[Official 2008 Game Design] New Technology Discussions

[Billfred]

One thing I'd love to see in the manual: allow some media equipment to be attached to robots at the discretion of the lead inspector or FTA (or someone else, if the GDC feels it appropriate), even if it falls outside the regular bounds of the rules.

The production crew or FIRST-badged media would work with a team and the aforementioned authorities to mount the equipment in a manner that is safe, functional, and doesn't impart any particular competitive advantage. Wireless cameras would still require FIRST Engineering's approval.

I'd be inclined to allow such mounting outside of the weight limit, as I doubt anyone could mount anything bigger than a Mini DV camera to the satisfaction of everyone (and those things weigh little compared to batteries and bumpers), but feel free to change that if it actually makes more of a difference than I think it does. In any event, I'd argue that the value of getting footage that excites TV viewers or the folks at the events outweighs the fact that the zoom on the camera uses a non-kit motor.