YMTC: Redabot "Clangs" Tetras Together

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by nartak

Technically the ROBOT did not touch the loading station Tetra (or as some may say, Tetram). Rather, a tetra that the robot just happened to be holding hit the loading station tetra.

I didn't notice anything in the rules this year that explicitly considers a held tetra to be an extension of the robot. That surprises me. Still, there's ample precedent for awarding the penalty to the robot causing the undesired contact, even if that robot itself never touched the forbidden object.

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

I didn't notice anything in the rules this year that explicitly considers a held tetra to be an extension of the robot.

Is a tetra required for weigh in?
Is a tetra required for size check?
Is the tetra you hold required to be "in profile" at the start of the match?

Answer to all 3. No.

If a robot touches a Loading Station tetra before it is in the LOADING ZONE, the offending alliance will be assessed a 10-point penalty

A robot is clearly defined in The Robot section of the manual, and no where does it define a required component on your robot to be a tetra.
Therefore, as per those criteria, and the definition of a robot as defined in The Robot section of the manual, My vote is no. No penalty.

UNLESS.. The team consistently tries to pick up a tetra on the automated loading station using another tetra that it is carrying as a pick up device, and thus is not in the loading area.

Then, a sub rule would have to be written either not allowing that or "bending" the rules for teams who try to use that as a strategy.
My guess though, is that the strategy would no be allowed.

Incidental touching of another tetra on the automated loading station with one you are already holding should be OK, but maybe a warning about it given when it happens so it is made clear that it is not an allowable strategy unless you are in the loading zone.

[Rick]

Elgin I respect your efforts, but it is a penalty. Heres why:

When a human player loads a tetra onto a robot, if there is another tetra already on it, they cannot touch that tetra because it is an extension of the robot.

ID:1789 Section:4.1 Status:Answered Date Answered:3/4/2005 Q:If the HP is placing a 2nd tetra onto the robot would they get penalized if part of their body touched the tetra that is already on the robot?A:Yes, the tetra is now considered an extension of the robot.

If you had a defensive robot, and it hit an opposing robot in a loading zone with a tetra in its grasp, or on the floor, it is considered an extension of the robot. See example 5 in update 4.

If a robot was to take a tetra on its arm, and push high on a robot with and it fell over...a dq would occur.

All of this shows that a tetra in control or on a robot is considered part of it.

THINK OF IT THIS WAY: (this is funny i think)
Say I pick up a bat and start spinning in circles moving around while I do it. You are sitting quietly sipping water and I smack the drink out of your hand. Who do you blame the bat or me, the crazy guy with the bat?

In this situation, the I am the robot and the bat is a tetra. The bat is an extension of me just like a tetra is an extension of the robot. It could be accidental it could not, but either way if I smack you with a bat (or knock a tetra off the loader) I get in trouble (or the robot gets a ten point flag).