It's my job on the team to find ways around the rules (
yet be within the rules) and im just doing my job, besides the fact i love a good debate; even if it on things that may never occur.
Gary...
in that section of the rule they key word is
except. That means that you can't modify them
UNLESS it is done through normal wear and tear. As long as it is done through the method which they stated it is then perfectly legal under that perticular rule. All we have do to is test our robot by driving it on something like asphalt and it will be legal. If it is too rough we can always sand it down to smooth it out a bit.
besides the fact that the ruling is also dependent on the fact of how much it is done on the wheel. We dont need to massacre the wheel to give it friction. As put by update #5 as long as the fingernail doesn't catch it's not too rough. That means we can add a slight amount of extra friction on each wheel (so that all to gether the friction will add up) yet still be in the rules. (thank you erich for pointing that out to me)
all that we need to do is create the smaller more microscopic scratches on it which will help create friction yet will pass inspection because they will be "
close to their 'out of the box' condition." even sanding the wheels to try to smooth it out all the way will still always create scratches.
vike...
the inspectors job is to check and make sure your robot follows the rules (as i said before) yet they are also therefore representitives for FRC so what they say goes. Also as AL said "Checking the wheels for wear and any possible change in the coefficient of friction will be a line item on the Inspection Checklist." I already know that fact and that means that i am not planning on trying to get the wheels past them without examination or without their approval. I am counting on them doing it. I am planning to make it so that i can incresse friction for the wheels yet be within the rules so that for reasion it won't be cheating if i do it. If the inspectors let you perticipate with those wheels then for that specific competition you will be fine to use em untill you get another inspection. There they can redetermine if they are in compliance with the rules. However in these situations the worse they can do to you is make you change the wheels.
but as i said before i will make sure that the wheels are within rules so i won't have to worry about that.
although i will have to keep in mind what you said because i like your idea about restoring the original surface to increase traction. ill keep that in mind...it will be a great way to get it to as close as possible to out of the box yet incresse friction at the same time.
besides... if you do point us out ill be sure to have a fun debate with them over the rule.
p.s...this is a fun debate