Withholding Allowance

[weaversam8]

Our team had a question on withholding allowance: Are there any limitations to what you can withhold? E.g: could a team leave the roboRIO off, or an entire lifting mechanism, and attach it before inspection at competition.

[EricH]

Limitations: None. However, you should be aware that the Withholding Allowance is 30 lbs of Fabricated Items, with does not include COTS items (say, the RoboRIO if it isn't mounted on a board/connected to anything). And yes, you should attach it to the robot and get it inspected before taking it on the field for a match.

[weaversam8]

Meaning that we could bring the roboRIO unattached and it would be legal AND not count for part of our withholding allowance.

[Alan Anderson]

Since reprogramming a roboRIO is not considered a modification, then an unmounted roboRIO is an unmodified COTS part that does not count against your withholding allowance.

[rich2202]

Technically, if you have wires attached to the RoboRio (label the wires so you know where they go), that is considered a modification, and no longer COTS. Since it is not COTS, it would count against your 30 pounds.

The RoboRIO, without anything attached, is COTS, and thus does not count against the 30 pounds.

In either case, the RoboRio does not have to be bagged with the robot. The question is whether the RoboRio counts against your 30 pound withholding allowance.

[Alan Anderson]

You can leave off anything and everything. But the robot you bring into the pits at competition will be limited to whatever is in the bag plus up to 30 pounds of fabricated items (plus as much raw material and as many COTS components as you want).

[matthewdenny]

Originally Posted by weaversam8

Meaning that we could bring the roboRIO unattached and it would be legal AND not count for part of our withholding allowance.

Yes