paper: 2015 IRI Rule Changes

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Having multiple landfill configurations depending on alliance preference would likely make match resets take significantly longer. I would avoid it from a scheduling standpoint.

It wouldn't take as long as you think. As long as all of the totes are on the field it doesn't take long for a few people to reset the landfill. Resetting the HP stations could take even longer now with 12 extra totes that would need to get moved back to the corners.

If you had one point person on each side of the field for field reset that each alliance needs to check in with before the end of the preceding match asking for the left, right, or both sides to get flipped it becomes easy.

Yes it makes some can grabbers less effective but if you want the totes that might be the cost. Just a little surprised they are leaving 10 useless totes on the field and not giving teams the options.

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by waialua359

Its too bad for teams like ours, who designed can grabbers in auto that grab the two center ones by moving back towards the step. Similar to that of Team 610. Understandable though.

Another team that is affected by this change is 1024.
The site host team.

[Citrus Dad]

Originally Posted by BJT

However, I was kind of looking forward to someone figuring out how to teleport the cans off the step in the first couple milliseconds

Laser cannon!!

[Mike Koch]

Just a quick clarification:
"During the Autonomous period, the “Right side” (from the drivers station perspective) Recycle Containers on the step may only be contacted by the alliance facing them."

Since both alliances face the middle, both alliances are facing all the Recycle Containers on the Step. I think the intention is that each alliance may only go after the RCs on THEIR respective right sides during Auto.

Is that correct?

[Mike Koch]

Found my own answer in the full pdf which I missed the first time around:

G21-1 During AUTO, the ROBOTS may only contact the two (2) RECYCLING CONTAINERS on the right side of the STEP, when viewed from their ALLIANCE STATION.

[JB987]

Some great ideas for sure. Scores likely to go higher but I assume an asterisk would be associated with any new 'high score' that comes from this event?

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by JB987

Some great ideas for sure. Scores likely to go higher but I assume an asterisk would be associated with any new 'high score' that comes from this event?

I recall that Chris' initial IRI announcement stated that the game will be RecycleRUSH+.

So, + sign. No asterisk.

[The other Gabe]

Originally Posted by Mike Koch

Just a quick clarification:
"During the Autonomous period, the “Right side” (from the drivers station perspective) Recycle Containers on the step may only be contacted by the alliance facing them."

Since both alliances face the middle, both alliances are facing all the Recycle Containers on the Step. I think the intention is that each alliance may only go after the RCs on THEIR respective right sides during Auto.

Is that correct?

yes: in essence, you only get to grab from the side that does not have a scoring platform

[Chris Fultz]

During the Autonomous period, the "Right side" (from the drivers station perspective) Recycle Containers on the step may only be contacted by the alliance facing them. After Autonomous, Recycle Containers remaining on the step are open to either alliance.

This rule will be amended slightly to further reinforce the desire to limit the can-burgler arms race. (If you keep finding loopholes, we will continue to close them.)

"A robot, robot part, or game piece that has been contacted by a robot or robot part, may not break the vertical plane formed by the near edge of the step during autonomous. When viewed from the drivers station, this vertical plane extends from the left side of the step to exactly half the width of the field, and extends downward 5 feet below the floor level and upward 46 feet above the floor level. Violation is a RED CARD."

"The only exception to this rule is a robot that has collected yellow totes during autonomous and then scored them on the open area of the step also during autonomous. In this situation, we will not throw a red card, but we will applaud the team that has done this."

[CVR]

Originally Posted by Chris Fultz

"The only exception to this rule is a robot that has collected yellow totes during autonomous and then scored them on the open area of the step also during autonomous. In this situation, we will not throw a red card, but we will applaud the team that has done this."

We got 90% of the way there.

Unfortunately, we only were able to try it once. It was untested on the competition bot before this video was shot, so I'm impressed that we were as close as we were. I'm not familiar with any other team that had tried to do this, so I'd love to see other attempts if anyone knows of them.

[Bennett548]

Thanks for the clarification on rule intent.

Now I'm thinking how cool it would be if there were a year with no height restrictions again, like 2004 or 2005 for example. There were some crazy tall robots those years.

[MStump]

Sad to see that some robots like 610 won't be able to compete using some of their mechanisms designed for their Recycle Rush robot this year at IRI due to these rule changes. I personally was a fan of the can wars but I can understand why they would need to be removed at such a high level of competition to prevent dangerous actions from taking place.

Also kind of disappointed that litter throwing wasn't removed and that the landfill totes can't be flipped over as an option...oh well.

On a more positive note, I'm glad to see the addition of 2 cans and 12 extra totes per alliance. Will make for some really high scoring matches.

Should be a fun competition to watch! I expect to see lots of exciting matches!

[Dave Campbell]

I'm with Glenn, the rule change about can grabbing center cans in auton really hinders our Recycle Rush game play. Our auton can grabber was a great feature that we designed, built and implemented during the build season and proved that it worked with a week two event Win in Pittsburgh, a week 6 Finalist at Queen City and with GREAT partners won the Carver Division and played on Einstein. Too bad the IRI rules exclude one of our best assets from the entire season.

Hey Chris - suggestion - grandfather clause -NON-CHEESECAKED robots that had designed and used can grabbers in their initial match of their first event for the season, should be able to use them in auton to grab ANY cans, left or right, off the step at IRI.

[tindleroot]

Originally Posted by Dave Campbell

I'm with Glenn, the rule change about can grabbing center cans in auton really hinders our Recycle Rush game play. Our auton can grabber was a great feature that we designed, built and implemented during the build season and proved that it worked with a week two event Win in Pittsburgh, a week 6 Finalist at Queen City and with GREAT partners won the Carver Division and played on Einstein. Too bad the IRI rules exclude one of our best assets from the entire season.

Hey Chris - suggestion - grandfather clause -NON-CHEESECAKED robots that had designed and used can grabbers in their initial match of their first event for the season, should be able to use them in auton to grab ANY cans, left or right, off the step at IRI.

As well intentioned as your idea is, something like that would be bad for an event because: 1) some teams will have an "unfair" advantage in the sense that they can use a mechanism that many teams cannot (because whether you used a canburglar at your first event is already decided for all teams). 2) The can wars would then resume. 3) said teams would necessarily get picked early if the cans off the step could win the game.

I agree that the effort teams have put into certain canburglar designs is unfairly lost, but I don't think there is any better solution than IRI has implemented. If the teams want to use a canburglar, it should be fairly easy to redesign it for only one side - speed doesn't matter now, so simpler designs are possible.

[Mike Koch]

Rule changes like this are totally in keeping with FIRST's modus operandi during Build Season. Although it is at times frustrating, FIRST is acting exactly like a typical Client does in the real world: changing specifications after the contract has been signed and work well under way, and with no deferment of the delivery date or adjustment in price.

And this is a good thing.

Helping us to teach our students not only what to expect when they get a real job but demonstrating how professionals deal with issues like this. GP.

Go FIRST!