Contrary to popular opinion..."wedge" robots are out

[jax1488]

Originally Posted by team222badbrad

I, too am glad to see this rule, I just hope it is enforced. Us 222 folks don't care how much any team tries to push us as long as you don't lift our bot up with your wedge like frame.

All I can say is: "Try to push/move us this year!"

well all i wanna say is.. no robot has ever pushed ours without us letting them.. and we have pushed every robot we have desired to in the last 3 years.. without wedges too! lol ill be shocked if anyone can push us at all this year.. ():-)

[Bill Becker]

Are inverted wedges really banned. As long as you have a significant (3") vertical face on the back side where robots would normally encounter each other wouldn't a inverted slope to go up the ramp be ok?

[Ianworld]

I wouldn't worry about inverted wedges. The intent of the rule was to stop you from tipping other robots. Inverted wedges meet that intent. Perhaps checking the Q & A is in order.

[Bill Moore]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

I like this new rule. Defensive wedges are fine if used defensively, problem was, they weren't.
If you have a "defensive wedge" you really should not be able to push/ram at all, cus then it becomes and "offensive wedge". But when teams began to get penelized for tipping when doing such, they complained. Banning wedges solves this problem.
Note that also, there is a penelty for high speed ramming anyway.

I don't like this rule for the fact that it doesn't address only the offensive wedges, but it also bans "inverted" wedges. Consider the ramp at the end of a match, a team with an "inverted" wedge at 60 degrees (complementary angle) that has small rubber wheels on the wedge, should slide up the ramp easier than a robot with straight sides. The inverted wedge will convert your forward motion upwards, helping your robot climb the ramp. This could allow a robot to stay on the field a couple more seconds shooting or playing defense, and make a last second dash to the ramp.

The rule is well intended, and needed, but its' general nature is too restrictive.