Conflicting Answers on FRCTech

[Jon Abad]

I have been plowing through the questions and answers posted in FRCTech and have run across some conflicted stuff and would like to know if anyone can shed some light on it.


Msg. 119 has the following:

Q: Can one robot lift another robot up using a fort lift type device? If so for how long? Does the pinning rule apply to that?

A: Yes, and yes the pinning rule does apply. Please read the
Entanglement Clarification post and the rules on pinning.

and Msg. 333 has the following:

Q: Is lifting another robot off the ground considered pinning? Does that apply to the 10 second rule in regards to pinning?
A) No and no. FIRSTsnow

Am I missing something? What in the world is going on?

[Joe Johnson]

I think they are trying to say that lifting is not pinning.

If however, in order to get your meat hooks... ...er ah... lifting forks under the other robot and the robot lifted, you need to pin the other robot against a wall or goal, then you need to do it without violating the pinning rule.

That is my take anyway.

Joe J.

[Wayne C.]

No matter what you call it, the guys upstairs need to make perfectly clear what will and will not be allowed for robot interaction.

I think everybody was startled when it was announced that robots can move other robots to their end zones. But was the intention that the rule apply to "dead" robots only?

It is possible to grab a moving robot and carry it off- not easy but possible. Theoretically you could carry it kick and screaming back to your base and not put it down until the last seconds of the match.

Lifting isn't pinning- hmmm?

I would really like a definitive answer from the engineers rather than a reference to Rule PQ165z or some posting reference.

[soap108]

So, 2v2 has it's draw backs does it?! Maybe next year a more relaxing 4v0, or derivative, will appear again.

KA-108

[Joe Johnson]

To my shock and horror, lifting robots is allowed by FIRST.

To my knowledge, they have not wavered an inch on this point.

They have said very clearly that lifting & dragging is allowed.

Other than our unwillingness to believe that they really mean it, there is no reason for clarification on this point as far as I can see.

We can fault FIRST for many things (one or two of them even deservedly so), but not for lack of clarity on the robot lifting issue.

I am not expecting any more on this issue.

I don't like it, but I accept it and I design my robot accordingly.

Let's move on...

Joe J.