Inflating Robots

[Kevin Sevcik]

I'm not doubting that interpretation, but that would encompass a cooling fan blowing into any box with even slightly restricted exhaust. So as usual, a clarifying Q&A before attempting would be the best idea.

[=Martin=Taylor=]

compressed air
n.

Air under greater than atmospheric pressure, especially when used to power a mechanical device or to provide a portable supply of oxygen.

From the looks of it, you can't use any other device than the compressor to provide even mildly compressed air (4-8 psi). And it would be illegal to inflate something with the compressor, not to mention being painfully slow.

So I guess there is no chance of doing this with this year's rules.

[Matt H.]

I'm not sure I agree with that interpretation of the rules. Even moving your robot generates "mildly" compressed air. I believe it would be best to ask about it in a Q&A session.

To answer your other questions:

There are several ways to manufacture something like this. The simplest is to purchase mylar sheeting and iron the pieces together to make what resembles a giant mylar balloon. The con to this is that it would be quite fragile and probably not suited for impacts of any sorts. The second option would be to buy a small plastic welder and make one out of the same stuff they make inflatable pools. (Buying one custom made is always an option, but it could get very expensive)

Inflating it would have to be done not using the on board compressor so a large fan would be the best bet.