Globe transmission with other motor(s)

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by s_forbes

Very nice modification! It's great to see a planetary gearbox alternative that a lot of veteran teams already have laying around.

Seems a little blurry to me on the rules though this year... Is this considered modification of a COTS item? I didn't think that anyone sold these motor/gearboxes anymore.

R29 is a neat rule this year that allows use of past robot components and COTS items that aren't sold anymore, but gives the impression that you can't modify them if you intend to use them on your robot.

Good catch on the rule question. I think you're right; if not commercially-available any longer, <R29A> says they must be unmodified—which they aren't—and <R29B> says they must obey other rules—of which the motor rules <R46> and <R47> seem to be pertinent. (There is some question about whether modifying a motor such that it is incapable of being used as a motor renders it permissible for use this season.)

I'm not sure what the GDC was intending with this rule. Is there something special about formerly-COTS parts that necessitates their being left unmodified? Perhaps a concern that teams would re-use particular fabricated items from old robots? (Not that I think this rule would be the logical response to that; I'm just speculating.)