[FTC]: autonomous bridge contact

[johncap100]

Does anyone know if during autononmous an opposing team can touch a bridge where a robot is balancing on the bridge. Suppose that the opposing team moves the bridge so that it is either being held or becomes unbalanced. what are the consequences?

thanks

[Andrew Remmers]

Nothing happens, balancing then doesn't count. And depending on where the robots are they get the respective points

[JesseK]

I haven't yet heard of a team trying to balance on the bridge in autonomous (for the 15 point bonus), yet I also tend to think that if either side of the bridge touches the ground then the points will not be awarded (regardless of what causes the bridge to touch the ground). This is more than likely due to the nature of a noisy unpredictable autonomous environment.

Typically, getting in the way of a bridge coming down during autonomous is a bad thing. If the bridge is stuck horizontally because a robot is under it or holding it in place, then there's a chance that an opposing robot will drive on top of the robot under the bridge. More commonly, the first team to reach the bridge will be on the bridge while the second team to reach the bridge will drive under it or run into it.

Such scenarios will probably be common in Atlanta Finals when every alliance member has a good autonomous. Really, that's what I'm waiting for video of this year ... the rest is all good, but won't be nearly as tragic, (shamefully) entertaining, or sympathy-invoking.

[johncap100]

well i was wondering if anyone has some official rules, cuold not find any myself. seems like if a robot is able to balance in auto and then another bot comes in and messes it up, seems like the first one should get the 15 points and the second get soem sort of penalty??

any other thoughts?

[wilsonmw04]

There is no rule that penalizes a team for touching the bridge during autp mode. To penalize a team for doing so would be too much of a stick in my opinion. Frankly, Auto mode has been historically underutilized in FTC. We should be encouraging folks to take risks not penalizing them for trying something that fails.

[Andrew Remmers]

Refs would not count it, neither would the GDC I believe because it has to be at the end of that mode of the game. I know that there are a few technicalities with other forms of score such as being on the other side of the field gets you 10 points, however if you are slightly touching the bridge or mountain it does now count and all points for the respective score are zeroed. Its like balancing at the end game, if you get 4 objects on top and its balanced at one point but then becomes unbalanced at any point even after the match while its being scored it will not count (at least from my experiences).

I also know they wont count these points because our team tries balancing in auto mode as well, when we get it, it would count, but if anything changes before the end of the auto mode it will not count.

^ What he said