<R35> - Adhesive Tape

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by DeepWater

I think this is the crux of my question. I cannot imagine FIRST has an issue with "tape" just because it is long and narrow and comes on a roll and the package says "tape" so I must conclude that for some reason they do not like us using adhesives. While I don't find any other rule prohibiting "adhesives" I have to wonder why they specifically prohibit it if it is long and narrow and comes on a roll. I am not complaining nor trying to figure out how to legally break the rules, I am simply trying to figure out the intent.
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My intent was more to discuss the limits and intent of <R35>. I still am unclear why "grip tape" is bad but glued on sandpaper is good. I understand that is the rule, but why? It just seems, well, pointless.

There are many rules that have a very clear and understandable purpose (e.g. you have to display your team number on your robot. Why? Because the referees, other teams, and the audience need to be able to identify you when you compete). They are the way they are for a discernable reason. However, we also have to accept that there are some rules that are the way they are just because that is the way they are.

But a rule does not need to have a detailed, extended explanation behind why it is the way it is. Some do, but some are simply the result of a decision that had to be made at a particular moment, and there is no more extensive reason than that. It is very easy to imagine that at some point in the past while the rules were being written the question was raised "what about adhesive tapes? Do we allow them or not?" There may not have been a particular situation they were trying to avoid. It may have been as simple as "should this be part of the challenge? Can you build a robot without resorting to adhesive tapes?" Without any other extended discussion about why or why not to allow tape to be used, they decided to flip a coin. It came down tails, so no tape allowed.

Why are the dimensions of the robot 28 x 38 x 48/60/72? Why not let the base be 40 inches long? Or limit it to 28 x 28 so it can go through a standard door in either direction? There is no particular reason that it has to be 28 x 38 x 48/60/72. It is just at some point someone had to make a decision about the size limits, and that is what they picked as the constraints to define the problem. I don't know the entire history of the "no tape" rule, but maybe the tape question was the same. Maybe it is that way because it is that way.

-dave