Arm illegal

[Cow Bell Solo]

Question about having a forklift I have tried searching but haven't found anything.

Is it illegal to have a forklift like design with two forks coming out to pick up the trackball.

Just curious as when it comes to the competition there would be no use working on it if we can't use it.

Thanks for any help

[TheOtherGuy]

As long as it doesn't violate any rules, it should be fine. It seems like a lot of teams are going with forklift designs.

You may want to think about contact outside of the bumper zone. If you have 2 forks, they will more than likely take a beating in competition. Make sure you incorperate rigidity into your design.

[Cow Bell Solo]

thats what I was kind of thinking

[danshaffer]

One of the more relevant rules is that anything that is meant to contact the ball (like your forks) must be at least .125 (presumably OD, gotta check the rules). Be sure to read over the rules once or twice (maybe with different sets of eyes) before committing to any one design.

[Cow Bell Solo]

I have read the rules and didn't really see anything (and I kind of remember there being some kind of rule out there last year about forklift designs) so I just thought about posting on Chief Delphi before our design is to complete.

Also no one on our team has really read the rules were their rulebook is coming to me(which I tell them eventually look it up because they should of read it) anybody else with those problems

[GRS]

The rule is <R05>, corners and points must have a radius of at least 0.125" and edges must have a radius of at least 0.03"

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Chris,
As GRS has pointed out above, R05 is a rather inclusive rule down to the dimension of exposed surfaces. Please check out the revision D of the robot rules as R04 and the highlighted text also applies. Damage to event personnel and participants is the first priority, field and game pieces is the second. In addition to inspection teams, I believe UL will also have safety teams watching over things as well.

[Arefin Bari]

I know a lot of teams that are using forklifts. It's not against the rule. Just make sure you don't use your forklifts to flip a robot over. That would be a disqualification right away.

[Cow Bell Solo]

Okay that is kind of what I was thinking thankz everyone

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

I believe UL will also have safety teams watching over things as well.

This is another topic entirely, but to be blunt, we felt the vast majority of the UL safety people were more trouble than they were worth.

[David Brinza]

Originally Posted by Cory

This is another topic entirely, but to be blunt, we felt the vast majority of the UL safety people were more trouble than they were worth.

Cory, Cory, Cory - you just may have forfeited some safety tokens!!! This is probably a separate thread discussion, but...

FIRST has to be very visible with a safety program to assure the schools, parents and sponsors that we're serious about preventing injuries and accidents. UL provides validation for the contents of the FIRST Safety Manual and training to the Safety Advisors. Their Safety Awards are a very visible display of the importance of safety in FIRST.

Yeah, sometimes the Safety Advisors can go overboard. If you have issues with how things are being handled at an event, you should discuss them with the lead Safety Advisor to try to get it resolved. Last year, when the "no bandsaws and drill presses in the pits decree" was issued by FIRST, I talked with the LA Regional Lead Safety Advisor about setting up a "quick cut/drill station" near the machine shop area. He was very helpful and we had a plan in place to do this. FIRST rescinded that decree the next day, but the fact that FIRST Safety was willing to work with teams to allow them to do what they need to do to get their robots competition ready - safely.

[Los Frijoles]

Originally Posted by TheOtherGuy

Make sure you incorperate rigidity into your design.

I think it would be better to make your arms that stick out bendy on one axis so that if someone hits you from the side you don't snap off and if you try to pick up the ball you are still rigid.