When is a fan a fan?

[jnicho15]

In regards to the 2016 rules, is there anything that says one cannot attach a legal motor to an EDF unit and use it as a fan for cooling/inflating?

[ATannahill]

Originally Posted by jnicho15

In regards to the 2016 rules, is there anything that says one cannot attach a legal motor to an EDF unit and use it as a fan for cooling/inflating?

In the past devices have been defined by what they are marketed as. If you can produce packaging for a push button calling it a light switch then it is a light switch, if the packaging says push button then it is not a light switch.

I do not recall a rule saying you cannot use a legal motor to spin a fan blade assuming it is recognized as safe.

[EmileH]

Please, whatever you do, do not turn this thread into this thread.

[Jarren Harkema]

Originally Posted by EmileH

Please, whatever you do, do not turn this thread into this thread.

[bkahl]

Originally Posted by EmileH

Please, whatever you do, do not turn this thread into this thread.

[Rogger14]

Originally Posted by EmileH

Please, whatever you do, do not turn this thread into this thread.

Aye! Aye captain lol

[s_forbes]

Things like this have been allowed in the past, as long as the inspectors deem it safe. 2009 was a fun year for fans (heh), since the limited traction from wheels made thrust provided by fans actually significant. Examples: team 45,
team 1771

Also, some cool fan based manipulators were used in 2010, where you weren't allowed very much contact area on the game piece (soccer balls). Team 25, team 706

[ctt956]

If it looks like a fan, feels like a fan, sounds like a fan, and works like a fan, then it's probably a fan. Unless, of course, it's not a fan, in which case it's something else pretending to be a fan.

Originally Posted by rtfgnow

In the past devices have been defined by what they are marketed as. If you can produce packaging for a push button calling it a light switch then it is a light switch, if the packaging says push button then it is not a light switch.

I do not recall a rule saying you cannot use a legal motor to spin a fan blade assuming it is recognized as safe.

In that case, it's a fan if its packaging says so, even if it's not. (Does that mean you could put a Super Soaker or a blowtorch on your robot if it's sold as a fan or something else legal?) Now I'm wondering, in FRC logic, is this considered a cat or not? It's marketed as a cat, except it's not...