"assisted" balance

[lefkoc]

I'm not sure on touching the floor, but my team also wondered if it was legal to clamp onto another bot on your alliance (not the opposing) to make it easier to put the third bot on the bridge.

[wilhitern1]

Originally Posted by lefkoc

I'm not sure on touching the floor, but my team also wondered if it was legal to clamp onto another bot on your alliance (not the opposing) to make it easier to put the third bot on the bridge.

I see no rules against it, but it will be a week before I feel thoroughly studied up.

[bhaidet]

I feel like the 3rd robot touching the floor would be completely legal but would only count as two bots.

My original pneumatic ram would be pressing against the side fence for the arena, not the floor. I'm sure any clarification will outlaw the floor or else all 3 bots could just go stand next to it and touch it

[Basel A]

The first team update says:

A Bridge will count as Balanced if it is within 5° of horizontal and any Robots touching it are fully supported by it.

Emphasis mine. While I think it was clear that this was the initial intent of the rules, now the intent matches the rule itself. No touching the ground!

[Ninja_Bait]

Originally Posted by Basel A

The first team update says:


Emphasis mine. While I think it was clear that this was the initial intent of the rules, now the intent matches the rule itself. No touching the ground!

A third robot can still assist balancing for two other robots, though, based on these rules.

[Jimmy K]

"A Bridge will count as Balanced if it is within 5° of horizontal and any Robots touching it are fully supported by it." -- Team Update 1

So the third bot cannot help with balancing the bridge (unless it is doing so without touching the bridge i.e. telepathically ).

EDIT: Referenced the quote as coming from the team update.

[Ninja_Bait]

Oh, wow, you're right. I totally misread that.

[Kraftyman]

Can you reference the manual?

"A Bridge will count as Balanced if it is within 5° of horizontal and any Robots touching it are fully supported by it."

Mine does not state those words together.....

[RufflesRidge]

Originally Posted by Kraftyman

Can you reference the manual?

"A Bridge will count as Balanced if it is within 5° of horizontal and any Robots touching it are fully supported by it."

Mine does not state those words together.....

The first Team Update was released today. In the past they have been released on Tuesdays and Fridays by ~5:00pm Eastern.

[WizenedEE]

Originally Posted by Jimmy K

"A Bridge will count as Balanced if it is within 5° of horizontal and any Robots touching it are fully supported by it." -- Team Update 1

So you can incur the technical-foul by touching your opponent's bridge WITHOUT interfering with balancing (so no red card and it doesn't count). Then, a Robot touching it won't be fully supported and they'll lose the 10-20 points.

Although I guess that "the act of balancing" refers to that technically as well.

[LabVIEW Rocks!]

Originally Posted by lefkoc

I'm not sure on touching the floor, but my team also wondered if it was legal to clamp onto another bot on your alliance (not the opposing) to make it easier to put the third bot on the bridge.

Im pretty sure you can grab an alliance robot, but not an opponet robot. But be sure and read the rules carefully first.

[firemaster193]

but in coopertition points could you grasp an opposing robot

[bhaidet]

I think that even another robot on the ground would qualify as "support" so they pretty much killed all hope of getting around the rule with the last update.

[Siri]

Originally Posted by LabVIEW Rocks!

Im pretty sure you can grab an alliance robot, but not an opponet robot. But be sure and read the rules carefully first.

Not entirely accurate. The rule concerning contact with an opponent robot, <G27>, states: "Deliberate or damaging contact with an opponent Robot inside its Frame Perimeter is not allowed." <G26> may also apply in some situations: "Strategies aimed at the destruction, attachment, damage, tipping or entanglement of Robots are not in the spirit of
the FRC and are not allowed."

Thus if you contacted the opposing robot outside of its frame perimeter (say, its bumpers) in a way not aimed at the destruction, attachment, damage, tipping or entanglement of any robot, you may well be legal.

[rich2202]

The kick off video shows bots grabbing each other when balancing 3 bots on a bridge. The trick is going to figure out - in advance - how to hold onto the other bot. Unless grab points are defined in advance, how can you plan for grabbing?

When you are balancing 2 bots on a bridge, there is enough room that you do not need to touch the other bot.