Safety Issue: Robots Moving in Pits

[JamesCH95]

Originally Posted by robochick1319

That is an entirely different issue that is unrelated to the robots running on the floor of the pit. Gloves are not always the right PPE for every situation so the short answer is no. Let's not devolve into a slippery slope argument because that was not my intention, I promise.

But it stands to reason that if people can't be on the field when robots are running during a match (or even put their hands over the wall a tiny bit to feed a noodle) why is it ok for a robot to run around in a crowded pit space with lots of bystanders?

I am going to assume that this is an honest question (not a rhetorical one) and answer it as such.

No one, I assume, will be driving their robot in the pit like they drive it in a match. At a race track no one is allowed to be on or near the track when cars are racing, but they are allowed near the cars in the pits where speeds are slower and there are considerably fewer cars at any given time. The same should hold true for robots: go easy on driving in the pits, do as little as is needed, and do it reasonably safely and slowly.

No one is allowed to interact with a robot on the field for safety reasons as well as interference/performance reasons. The rules are the rules, and we have had games with significantly more human interaction (I'm specifically thinking of 2005 and 2014 where the human player was right next to the field with very little between them and the robot). I believe the rules this year are more of a design constraint than a safety concern.