No Change Rule Yields More Openness

[archiver]

Posted by Raul at 02/25/2001 2:43 AM EST


Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling HS and Motorola.


In Reply to: No Change Rule Yields More Openness
Posted by Bill Beatty on 02/23/2001 11:32 PM EST:



Hey Bill,

Can you tell us where you read, heard or got that rule interpretation? As far as I could tell, you can do anything you want to add functionality with materials from the kit, Small Parts or Add'l HW list as long as you do your fabrication during the competition and up to Tuesday after each regional.

For example, during the practice day, I thought you could take some angle aluminum and make a simple arm that you did not have at the time of shipping to lower the bridge. As long as none of the components were pre-fabricated after your ship date, then you could just make the arm components and assemble them on site.

And what if you just shipped a running base with no arm on it but shipped a bunch of fabricated arm parts. You should certainly be allowed to assemble them at the competition.

Or what if you add traction to your wheels with some fasteners or something? Would not that be defined as changing functionality?

You see, it is very difficult to draw the line on where you limit changes to a robot.

The only clear cut answer I have heard from FIRST is that you simply cannot fabricate any parts to be used on the robot between the time you ship on Tuesday and when you get to your next competition. You cannot even make spare parts with the SAME functionality between shipping and the next competition.

Anyway that is the way I interpret it. Someone please refer me to the proper written rules if you know better.

Raul

: Now that FIRST has made it clear that after shipping the first time, the robots cannot be redesigned or changed in function, I believe this has resulted in more openness of the machines than ever before. To be sure, the alliance factor is there, but we are still competing against all the other teams except the three we are with at the time.

: Just an observation.

: Mr Bill