Team UPDATE 2014-2-18

[Hallry]

Posted on the FRC Manual site, 2/18/2014: http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/Updates/0#term 165

Game Manual

General Updates

As we approach competition season, we wanted to remind Teams to prioritize safety when transporting their ROBOT on and off the FIELD, to include transporting the ROBOT in its lowest potential energy state and/or including lockouts to help mitigate unexpected release of stored energy. Inspectors will ensure ROBOTS comply with R8 and do not create unsafe conditions. If inspectors feel your ROBOT is unsafe to be transported while storing energy, they will work with you to add lockouts to help mitigate the unexpected release of stored energy. If you are unsure as to whether or not you need lockouts, it’s best to be on the safe side and assume you do. Per T12, the Team should be able to safely release stored energy and be able to demonstrate this during Inspection. If the ROBOT creates an unsafe condition for people to be around it, on-FIELD troubleshooting prior to the MATCH will be limited to that which can be achieved safely.

At the Week 0 event in Merrimack, NH this past weekend, we noticed many of the ROBOTS slightly and accidentally violating G21. This raised two concerns for us. First, if this Violation were called consistently, the points in each MATCH earned via FOULS would rival the points earned via normal gameplay. Second, we believe that this Violation would not be enforced consistently throughout each event and across all of our events. Because of this, we are adjusting G21 and G40. We do not want ROBOTS intentionally reaching outside the FIELD for any reason. However, if it happens accidentally and marginally, no FOUL will be assigned.


Section 2.2.1: The FIELD

The HUMAN PLAYER BARRIER is a system that consists of horizontal pipes that are 1 ft. 8 in. above the floor and are supported by sheet metal struts that are integrated into the GUARDRAIL. The HUMAN PLAYER BARRIER extends 1 ft. 8 in. wider than the GUARDRAIL and creates a barricade between HUMAN PLAYERS and ROBOTS. The SAFETY ZONE is a 2 in. wide, infinitely tall region located 8 in. from the FIELD-side plane of the GUARDRAILS and is defined by yellow tape on the Human Player Barrier Brackets and the Human Player Barrier End Brackets.



Section 3.2.5 ROBOT Actions

G21
ROBOTS may not extend outside the FIELD.
Violation: If intentional or if ROBOT extends into the SAFETY ZONE, FOUL. If continuous or repeated violations, TECHNICAL FOUL. If contact with anything outside the FIELD SAFETY ZONE, RED CARD and the ROBOT will be DISABLED.

Section 3.2.7: Human Actions

G40
TEAMS may not extend any body part into the SAFETY ZONE into the FIELD during the MATCH.
Violation: TECHNICAL FOUL.


Section 6.1: Glossary

SAFETY ZONE: a 2 in. wide, infinitely tall region located 8 in. from the FIELD-side plane of the GUARDRAILS and is defined by yellow tape on the Human Player Barrier Brackets and the Human Player Barrier End Brackets.

[JesseK]

Best post-build re-definition I've ever seen. Ha.

[Thad House]

Calling the new G40 seems very confusing to me. So now the human player must be much more cautious, because now if they got closer then 12 inches to the field its a tech? That seems pretty harsh, and that zone seems like it would be much harder to enforce then the field barrier, which is an easy thing to see if somebody crosses, verses the arbitrary safety zone, which is gonna be hard to keep a good eye on. Throwing a ball from the hp zone could easily cause your hands to cross it, but at a point 6+ feet off the ground, which would be hard to call.

[DonRotolo]

I dunno. I think a human would be able to remain in the human zone, meaning 20" away from the field and 12" away from the safety zone, pretty easily. Just don't go over that railing. A human that is a few inches closer to the field doesn't have a real advantage, since they (humans) are so versatile.

[Racer26]

Originally Posted by sst.thad

Calling the new G40 seems very confusing to me. So now the human player must be much more cautious, because now if they got closer then 12 inches to the field its a tech? That seems pretty harsh, and that zone seems like it would be much harder to enforce then the field barrier, which is an easy thing to see if somebody crosses, verses the arbitrary safety zone, which is gonna be hard to keep a good eye on. Throwing a ball from the hp zone could easily cause your hands to cross it, but at a point 6+ feet off the ground, which would be hard to call.

It DOES complicate the calling of keeping a human out of the SAFETY ZONE a bit, but I'm frankly OK with a missed call here or there on that one (since its still 8" from the FIELD and the ROBOTS are only supposed to have incidental incursion over the field barrier anyway.

Much better than the original rule which would very quickly have turned into the G22 of 2008 (which most off-seasons universally changed to not allowing you to reverse your robot fully THROUGH the plane of the LINEs, rather than BREAKING the PLANE, because G22 as it played at official events in 2008 was awful).

[Justin Montois]

I think this is a great rule change. By the letter of the law, yes, it seems that the human players now have to keep an eye on this Safety Zone instead of the field barrier. However, Overall I think it just allows the events to be called more consistently and easily by the ref crew. Meaning that the obvious calls (Robots with harvesters open extended well beyond the field) will be called and it gives the refs the freedom to not have to call every little infraction.

GDC has been awesome this year, can't wait to compete!