End Safety Theater

[MamaSpoldi]

Originally Posted by robochick1319

As for gloves, many will attest to the fact that we are already pushing our weight-lifting limit with robots. A 120 lb robot with bumpers and batteries is a pretty heavy thing to be hauled on and off the pit and an on and off the work bench. Pinch points, digs into skin, and the risk of slipping are all real risks. Once again, why risk it?

Originally Posted by TheOtherGuy

Our "practice field" is a bit difficult to reach without a decent bit of robot-carrying. I've managed to pinch my fingers on more than one occasion when gravity took a hold of the intake and my hands weren't positioned right. Gloves may not be needed for lifting heavy objects, but that's not all they protect you from.

We generally use lifting straps on our robots to eliminate the pinch points, sharp edges, and anything else that could be an issue. These have been very effective. However, at the Bayou Regional in 2008, we were not allowed to check-in our team at pit admin until we could produce 2 pair of gloves. Luckily another team allowed us to borrow some since we do not use them. I would say in many cases the overly large gloves often used are more of a hazard than a help. They get caught on protrusions and don't always allow for a firm grip of the robot.