[Paul Copioli]

Scott,

One important thing to consider is that many of us are picking up from the floor and the "6 inch minimum" + "all sides must have a bumper" GDC clarifications have constrained all of us. The ThunderChicken floor pick-up opening is not as large as we wanted specifically because of the bumper rule. Our robot base design was driven by the bumper rule. Our design is not as cool as we wanted it to be because of the bumper rule.

If any team has a design that looks like the picture at one of my competition, thenn I will bring it up to the inspectors because they will have a significant advantage over everyone esle and it is in violation of written clarifications by the GDC.

The huge advantage on the back of your robot is that you can get your trailer off to the side more to help protect it and you can swing around the trailer more to get a better angle at your opponent.

The advantages on the front side are obvious wrt opening size.

Maybe they left a loophole in on purpose, but if they did, then I say they are lawyering the rules and now we will have to do the same.

For the record, I hate bumpers and designing around the bumper rules, to me, is silly.