More than one minibot on robot

[ThePeracha]

Originally Posted by Captain Cox

I like the optimism of your idea, but you have to deploy the robot at the base of the post.

Are you positive? Where did you see that rule?

[Waffles]

It's not necessarily the BASE. When you "deploy":

DEPLOYMENT – the act of positioning a MINIBOT on a TOWER. DEPLOYMENT starts when the MINIBOT breaks the vertical projection of the TOWER BASE circumference during the END GAME. (Related form, DEPLOY, verb)

DEPLOYMENT LINE – located on the POST, approximately 18 inches above the top surface of the BASE.

These are the Manual definitions.

I believe you have an 18" buffer zone on which you PLACE the minibot.

(Otherwise, correct me if I'm wrong)

[ThePeracha]

Originally Posted by Waffles

It's not necessarily the BASE. When you "deploy":

DEPLOYMENT – the act of positioning a MINIBOT on a TOWER. DEPLOYMENT starts when the MINIBOT breaks the vertical projection of the TOWER BASE circumference during the END GAME. (Related form, DEPLOY, verb)

DEPLOYMENT LINE – located on the POST, approximately 18 inches above the top surface of the BASE.

These are the Manual definitions.

I believe you have an 18" buffer zone on which you PLACE the minibot.

(Otherwise, correct me if I'm wrong)

Can it be thrown above the line?

[Waffles]

Originally Posted by ThePeracha

Can it be thrown above the line?

If you do it above the line, it must be during the End game period I think?

I'm not absolutely POSITIVE though.

[goldenglove002]

This was one of my first thoughts when they were talking about sharing minibots. I definitely think it's possible to do, though very difficult.

After perusing through the manual it is definitely a question for Q&A.

Wording seems to imply the use of one bot, but never says anything definite against having two.

[web_master_dpep]

Originally Posted by Radical Pi

Are you referring to <G67>? That states that the 4th robot to trigger the target earns 10 points. It has nothing to do with number of robots on poles

Misread that part thanks for the correction. Read it before I had time to get a little sleep.

[EricH]

For those talking about throwing:

Read the definition of Deployment and all of Game Section 3.1.5 regarding where you can deploy a minibot. Then read the safety rules.

You cannot deploy above the line.

[1631JD]

Its more like having two so that we can deploy on either side and do not have to waste time making sure the ROBOT is on the correct side for DEPLOYMENT. It is not for an attempt to deploy two in a single match.

[StevenB]

I suspect this will get clarified tomorrow, but I feel that the answer is obvious as it is.

Originally Posted by Game manual, page 11

The ROBOT includes both the HOSTBOT and the MINIBOT (ROBOT = HOSTBOT + MINIBOT).

As said before, "MINIBOT" is singular, meaning that if you have two, one of them is part of the HOSTBOT. It doesn't matter if you have two identical devices, one of them is a MINIBOT (and therefore excluded from the HOSTBOT size/weight rules) and the other is not. The latter device (which I'll call the NOTBOT) must be weighed with the HOSTBOT and fit the size constraints with the HOSTBOT. If you deploy the NOTBOT, you've broken <G42>. You can't argue that whichever one you deploy is the MINIBOT and the other is the NOTBOT, because at inspection, one of them was part of the HOSTBOT, and one was the MINIBOT. Changing this is a violation of <R88>.

Based on <R10> and the definition of ROBOT, it seems safe to say, "Each team can enter ONE (1) HOSTBOT plus ONE (1) MINIBOT into the 2011 FRC."

Having multiple minibots is a clever and fun idea, but I can't see how the rules allow this.

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by 1631JD

Its more like having two so that we can deploy on either side and do not have to waste time making sure the ROBOT is on the correct side for DEPLOYMENT. It is not for an attempt to deploy two in a single match.

If we find out via Q&A that each team is only allowed one minibot on the hostbot, something that you might want to consider is having a deployment mechanism that can deploy in either direction. It might be mechanically tougher, but it is do-able (maybe a small turret of some kind would do the trick).

[1631JD]

Originally Posted by Karibou

something that you might want to consider is having a deployment mechanism that can deploy in either direction. It might be mechanically tougher, but it is do-able (maybe a small turret of some kind would do the trick).

Most likely though a turret would interfere with the arm and couldn't have full rotational capabilities.

[davidthefat]

Even if you can have 2 bots, why waste the space and weight?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by 1631JD

Most likely though a turret would interfere with the arm and couldn't have full rotational capabilities.

Why not put the arm on the turret? Now you can grab tubes off whatever side of the robot is handiest, and launch the minibot on whatever side is handiest--and the minibot may act as a partial counterweight to the arm if you do it right.

Full rotational capabilities are tougher--run your wires/tubing up the middle with room to twist a bit, and I think you could do it without a problem. Running up/around the side will give you headaches.

[1631JD]

Originally Posted by davidthefat

Even if you can have 2 bots, why waste the space and weight?

Well we are already going to build at least two minibots for the coopertition points, and if it provides beneficial to have two then why not do it?

Originally Posted by EricH

Why not put the arm on the turret? Now you can grab tubes off whatever side of the robot is handiest, and launch the minibot on whatever side is handiest--and the minibot may act as a partial counterweight to the arm if you do it right.

Full rotational capabilities are tougher--run your wires/tubing up the middle with room to twist a bit, and I think you could do it without a problem. Running up/around the side will give you headaches.

Thanks. We'll see if it will work, though the only problem could be accidental damage to the arm. That is the risk though in competitions like this so I guess its no big deal.

[Jared Russell]

I guess nobody thinks it's within the realm of possibility that a minibot might fall off the pole or otherwise fail to reach the top?

In such a situation, being allowed to carry a second minibot could mean the difference between getting at least 10 bonus points (and possibly more if there are some towers that are unoccupied) vs. none at all.

That said, I agree that the rules seem to refer to the minibot as a singular entity.