Robot bumpers

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by Justin M.

No, I was correcting his statement that bumpers allow you to use extra weight on your bot, as an advantage. Since the bumpers need to be built to FIRST specs, and are weighed separately, you aren't getting a 15lb weight gain on your overall bot, ruling out using bumpers as an "extra weight" advantage.

In 05, the year before the bumpers were implemented, I've seen some bots with broken/bent/cracked chassis, destroyed wheels, broken chains, bent shafts, blown-up gearboxes, the works. All as a result from ramming. The bumpers will definitely protect your bot from these things better than a bot without them.

In regards to the first paragraph, I do not understand what you are saying. Bumpers are allowed to weigh up to 15 pounds, with an average of no more than 3 ounces per inch. The 15 pounds is on top of whatever weight class you choose. If my robot weighs 120 pounds, and I use bumpers, I now have a 135 pound robot. They are a weight advantage. If you don't use bumpers, you don't get that weight. <R37> clearly explains this.

Also, bumpers WERE implemented since at least 2004, but the rules were much looser and there was less of an advantage to be gained by their use.