Ramp dimensions

[Grovestand]

Hey, ive scanned the manual for any information on this but i would like to clarify.
Are there any dimension limits for ramp angles?
If so, where are they stated in the rulebook?

[lopz056]

i dont see any rules on the dimensions of a ramp on your robot, as long as it doesnt exceed the basic maximum weight/hight/length limits of your overall robot

[Eric W. Jones]

At the beginning of the match, the robot may not extend beyond 28'' wide by 38'' long. But,

<R12> Once the match has started, the ROBOT may assume a PLAYING CONFIGURATION that exceeds the size dimensions specified in Rule <R07>. While outside of its HOME ZONE, a ROBOT may expand up to a maximum width of 72 inches and depth of 72 inches. While entirely inside of its own HOME ZONE, there is no limit to the maximum width or depth of the ROBOT, as long as it remains entirely within the HOME ZONE. There are no height
limits for a ROBOT in its PLAYING CONFIGURATION at any time after the start of the match (other than those naturally created by the ceiling height of the competition venue).

Based off of this rule, I would say that you can have a ramp of any angle as long as it can either: 1) Stay entirely within your home zone, or 2) Not extend the robots dimensions beyond 72'' by 72''.

The HOME ZONE is the 8 foot by 26 foot 8
inch area bordered by the diamond plate wall of the Alliance Station, the polycarbonate walls of the playing field, and a colored line on the playing field.

So you could, in principal, make your robot 72 inches wide and long and 1 foot high. If you are against the home zone wall, your ramp could extend the remaining 2 feet to the edge of the home zone. On a perfect robot in this position, the ramp could be 26.8 inches long, or 2 feet 2 and 4/5 inches. The ramp angle would be 26.6 degrees. This would give you the ability to hold both of your alliance partners, as long as they're small enough, and have the lowest possible angle.

But if you don't extend beyond the starting dimensions, your robot could line the long end (depth) against the alliance station wall and extend your ramp from the side. This would give you 5 feet 4 inches to have a ramp extend. In this configuration, your ramp could be 5 feet 9 inches long, and would have an angle of 10 degrees. You'd only be able to hold one of your partners at most, but that is a very low angle that almost any robot could ascend.

[Grovestand]

yeah, thanks =D we were just making sure there werent any strict angle limits, for some reason we were led to believe that the ramp had to be 20 degrees. bad rumors =P

[Dancing_Chuck]

Yeah, I think that Jones answered that really well. Thanks, I had the same question.

[Spark Hawk]

I know... I absolutely love the fact that the home zone is restriction free.

[K.Shaw]

if you are thinking about making a rampbot, make sure that your angle is not too extreme and that basically any robot would be able to get up onto it. Remember last years ramp and how steep/short it was, and that atleast 30-40% of the robots were not able to consistently get up on it. Also remember this is going to be a last minute dash for the most part and robots will only have maybe one shot to get up onto the ramp, so it should be fairly easy for them to get up.

Good luck!

[Eric W. Jones]

I love math...