Quote:
Originally Posted by johnshayes
Just wondering if anybody knows any restrictions regarding securing the bumpers, what do they have to be attached to?
I know they should be attached to the frame perimeter, but are there any rules stating that it has to be backed every x amount of inches that I may have missed?
Can you have a section of bumper free floating?
Just a couple of questions as my team is fairly new and has only had to deal with bumpers on one other occasion. any help on the matter would be much obliged.
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You'll want to look closely at R26:
Quote:
BUMPERS must be supported by the structure/frame of the ROBOT (see Figure 4-9). To be considered supported, a minimum of ½ in. at each end of the BUMPER must be backed by the FRAME PERMIETER. Additionally, any gap between the backing material and the frame:
A. must not be greater than ¼” deep, or
B. not more than 8 in. wide
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And R21G:
Quote:
BUMPERS must be constructed as follows (see Figure 4-7):
must attach to the FRAME PERIMETER of the ROBOT with a rigid fastening system to form a tight, robust connection to the main structure/frame (e.g. not attached with hook-and-loop, tape, or tie-wraps). The attachment system must be designed to withstand vigorous game play. All removable fasteners (e.g. bolts, locking pins, pip-pins, etc.) will be considered part of the BUMPERS.
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The backing part is important, as these robots can be under a lot of stress when they hit, and you don't want your bumper breaking in half. But the "rigid fastening system" is even more important, in my opinion. No matter how well students are trained, at some point during the competition the team is going to be in a rush, and someone will pick the robot up by its bumpers. If it's not attached securely, then 150lbs of robot are going to fall, potentially injuring someone. Plus, I HAVE seen bumpers come off during game play. It's not really a good situation - The bumpers help prevent damage to your frame, and losing one can easily lead to more damage to your robot than you can fix!