Destructive Air Tank Testing

[JamesCH95]

I agree with everything you said Todd.

Though plastic air tanks are different than the battery and an electrical in that they have a much safer alternative, and a tank failure is arguably more dangerous than a fire or a battery rupture.

A ruptured battery will fizzle and spew acid all over the field, and then be contained with a spill kit. An electrical fire with burn a robot(s) and/or the field, and then get put out with a fire extinguisher. An exploding tank sends shrapnel flying.

Like I said, I agree that robots violating G28 could cause tank failures, and that's not okay. But, just like laws that discourage negative actions, laws do not prevent them, nor do laws prevent accidents. As the FIRST community we have a choice to try a multitude of fixes, or choose an intrinsically safe solution.

As an aside, in our second QF match at GSDE we were hit with a G28 technical foul when our bumper rode up on top of another robot's bumper. No contact inside either bumper zone, certainly no contact of any consequence. It's tough to ride that fine line in calling technical fouls...