Bumper Number Question

[Doc Wu]

Speaking strictly as a spectator, not as an inspector, I really have a problem with 'creative' numbers. The point of them is to be able to identify a robot anywhere in the stands, even the top rows, as well as on the video feeds that are now commonplace in FIRST.

Practically speaking, if the border is blue or nearly blue, on the blue bumpers, it's not going to affect the visibility. Not nearly as much as gold trimmed in white. It would be great if you found a red border for your red bumpers.

Now then, as an inspector, I'd be concerned with the height and stroke width first. A colored border isn't expressly allowed or disallowed, so I'm not sure what the ruling would be. But why tempt fate?

On the other hand, the gold with white borders, even if I don't like them, they are allowed, and should pass. The rules don't even say how thick the white border has to be. It could be pencil-thin.

I really don't understand all the anguish over bumpers. No one really cares about the bumpers and how they look. They are required equipment, like a football player is required to wear a helmet and shoulder pads. What the fans remember is how he played, not how his pads worked. Just build bumpers according to the rules, put them on your robot and get on with the important stuff.