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Water and electronics definitely DO NOT mix. Last year at the nationals we accidentally had a cup of water fall on the operator interface - instant disaster! The same thing would happen to the robot interface in a water-based event.
Do not be deceived by the resistivity figures for ultrapure water (18.2 meg-ohm cm at 25°C). Water which is exposed to the atmosphere rapidly becomes saturated with CO2, which forms carbonic acid, which is conductive. Also, anything the water comes in contact with - leftover soldering flux on the circuit boards, dirt, sweat from handling components - gets dissolved and adds to the conductivity of the water. Just think what kind of water quality you'd have after a few matches with robots running through it - and referees - and balls, pucks, or whatever.
Now, water would be fun challenge, but I think I'll wait until I work for the Navy for that. The chances of any robots still being mobile at the end of a day of water sports is, in my extremely humble opinion, zero.
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Leo M.
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