safety of ATV whip

[mfcarr]

We are a rookie team considering using a fiberglass ATV flag whip that will be curled in a circle, with considerable potential energy, and then released in the final period to get a hook up to the top of the tower. The manual warns against this, indicating that the inspectors could disqualify a robot if they feel the device is not safe. We have thought of making a track that would guide the tip of the ATV whip so that it is only free when it is pointing almost straight up. Another idea was releasing the tip of the whip by spooling out a string attached to a motor. What characteristics of the lock-release mechanism for the tip of the whip and other safety features do we need to incorporate? Should we abandon this design?