Crazy robot idea for this year 2

[Siri]

Originally Posted by CalTran

Well, I think that the things that make this illegal to be:


^Even if you were able to get flying, you're still restricted to an air ceiling ~10" above the ground.

That's where the bumper zone is located, but it only matters with regard to R29 (in fact, it's only ever mentioned in these two rules).

[R29] Bumpers must be located entirely within the Bumper Zone when the Robot is standing normally on a flat floor.

Otherwise no one would be able to wheelie onto the bridge, lift themselves across the barrier, etc.

It seems the GDC also has chosen not to answer the question of whether a circular (or spherical) robot has no exterior vertices or infinite ones, so you might not need bumpers at all! ([R27]: "Robots are required to use Bumpers to protect all exterior vertices of the Frame Perimeter".)

Originally Posted by remulasce

In addition, no part of your robot may extend more than 60" off the ground- wait. Only when in contact with the other alliance's carpet. So you're good on that front.

True, all robots are limited to 60" while in contact with the "carpet and/or Key on their Alliance Station end of the Court" [G20].
...However, "Otherwise, Robots are limited to 84 in tall" [also G20].
...However, "The vertical measurement is always in relation to the Robot." [Q&A, G20]. Those tricky GDCers

So as long as your flying robot is not over 84" tall and not over 60" tall when placed on the Court before the match [G01]--with respect to itself--it should pass G20 and G01. (G01 is not clear about cases in which the robot is never actually placed on the Court, i.e. it floats.)


Now the safety thing, that's an issue. Field personnel have enough problems without a flying ball of helium filled with a battery+cRio*+router+/-bumpers flying at their heads. Yikes!


*[R52] Robots must be controlled via one programmable National Instruments cRIO (part # cRIO-FRC or cRIO-FRCII), with image version FRC_2012_v43. Other controllers shall not be used.