Bumpers

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by Engineer

The rules show a 3/4" plywood backer on the bumper. My question is can we lighten the bumpers by removing material or drilling holes in the plywood backer as long as it remains 3/4" thick (mostly)?

I have never seen anything in the rules that says you can't but why would you want to?

The weight is not counted in the 120lbs and you want as much weight as possible down low.

[Andrew Bates]

But you only have 15lbs for the bumpers and the less weight on your robot the faster it will be.

[Elgin Clock]

No one says you have to use the full 120lbs of robot weight either.

Do yourself a favor and take advantage of the 15lbs of bumpers, and spare weight with your actual robot construction if you really want to go for speed this year.

You will be happier in the long run... (or final lap so to speak).

[Jimmy Nichols]

I thought you weren't allowed to modify the design, but that may have been when the bumpers were first introduced. I know I saw teams last year at Pittsburgh who had done that very thing. They had used Forrester bits and drilled lightening holes in the back of the plywood. I don't recall if they had to rebiuld them or if they were ok to use.

[Mr.G]

If this game is anything like NASCAR [rubbins racing], there is going to be bumper material all over the field.

Is Shop Vac our new sponsor?

I personally think bumpers should be optional. I don't care to spend all that time fixing bumpers, removing them to work on the robot and getting inspected multiple times. This is an engineering problem and we should be able to design robots that don't need bumpers. If you can't hang with the big boys then put on some bumpers. Prior years I think teams used them for the weight advantage they gave, I don't think this year the weight will help, but will hinder you.

Just say no - to bumpers - and drugs.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by corpralchee

But you only have 15lbs for the bumpers and the less weight on your robot the faster it will be.

More precisely, it'll help with acceleration immediately. With a little re-gearing (or, for many teams, re-sprocketing), you can certainly get more top speed at the expense of that newfound acceleration.

Originally Posted by Mr.G

I personally think bumpers should be optional. I don't care to spend all that time fixing bumpers, removing them to work on the robot and getting inspected multiple times. This is an engineering problem and we should be able to design robots that don't need bumpers. If you can't hang with the big boys then put on some bumpers. Prior years I think teams used them for the weight advantage they gave, I don't think this year the weight will help, but will hinder you.

The way I see it, pesky added-on requirements tacked on by people or organizations that you're in no position to argue against are a part of life. (There's probably some crack I'm supposed to make as a Mac user about Vista in there, but I'm missing it this morning.) You play the cards you're dealt, keep your bumpers light, and focus on getting around the track as fast as you can.

[Mr.G]

Originally Posted by Billfred

The way I see it, pesky added-on requirements tacked on by people or organizations that you're in no position to argue against are a part of life.

Good point, but bumpers got on our robots because people complained. USA = freedom of speech. Bumbers have been a big deal for some time, the first year I think they had to be included in the weight and the last 2 years they where a bonus for teams. Now we are being forced to use them. I believe the time wasted on them could be used so that the students learn more. We are going the wrong way by being forced to use them. Sorry I inconvenienced you and made you read what I wrote. It all fun, have a good day.

[JHSmentor]

Maybe there should be some flexibility in the design. If you are using a catilever design on the wheels then the 3/4" plywood could be a requirement. If you are using bracketed wheels with an outside plate, maybe the plywood is optional but the padding is not.

My understanding was that you could use the kit box design with no weight penalty (allowed 15 lbs) but if you designed something different then you have to add this into the overall weight of the robot (120 lb max).

anyone know if this is true?

[GaryVoshol]

<R08> Teams are required to use STANDARD BUMPERS on their ROBOTS....

See the rest of the rule for what you MUST do.

[Engineer]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

<R08> Teams are required to use STANDARD BUMPERS on their ROBOTS....

See the rest of the rule for what you MUST do.

Yes, but there is no mention that you can't modify the plywood i.e. drill holes to remove weight.

[Engineer]

I'm just looking to reduce the total weight of the robot for acceleration and cornering. I'm not trying to get around the rules. I do not intend to compromise the integrity of the bumpers. I just want to reduce the weight of the robot.

My other thought was to make my own plywood from balsa and sandwich it between to 0.010" pieces of aluminum. The rules do not specify the type of plywood we have to use.

[ALIBI]

Originally Posted by IndySam

I have never seen anything in the rules that says you can't but why would you want to?

The weight is not counted in the 120lbs and you want as much weight as possible down low.

With the rules requiring standard bumpers covering 2/3rds of the robot, if someone wanted a playing configuration of say 38x60x unlimited (think flop bot) you may have to find ways to lighten the bumpers. We have never had weight problems using standard bumpers, however, by adding 42 inches per side and if you want bumpers all the way around, bumper weight weight could cause a probelm. I did not see anything this year regarding "custom" bumpers being allowed, only that "standard" bumpers must cover 2/3rds of your robot.