BUMPER ZONE of the TRAILER is not allowed. This seems to be supported by
this Q&A as well.
3) Section "C": "If a portion of the BUMPER PERIMETER polygon is unprotected by BUMPERS, any contact by another ROBOT" would imply ROBOT-to-ROBOT since TRAILERS have BUMPERS all the way around. There is no mention of TRAILER in section C. "another ROBOT" must mean that there is a one ROBOT to begin with, thus 2 ROBOTs, NOT a ROBOT and a TRAILER. Therefor section "C" does not define any "incidental contact" between ROBOTs and TRAILERs.
4) Section "D": Again only refers to ROBOTS. There is no mention of TRAILERS anywhere in "D". We better not run into a tipped over trailer and contact anything other than the (now semi vertical) bumpers.
By the combination of these parts of <G32> I have to come to the conclusion that the intent of this rule is to restrict ROBOT contact with the TRAILERs to BUMPER-to-BUMPER only. The rule is very careful to refer to ROBOTs and TRAILERs separately where desired. It is thus a false assumption that ROBOTs = TRAILERs as far as the "rules of engagement" go. FIRST cannot control or even conceive of how every team will construct their robots. It is perfectly logical to think that there may be two "U shaped"/"Open Front" robots on the field at the same time. It is also conceivable that the two "U shaped fronts" may come in contact with each other such that the legal bumpers of one robot protrude inside the legal width front "gap" of the other robot and make contact inside the robot with something other than a bumper. I conclude this to be the "incidental contact" referred to in section "C". Basically, if you build a robot with a gap within the BUMPER ZONE and another robot enters that area that is your problem, not FIRST's. However, we are all given detailed dimensional drawings of the trailer so we can't claim we didn't know what it looked like, how big it was, or how it was built. What I BELIEVE the GDC intent is to limit all contact with the trailer to the bumper only. I would even be willing to bet that at inspection there will be a legal TRAILER that will be pushed into and around your ROBOT and you better have designed it such that nothing but the BUMPERS of the trailer can touch your ROBOT inside and out. In other words, if you have an opening on the front of your robot such that the trailer can partially go inside your robot there is no such thing as "incidental contact" outside the bumper zone. The whole point of the drawings in Update #2 was to make sure we understood that the trailer bumper couldn't touch anything inside/under/etc. our robots, only the legal front minimum 6" bumpers. If you have an intake roller near the front of your robot with protrusions on it designed to grab the balls and pull them into your robot you better be careful that they can't touch the bumpers (or any other part) of the trailers.
Of course, this is just my interpretation of the rules. If others feel my logic is flawed in this interpretation please correct me.