freely rotating bumper and hitch

[gvarndell]

Has anyone considered mounting the bumpers and trailer hitch on a freely rotating assembly such that the hitch naturally align itself in the direction the bot pulls? I wonder if it would be legal?

[XXShadowXX]

bumpers can't articulate as of update 2 i want to say... The must be fixed to your frame

[Betty_Krocker]

Originally Posted by XXShadowXX

bumpers can't articulate as of update 2 i want to say... The must be fixed to your frame

right but as for the hitch it only says attached to a fixed location, well what if that fixed location's position is controlled by oh say and actuator or somethign similar

[Robert Cawthon]

Originally Posted by XXShadowXX

bumpers can't articulate as of update 2 i want to say... The must be fixed to your frame

Seems to me that if you could get the drive train (and all the rest of the guts to the bot) to rotate inside the frame, it would alleviate the situation. Just an idea.

[XXShadowXX]

Originally Posted by <R18>

The trailer Hitch must be rigidly attached to a fixed location on the ROBOT,

that should clarify some things

Originally Posted by betty_krocker

right but as for the hitch it only says attached to a fixed location, well what if that fixed location's position is controlled by oh say and actuator or something similar

if you can work around <R18> part E.

Originally Posted by <R18> part E.

The Trailer Hitch must be place such that, a the TRAILER swings from side to side, the first contact between the TRAILER and ROBOT is BUMPER-to-BUMPER and not TRAILER-tongue-to-BUMPER.

which makes it a bumper issues

Originally Posted by <R08> parts G, H

E.
BUMPERS (including any fasteners and/or structures that attach them to the ROBOT) must weight no more then 18 pounds

G.
BUMPERS must attach to the robot with a rigid fastening system to form a tight, robust connection to the main ROBOT structure/frame.

H.
If a multi-part attachment system is utilized (e.g. interlocking brackets on the ROBOT and the BUMPER), then the elements permanently attached to the ROBOT will be considered part of the ROBOT, and the elements attached to the BUMPERS will be considered part of the BUMPERS.

if you can work around those rules then your in the clear. But i rather be an engineer then a lawyer, which is hard because the inspector's word is law.

Originally Posted by Robert Cawthon

Seems to me that if you could get the drive train (and all the rest of the guts to the bot) to rotate inside the frame, it would alleviate the situation.

Yes this would make the above statement legal (see first post), but wouldn't that really be a pain in the butt to make a rotating drive train.

[Betty_Krocker]

sure it can be got around if all the actuator does is push partially or pull partially to shake the trailer back and forth to make scoring only than much harder

OR

you can retract the trailer in some when making turns so when it fishtails, it doesnt throw the whole system into a slide (anyone who lived up north and tows in the winter knows what i am talking about)

[XXShadowXX]

Originally Posted by Betty_Krocker

sure it can be got around if all the actuator does is push partially or pull partially to shake the trailer back and forth to make scoring only than much harder

OR

you can retract the trailer in some when making turns so when it fishtails, it doesnt throw the whole system into a slide (anyone who lived up north and tows in the winter knows what i am talking about)

Fixed means not moving, in relation to the robot's structure/frame

[FourPenguins]

It seems to me the easy way around this rule is to have the drive train connected to the outer frame (that part holding the bumpers and hitch) by some kind of turn table, rather than a rigid connection. That way the whole outer portion of your frame is rotating, and the bumpers and trailer rotate with this part of your frame.