Wheels Sticking Out From Chassis?

[Apachebot]

Our team is using the KOP chassis this year, and because the wheels are larger than the last time we used the kit chassis (2014), our mentor was concerned about the wheels having enough clearance to get better traction. As a result, we cut the edges of the chassis and have the wheels jutting out (with no metal on the edges). However, I'm now almost certain this violates R19 since there is nowhere to mount a bumper on the corners (and possibly R2 since it leaves an articulated part where a frame perimeter could/should? be). I just wanted to make sure we were in fact violating a rule before our team makes sizable changes. Also, if you have a solution for getting the bumpers to fit or any other advice to help us out, I would greatly appreciate it.
P.S. I know it seems like an obvious violation, but I felt the need to ask here because it was suggested by a mentor from another team who most certainly has a better understanding of the rules than I do (although he may have had something else in mind when he suggested doing something about giving the wheels space.)

[GaryVoshol]

If the wheels are the farthest point outwards on your ROBOT, they define the FRAME PERIMETER (FP). Would a string stretched around your ROBOT hit the wheels? Then they're part of the FP. And the BUMPERS have to be mounted on the FP.

You may be able to use some standoff pieces between the wheels as places to mount the BUMPERS. But remember the BUMPERS must have backing at least every 8 inches. If you are using 8 inch wheels, you might have problems, because the 8 inch wheel would rub on mounts that are 8 inches apart. You might be able to put your mounts a bit above or below the midpoint of the wheels to make it work; you'd be spanning a shorter chord of the wheel rather than the full diameter.

[vigneshv]

Originally Posted by Apachebot

Our team is using the KOP chassis this year, and because the wheels are larger than the last time we used the kit chassis (2014), our mentor was concerned about the wheels having enough clearance to get better traction. As a result, we cut the edges of the chassis and have the wheels jutting out (with no metal on the edges). However, I'm now almost certain this violates R19 since there is nowhere to mount a bumper on the corners (and possibly R2 since it leaves an articulated part where a frame perimeter could/should? be). I just wanted to make sure we were in fact violating a rule before our team makes sizable changes. Also, if you have a solution for getting the bumpers to fit or any other advice to help us out, I would greatly appreciate it.
P.S. I know it seems like an obvious violation, but I felt the need to ask here because it was suggested by a mentor from another team who most certainly has a better understanding of the rules than I do (although he may have had something else in mind when he suggested doing something about giving the wheels space.)

I don't understand how you were planning to mount bumpers now, but the rules say bumpers must be in the volume 4 in to 12 in above the ground. Therefore, you can (and probably should) mount the bumpers above the wheels, which is what we are doing. Our mounts are slightly in front of the wheels (but above), which conforms to R2 (because there is a frame perimeter in front of, just above, the articulated part), and R19, as there is a way to mount a corner bumper.

[vigneshv]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

If the wheels are the farthest point outwards on your ROBOT, they define the FRAME PERIMETER (FP). Would a string stretched around your ROBOT hit the wheels? Then they're part of the FP. And the BUMPERS have to be mounted on the FP.

You may be able to use some standoff pieces between the wheels as places to mount the BUMPERS. But remember the BUMPERS must have backing at least every 8 inches. If you are using 8 inch wheels, you might have problems, because the 8 inch wheel would rub on mounts that are 8 inches apart. You might be able to put your mounts a bit above or below the midpoint of the wheels to make it work; you'd be spanning a shorter chord of the wheel rather than the full diameter.

Remember that according to R22:

BUMPERS must be located entirely within the BUMPER ZONE, which is the volume contained between two virtual horizontal planes, 4 in. above the floor and 12 in. above the floor, in reference to the ROBOT standing normally on a flat floor. BUMPERS do not have to be parallel to the floor.

Therefore, it isn't even legal to mount the bumpers at the midpoint of the 8" wheels (as the radius of the 8" pneumatic wheels are, in reality quite a bit less than 4"). Mounting the bumpers above but, within the wheel region would work, however. The rules allow you to mount bumpers up to 10.5 in high (if you mount from the center of the bumpers), which gives you quite a bit of room to mount above the wheels as well.