FYI: Team Update #14 is posted

[Aidan F. Browne]

Hey everyone,

Team Update #14 is now posted on the FIRST web site.

Manuals incorporating all 14 updates will be posted tommorrow.

Good luck to everyone this weekend!



Aidan

[Joel Glidden]

A link even.

[KenWittlief]

YES!!!!! FIRST enters the 21st century!

<R14> Electrical tape may only be used as an electrical insulator. Velcro tape or double-sided sticky
foam may be used for attaching components to the robot. Adhesive-backed cable mounts may be used.
Small amounts of reflective tape may be used for counting wheel revolutions. Adhesive backed labels
may be used for labeling purposes. No other adhesive backed tapes are allowed.

we can use sticky back cable tie downs and double sticky foam to mount small components!!!

and VELCRO!!! (the crowd is on its feet and going wild!)

maybe now Scotch and 3M will become corporate sponsors :^)

[dez250]

Please Take a at the following excerption...

Add the following at the end of 7.1 as below. The new/modified text is bolded
and italicized and/or lined out.

Robot Starting Positions:
When discussing Robot Starting Position, the white lines will be designated "right" or
"left" based on the view of looking at an alliance station from the stationary goal of the
same color. As an example, in the top photo in section 4.1, for the Red Alliance this would
make the white line at the top of the photo the "left" line and the white line at the bottom
of the photo the "right" line.

Qualification Matches:
In Qualifying Matches, each alliance must declare which robot will start on the left
or right line as they are checked in to the "on deck" area before their match. Once
the alliance has declared left or right, these starting positions may not be changed
under any circumstance.

Elimination Matches:
In Elimination Matches a slightly different system will be used. In odd numbered
matches (1, 3) the lower ranked alliance (in this example they are the # 8 alliance)
must declare first which robot will start on the left and right. This placement can
NOT be changed once declared under any circumstance. The higher ranked (in
this example they are the # 1 alliance) will get to choose which of their two robots
in that match will start on the left or right side AFTER they have seen (or been
notified) what starting positions the other alliance has declared. In the even
numbered matches (2, and 4 if there is a need for a 4th match) the order is reversed
and the higher ranked alliance must declare first while the lower ranked alliance
gets to choose their starting positions second.

[Bcahn836]

In my opinion FIRST has said nothing new in update # 14. Everything that was covered was understood. However the updates are useful if you happen to haved missed something in the rule book.

Good luck to everyone this weekend and hope to see ya in VCU

It is near, can you feel the excitement?

[Rich Wong]

<G24> .......Provided there is no damage to the field, a robot may push against the mobile goal base, the PVC pipes, or the Large Ball to maneuver the Mobile Goal......"

This will gives more options to some drivers on moving the Mobile Goal around. Some robots may not have clamps the grab the metal edge.

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by Bcahn836

In my opinion FIRST has said nothing new in update # 14. Everything that was covered was understood. However the updates are useful if you happen to haved missed something in the rule book.

Good luck to everyone this weekend and hope to see ya in VCU

It is near, can you feel the excitement?

not the stuff about tape and velcro and wiretie anchors - the book said the ONLY adhesive/tape you could use was electical tape, and that only for insulation - it was even in the flowchart.

Fortunately for the sake of professionalism, duct tape is still forbidden :c)

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by dez250

Qualification Matches:
In Qualifying Matches, each alliance must declare which robot will start on the left
or right line as they are checked in to the "on deck" area before their match. Once
the alliance has declared left or right, these starting positions may not be changed
under any circumstance.

Since something which will be more easy to do this year is to deflect a team off of its pre-programmed mode, which starting position you pick will be significant.

I had envisioned teams starting to put their robot down, seeing what their opponent is doing, and making a quick dash across the field to get a better match up. Then, the team across the field, waiting til the last possible second, resets their robots so as to reverse the match up again. This ruling eliminates that "robot dance."

However, it increases both the scouting and subterfuge elements of the game. You need to know where they customarily place their robot. You need to "mask" your desired position so that their scouts don't pick up on your preference.