Game Manual - Team Update - 2014-03-11

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Kevin Kolodziej

But what truly is a COTS part if its on a practice robot?

Need a gearbox? I bet it didn't arrive from the supplier assembled, so its no longer COTS.

Need a motor? I bet it didn't arrive from the supplier with terminals on the ends, so its no longer COTS. It might have even had a pinion on it when you got it that probably isn't there anymore.

Need a motor controller? I bet it didn't arrive from the supplier with lugs in the screw connection, so its no longer COTS.

Need some raw material? OK, get your hacksaw out and take as large a chunk as you can from that bot and trim it to size in your pit.

My point is, COTS items are rarely still COTS items on a practice bot. Even if they are truly unmodified, however, they are attached to a larger assembly (the robot) which is more than 45 pounds, and therefore would need to be brought in during initial load-in.

You do what you want, but our practice bot will be staying at home (and not just because we don't have a trailer to keep it in).

Yay! forcing teams to spend more money for no net gain.

Gotta love it.