Are the mandatory bumpers helping or hurting?

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Jeff Pahl

... Figuring out how to attach them so that they can be removed and installed quickly is part of the engineering challenge. This year 1379 used quick release hitch pins, and can remove / replace all the bumpers in less than a minute. ...

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

I thought the GDC clarified that bumpers must be firmly attached to the robot frame using bolts.

Alan is correct. The GDC did clarify that, here, here, and here.

The inspection checklist (Rev F, line item 30) doesn't included a specific reference to allowable fastening systems, and first mention of bumpers in the inspection reference materials (Rev D, page 4) don't cover fastening systems, either. The reference materials do summarize several important Q&A responses (pages 10 thru 15) including those that deal with bumper mounting (items 50, 60, 71, and 79 of the Q&A summary).

So even though Alan is right, it is not hard to see why some inspectors might have missed this point. Inspection standards are higher at the Championship, so teams whose robots passed inspection at a regional despite having a non-conforming bumper fastening system should anticipate being required to correct that when they get to Atlanta.