Re:Team Update #7 is out!

[archiver]

Posted by Eric Rasmussen.

Engineer from FIRST.

Posted on 2/5/2000 11:15 AM MST


In Reply to: dont read the other one read this one posted by Justin Stiltner on 2/5/2000 12:41 AM MST:



I just got done responding to this in email. Here's what I said:

You have indeed found an inconsistency in our answers. Thank you for pointing it out.

The inconsistency lies in A179 (Team Update #7) which states that, in order to score 10 points, it has to be your alliance partner that picks you up if you are not hanging from the bar over the ramp. We already stated earlier in Q25 that it was ok for a robot to drive onto the ramp of an opposing alliance's robot in order to score 10 points, and will stick by the answer given in Q25.

Regarding DQ12 and lifting an opponent's robot, we are making an important distinction between 'lifting' and 'climbing on'. When robot A drives onto a ramp on robot B that is designed to support a robot, we do not consider robot B to be lifting robot A. This is because robot A is the primary one causing the action and it is likely to only gain a small amount of altitude above the playing field. We feel that the use of these ramps is unlikely to result in damage to either robot, so it is ok. What we do consider lifting is if robot B has a forklift or overhead crane type of lifting mechanism and it tries to use it's own motors and/or pneumatics to pick robot A up off the floor. We consider that much more likely to cause damage, and is why we only allow alliance partners to lift each other. Otherwise, we feel that there is too much potential for 'oops, I was TRYING to help the other alliance, I didn't think I would drop them or their arm would rip off as I tried to pull them up.'

We do not consider it 'pinning' if an opposing robot drives onto your ramp. Pinning applies only to holding a robot still against a playing field feature, such as the field border (see DQ7). Pushing a robot off your robot's ramp in order to allow another to climb on is ok, just as is pushing robots off the field ramp. Basically, having a ramp on your robot is a double-edged sword.

-Eric