Important Rules - 2007 Season

[MikeDubreuil]

Originally Posted by eugenebrooks

The following guideline is listed elsewhere in the manual posted so far:
"Approved glasses have “ANSI Z87” imprinted somewhere on the frame."
This rule is very specific.

I buy my safety glasses from Safety Glasses USA. I find their glasses to be cheap and stylish. I have never had any problems even with my small orders (2 or 3 pairs < $10.) This page on their site talks about the Z87 rating.

[Ben Piecuch]

Jak,

I believe they posted these rules early for the exact reason of letting us pour over them. How many teams immediately jump into the game and robot design, and overlook the shipping, competition, and safety requirements? I know that we don't even look at the shipping rules and procedures until the weekend before ship!

Take the time now to understand and question the rules. FIRST is making it easier for us, so that we don't need to cram everything into the 6 week build period.

BEN

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by Jak DiGriz

All FIRST volunteers know the game 2 weeks in advance. They're just sworn to secrecy and will disavow all knowledge! But seriously. They know the game.

Really?!
I guess I'm hanging out with the wrong volunteers...

[Conor Ryan]

Originally Posted by Jak DiGriz

You guys...

It's what, 10 weeks until the first competition, and you all are going through rules on pit behavior and approved safety goggles with a fine-toothed comb! Not only is this ridiculously over the top, there is a good chance that any rule combing done today will be forgotten 8 weeks down the line, and you'll have to go over the rules AGAIN.

Use your time for something more... interesting. Like trying to get the game leaked. All FIRST volunteers know the game 2 weeks in advance. They're just sworn to secrecy and will disavow all knowledge! But seriously. They know the game.

Originally Posted by Ben Piecuch

Jak,

I believe they posted these rules early for the exact reason of letting us pour over them. How many teams immediately jump into the game and robot design, and overlook the shipping, competition, and safety requirements? I know that we don't even look at the shipping rules and procedures until the weekend before ship!

Take the time now to understand and question the rules. FIRST is making it easier for us, so that we don't need to cram everything into the 6 week build period.

BEN

1. Combing over the rules now can lead to clarifications later, leading to a better game for all of us.
2. It's good to be prepared for the road ahead (just in case the robot needs more last minute work, or you need to budget for a new crate)
3. Safety rules should apply to building the robot, not just at competition
4. It's just ungracious and unprofessional to get the game ahead of time, it takes all the fun out of the idea of a deadline.

Now back to your scheduled topic.

[Mike Schroeder]

Originally Posted by MORT~11

As much as some people may think of the music coming form carts as distracting, it really serves a good purpose. We all know how difficult it can be maneuvering your cart from the field to the pit or vice versa...the music may seem obnoxious but it makes life so easy because people who are having conversations in the pit hear the music and immediately move out of the way. If you ask me its helps safety.

also look at it this way, with loud music playing next to you, how are you supposed to hear important announcements that the Pit Announcer makes

Originally Posted by RoboMom

Really?!
I guess I'm hanging out with the wrong volunteers...

you and me both

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by iCurtis

Does anyone other than myself find the following statement rather disconcerting?



Last years manual refers to coaches...



As I see it they have either renamed the coach, which would be rather random but I wouldn't have a problem, or eliminated student coaches.

On the bright side, it looks like we can continue to contemplate the possible duties of the human player as they will be making a return.

These are for the 2 operators, 1 human player, and 1 coach/mentor. The badge with the dot is the mentor’s. The mentor can be an adult or student. He or she cannot score points or operate the robot.

That seems to clarify that a coach can still be a student.


James


Edit: I would also like to thank whoever decided to mark things with the word New in red, it makes it very easy to find changes.

Originally Posted by BobC

It seems like 75% of the questions asked are . . . or repeats of previous asked and answered questions.

I understand frustation like this when these threads are relatively small, but once everything gets going, and these threads are >50 pages long, its going to be nearly impossible to read every single post.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by RoboMom

Really?!
I guess I'm hanging out with the wrong volunteers...

I fairly certain that only the GDC and FIRST senior management know the game before kickoff.

Some key volunteers find out about field elements and gamepieces in advance (starting a few weeks ago), but these adventurous souls must:

1) have no team affiliation, and 2) sign a secrecy agreement.

I know the guy who does this mostly thankless job for the St. Louis region -- he's building whatever it is in his basement right now (and cursing the incomplete and ever changing documentation), so I won't be visiting his house until after kick-off.

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by Richard

I fairly certain that only the GDC and FIRST senior management know the game before kickoff.

Some key volunteers find out about field elements and gamepieces in advance (starting a few weeks ago), but these adventurous souls must:

1) have no team affiliation, and 2) sign a secrecy agreement.

I know the guy who does this mostly thankless job for the St. Louis region -- he's building whatever it is in his basement right now (and cursing the incomplete and ever changing documentation), so I won't be visiting his house until after kick-off.

Don't forget those few individuals who get to build the field the day before at the kick-off events, but are kept locked in the room till the game is shown.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Raul

Chris,

That same rule has been in the manual for many past years. They are not saying it is against the rules to have your crate weigh more than 400lbs. They are just saying that you will have to pay an extra fee at the competition if it does.

Raul

I wasn't concerned with the weight. Empty, we have one of the lightest crates around. What I'm concerned with is that they are apparently mandating the use of plywood for crate construction. There are other alternatives that can be made lighter and are just as effective.

On the other hand if we need to build a new, conforming crate I'd rather get started now. Assuming they don't declare the crate to be part of the robot and therefore must be built during Build season in another, yet to be revealed, section of the rules.

[Jherbie53]

Originally Posted by MORT~11

As much as some people may think of the music coming form carts as distracting, it really serves a good purpose. We all know how difficult it can be maneuvering your cart from the field to the pit or vice versa...the music may seem obnoxious but it makes life so easy because people who are having conversations in the pit hear the music and immediately move out of the way. If you ask me its helps safety.

You should ask people too move, rather than assume they will move. Also it is hard to hear the pit announcements with all the other noise in the pits. I like that they said your cart needs to be in your pit area when not transporting your robot. It gets annoying when peoples carts start getting left in the way a little bit. For the most part we just leave BOB on the cart and work on him there.

[Sgraff_SRHS06]

Originally Posted by IndySam

• Do not add music to the cart.


I know you younguns may not be happy but I say thank God!

Sorry

There'll still be cheesy music playing at the regionals! So whats worse, the cheesy music or your own music banging on top of it?

[generalbrando]

I agree completely with Ben and Conor about releasing these rules early. For one thing, the change to using the ANSI Z87 standard is incredibly important. I've seen countless people wearing standard eye glasses with those flimsy side-shields. Those don't work. No, no. They REALLY don't because your glasses aren't safety glasses to begin with.

I am posing a challenge to everyone who uses power tools: Take a pair of real safety glasses (they have "Z87" or "Z87+" imprinted in small letters near the edge of the lens). Remove the lens from the frame (it should snap apart - you don't have to break it). Now take a drill with a phillips bit and put a deck screw into the lens. Awesome, huh? It DOESN'T crack. Now take the same lens and hold it steady on a flat surface. Take your favorite hammer and hammer the lens (not the screw). Really hammer it. It doesn't shatter, it only scratches it!

Now are you convinced? If not, it's your sight that's at risk.

P.S. Please don't use that pair of safety glasses again But you should keep them around to demonstrate to those who complain about this requirement.

[Protronie]

Originally Posted by IndySam

• Do not add music to the cart.


I know you younguns may not be happy but I say thank God!

Sorry

I'll second that.

I haven't read anything about no I-pods with ear buds yet.

[Dave Scheck]

Originally Posted by generalbrando

I am posing a challenge to everyone who uses power tools: Take a pair of real safety glasses (they have "Z87" or "Z87+" imprinted in small letters near the edge of the lens). Remove the lens from the frame (it should snap apart - you don't have to break it). Now take a drill with a phillips bit and put a deck screw into the lens. Awesome, huh? It DOESN'T crack. Now take the same lens and hold it steady on a flat surface. Take your favorite hammer and hammer the lens (not the screw). Really hammer it. It doesn't shatter, it only scratches it!

.... but don't forget to wear safety glasses while trying this experiment...an eye injury doing that would not only be tragic, but it would be pretty ironic