pic: RED DRAGON Team 1270

[The Lucas]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

that would be a poor reason to change. They had a perfectly legal design with many advantages (robust, low cg). To change because of another team is a bad idea.

I wouldn't say its "perfectly legal". Let me preface this by saying this is only my interpretation of a rule (ever since the rule came out in 2006). I have never seen anyone (including myself, I'm a RI) enforce this 2 year old rule as per my interpretation nor any indications that this would be correct way to enforce it.

Here is <R05> with one sentence my emphasis:

<R05> "Wedge” ROBOTS are not allowed. ROBOTS must be designed so that interaction with opposing 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) that are used to push against or interact with an opposing ROBOT must be within 10 degrees of vertical. Devices deployed outside the ROBOT footprint should be designed to avoid wedging. If a mechanism or an appendage (e.g. a harvester for retrieving GAME PIECES) becomes a wedge that interferes with other ROBOTS, penalties, disabling, or disqualification can occur depending on the severity of the infraction.

I interpret this to mean all (4) robot sides must be at least 8.5 inches off the floor and those sides must be within 10 degrees of vertical. If the "top" of your robot is less than 8.5 inches, then it is 90 degrees off vertical (it is horizontal) and doesn't satisfy this rule.

Now you might say the "top" of the robot is not meant to be interact with other robots. I would say it may not be designed to interact with other bots, but in fact it often does. It will get under bumpers and high ground clearance bots and act as a wedge. It is a form of "wedge" that just doesn't look like one.

In an odd twist, I have seen bots with a short flat side with a slope above it get called on this (usually after flipping a bot). Does the slope above the short flat side make it worse? I don't think so, it just looks more like a "wedge". To take it to the extreme case what would you think of a bot whose front had a large piece of sheet metal mounted horizontally a 1/4 inch off the ground?

There are obvious problems with my interpretation. Mainly it makes many "kit bots" illegal unless they make the sides flush or add bumpers. It is kinda cruel to give teams parts in the kit that once assembled will likely be illegal.

My proposed solution, make standard bumpers a requirement (you can still segment them to accommodate manipulators). Everyone should be able to build them and they would solve many robot interaction problems. Either way I feel this is a rule that needs clarification since there are still wedgelike bots out there.

This post is by no means meant to single out the Red Dragons. I had the pleasure of watching them compete and represent Curie well. Despite what happened, I felt they showed very good sportsmanship and their conduct on the CD boards only reinforces my impression. This <R05> issue reentered my mind after the finals and I have been debating about posting it. Since the issue was being discussed here, I couldn't resist the urge to add my 2 cents.