Bumper Inspection Discrepency

[jvriezen]

I've wondered about the reasoning behind that corner rule. I can plusible think of two reasons:

1) The case where a robot is hit hard right at the end of the bumper with the overhanging plywood and the plywood on that side pushing the adjacent side's plywood laterally, risking shearing off the attachment hardware.

2) If the bumper with the long plywood should happen to become detached at one end, but still secured at the other, and it gets tangled up with stuff, the bumper will act as a lever and potentially push the adjacent side board and shear off its mounting hardware.

Basically, I think its because they want the bumper segments (at least the hard parts) to remain independent and not 'react' with each other so that failure of one bumper doesn't cascade into potential failure of an adjacent bumper -- the above are specific cases of that.

I do know at least one team was cited for the same reason at Lake Superior Regional at least initially.

John Vriezen
Team 2530 "Inconceivable"
Mentor, Drive Coach, Inspector