Team Update 1-17-2014

[Steven Donow]

Administrative Manual:

Administrative Manual
6.10 ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD sponsored by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers

6.10.2 Guidelines

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: Please detail how the team is structured to 1) Raise funds; 2) Ensure funds are properly spent; 3) Find and engage sponsors; 4) Recruit team members/mentors for current & future seasons; 5) Ensure FIRST principles remain core to the team’s efforts. Uploading an image of your team organizational chart below, will also satisfy this requirement.

(1600 characters allowed, including spaces and punctuation. Graphic image allowed in addition to or as an alternative to text - upload 5” x 4” 100 dpi resolution images that end in .JPG or .GIF)
…

FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Please include information on team finances (include financial statement detailing income and expenditures). Uploading an image of your team financial plan below, will also satisfy this requirement.

(1600 characters allowed, including spaces and punctuation. Graphic image allowed in addition to or as an alternative to text- upload 5” x 4” 100 dpi resolution images that end in .JPG or .GIF)

Game Manual:

Game Manual
Section 2.2.4: VISION TARGETS
The retro-reflective material on the dynamic VISION TARGET is nominally 3¾ in. from the FIELD-side surface of the ALLIANCE WALL polycarbonate sheet above the LOW GOAL.



Section 3.2.3: General Rules
G12

An ALLIANCE may not POSSESS their opponent’s BALLS. The following criteria define POSSESSION:

“carrying” (moving while supporting BALLS in or on the ROBOT),
“herding” (repeated pushing or bumping),
“launching” (impelling BALLS to a desired location or direction via a MECHANISM in motion relative to the ROBOT),
“trapping” (overt isolation or holding one or more BALLS against a FIELD element or ROBOT in an attempt to shield them).

Violation: TECHNICAL FOUL per instance. If extended, another TECHNICAL FOUL. If strategic, RED CARD for the ALLIANCE.

Section 4.6: BUMPER Rules
R26

In Team Update 2014-01-14:

BUMPERS must be supported by the structure/frame of the ROBOT (see Figure 4-10). To be considered supported, a minimum of ½ in. at each end of the BUMPER must be backed by the FRAME PERIMETER. Additionally, any gap between the backing material and the frame

• must not be greater than ¼ in. deep or
• the BUMPER must be backed by the FRAME PERIMETER at least every 8 in wide.

In Manual:

BUMPERS must be supported by the structure/frame of the ROBOT (see Figure 4-10). To be considered supported, a minimum of ½ in. at each end of the BUMPER must be backed by the FRAME PERIMETER. Additionally, any gap between the backing material and the frame

• must not be greater than ¼ in. deep, and (change to “or” per last TU)
• not more than 8 in. wide.

Section 5.1: Overview
In the event where order placement of ROBOTS matters to either or both ALLIANCES, the ALLIANCE must notify the Head Referee during setup for that MATCH. Upon notification, the Head Referee will require ALLIANCES to place their ROBOTS per the following protocol:

Qualification MATCHES

Blue GOALIE (if in use)
Red GOALIE (if in use)
Blue ROBOTS in the White ZONE
Red ROBOTS in the White ZONE

Elimination MATCHES

Lower seed GOALIE (if in use)
Higher seed GOALIE (if in use)
Lower seed ROBOTS in the White ZONE
Higher seed ROBOTS in the White ZONE



Section 6: Glossary
POSSESS: (for a ROBOT) to carry (move while supporting BALLS in or on the ROBOT), herd (repeated pushing or bumping), launch (impel BALLS to a desired location or direction via a MECHANISM in motion relative to the ROBOT), or trap (overt isolation or holding one or more BALLS against a FIELD element or ROBOT in an attempt to shield them) a BALL.

[notmattlythgoe]

impel BALLS to a desired location or direction via a MECHANISM in motion relative to the ROBOT

That really opens up some defensive play.

[Jeffy]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

That really opens up some defensive play.

Possessing the opponents ball is still prohibited. Care to explain your thoughts?

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Jeffy

Possessing the opponents ball is still prohibited. Care to explain your thoughts?

Hit it.

[BigJ]

Originally Posted by Jeffy

Possessing the opponents ball is still prohibited. Care to explain your thoughts?

The new standard for ground-only (no manipulator) POSSESSION is herding (repeated pushing or bumping) and trapping. If you drive by, and hit the opponents ball away, then drive away, you're good. Basically, if you aren't in control of it after you hit it (once) away, you should be penalty free.

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

Hit it.

Exactly, you can now plow into their ball once and drive away.

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by Jeffy

Possessing the opponents ball is still prohibited. Care to explain your thoughts?

I believe the concern was that attempting to deflect an opponents ball (ie a single bump on the ball that sent it in a new, likely desired, direction) could be considered launching and earn a penalty via g12. This update makes it clear that getting in the way like that is legal and does not incur a penalty.

[sanddrag]

I have a question on the bumper rule. Do robot wheels qualify as part of the "frame" for the purposes of backing the bumper less than 1/4" away from the plywood? Can the wheels be the "frame" members that break up the span between the ends into <8" long portions, for the purposes of satisfying the bumper rules.

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

I have a question on the bumper rule. Do robot wheels qualify as part of the "frame" for the purposes of backing the bumper less than 1/4" away from the plywood? Can the wheels be the "frame" members that break up the span between the ends into <8" long portions, for the purposes of satisfying the bumper rules.

Per R2,

The ROBOT must have a FRAME PERIMETER, contained within the BUMPER ZONE, that is comprised of fixed, non-articulated structural elements of the ROBOT. Minor protrusions no greater than ¼ in. such as bolt heads, fastener ends, and rivets are not considered part of the FRAME PERIMETER.

Wheels would not qualify as fixed, non-articulated structural elements. If I were inspecting your robot, I would not count the wheels as sufficient backing for the bumpers, but as always the only definitive answer you can get is the Q&A.

[Mr. Van]

So, if you catch an opponents ball (by mistake - not through any intent on either alliance's part), then you incur a penalty if you keep it, and you incur a penalty if you kick it out of your robot?

Seems to provide a powerful deterrent to an open-topped passive catching design.

Do I have this correct?

- Mr. Van
Coach, Robodox

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by Mr. Van

So, if you catch an opponents ball (by mistake - not through any intent on either alliance's part), then you incur a penalty if you keep it, and you incur a penalty if you kick it out of your robot?

Seems to provide a powerful deterrent to an open-topped passive catching design.

Do I have this correct?

- Mr. Van
Coach, Robodox

That's the way I always understood the rule, and the update doesn't seem to have changed that.

[markmcgary]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

That's the way I always understood the rule, and the update doesn't seem to have changed that.

I think this update further clarifies POSSESSION as:

“launching” (impelling BALLS to a desired location or direction via a MECHANISM in motion relative to the ROBOT)

So, now there is no doubt that if an opponent ball accidentally landed in your robot and you use a mechanism to remove the ball, you can be penalized.

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by markmcgary

I think this update further clarifies POSSESSION as:



So, now there is no doubt that if an opponent ball accidentally landed in your robot and you use a mechanism to remove the ball, you can be penalized.

Technically there is still a loop hole. If you catch the opposing alliance's ball and don't move you have not technically possessed the ball according to the definition.

[BBray_T1296]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

Technically there is still a loop hole. If you catch the opposing alliance's ball and don't move you have not technically possessed the ball according to the definition.

Incorrect. You are "Trapping" the ball

“trapping” (overt isolation or holding one or more BALLS against a FIELD element or ROBOT in an attempt to shield them).

[Mr. Van]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

Technically there is still a loop hole. If you catch the opposing alliance's ball and don't move you have not technically possessed the ball according to the definition.

So, if an opponent's ball lands in your robot, the only way to not incur a penalty is to not move?

It seems to me then that "catching" requires some sort of active mechanism that will NOT work unless you really want it to, or you must make a covered top for your robot so that a ball can't fall into it at all. For example, all of the "3-day" robots are very vulnerable to opponent's balls landing in them.

I thought that the Truss Toss & Catch was one of the best elements in the game, but now instead of designing something that will trap a flying ball, we've got to make sure we DON'T catch an errant bounce from our opponent.

I hope this gets fixed quickly!

- Mr. Van
Coach, Robodox