pic: FRC488 - Overview

[ChuckDickerson]

I am not trying to nitpick the rules here but rather gain a better understanding of how to interpret them. It is my understanding that the pictured design would not pass rule R4:

<R04> "Wedge” robots are not allowed. Robots must be designed so that interaction with other robots results in
pushing rather than tipping or lifting. Neither offensive nor defensive wedges are allowed. All parts of a
robot between 0 and 8.5 inches from the ground (the top of the bumper zone – see Rule <R35>) that might
push against another robot must be within 10 degrees of vertical. Devices deployed outside the robot's
footprint should be designed to avoid wedging. If a mechanism or an appendage (a ball harvester, for
example) becomes a wedge that interferes with other robots, penalties, disabling, or disqualification can occur
depending on the severity of the infraction.

We were originally thinking of having a "door" that opened to allow balls to exit into the lower goal but have since changed our design specifically because of this rule. While neither your design nor our original design were designed to intentionally flip another robot they both appear to violate this rule. There are parts of the robot between 0 and 8.5 inches from the floor that are not within 10 degrees of vertical and can come into contact with other robots. Your design has a inverted wedge but the rule doesn't specify the direction of any wedges. In your case you are more likely to flip yourself than the other bot but I think FIRST would also frown upon bots driving up on other bots. Please, please, please don't take this as a slam of your bot design. I personally think it is a wonderful design. I am just unclear as to how the inspectors will rule on it. I am intending this to spark a discussion of how strict the R4 rule will be enforced and what is and isn't allowed. By a strict definition of the rule I don't think your design would pass but by a common sense definition I think it is great. I am wondering what other teams are thinking and how they are designing around this R4 rule. Are ALL the bots going to be square boxes from 0 to 8.5" up???