Building Specifics for Minibots

[Basel A]

Originally Posted by EricH

What escaped YOU was the text at the top of the rule:


Permitted !=, repeat, != required. If you were required to use the FTC battery, regardless of whether or not the rest of your minibot had any electronics whatsoever (for example, a rubber-band-powered one with a release tripped by the hostbot), then I would lose all respect for the GDC.

If you substitute the battery into the overall rule you get this:

Exactly one 12V rechargeable NiMH battery pack (and other items) are the only permitted materials for use on the MINIBOTS

This implies that exactly zero batteries is not a permitted material.
I believe that the interpretation you are suggesting is the intended one, but the rules of grammar disagree with you.

[578robotsrock]

I hope they don't require you to have a battery. Seem kinda limiting for catapult launch designs

[EricH]

If the GDC is requiring a battery, a particular battery, a battery that many teams either don't have quick access to or really don't want to have quick access to, then IMO they are no longer evil geniuses. I refrain from posting publicly what replaces "geniuses", but I'm sure you can come up with something.

If that is their intent, then I am certain that much noise will be made on the subject by anybody who does not use electronics on the Minibot. (Disregarding the noise being made already by those who want to use another similar product line, too.)

BTW, catapult launches fall under safety. See what I posted earlier in this thread.

[Basel A]

Originally Posted by EricH

If the GDC is requiring a battery, a particular battery, a battery that many teams either don't have quick access to or really don't want to have quick access to, then IMO they are no longer evil geniuses. I refrain from posting publicly what replaces "geniuses", but I'm sure you can come up with something.

If that is their intent, then I am certain that much noise will be made on the subject by anybody who does not use electronics on the Minibot. (Disregarding the noise being made already by those who want to use another similar product line, too.)

BTW, catapult launches fall under safety. See what I posted earlier in this thread.

Oh, I totally agree, but as the rule stands, I believe it does require a battery on the minibot, should you have one.

[darist]

Remember the purpose of the minibot rules, and as mentioned several times during the kickoff speeches: they want us to work together with FTC teams to create the minibots.

I agree the wording needs some clarification, but
I think the rule is intended to force us to include the battery (the heaviest part in that list of permitted parts) even if you don't use it for electric power.

If you design a minibot without a battery or any other FTC stuff (e.g. a light spring thingy that just jumps to the top of the tower), you wouldn't need to get together with an FTC team and you would have a weight advantage over any team that decided to build a little robot FTC-style.

We'll have to wait and see when we get an official clarification. I hope I'm wrong.

[mwtidd]

Originally Posted by 578robotsrock

I hope they don't require you to have a battery. Seem kinda limiting for catapult launch designs

I think they will probably require us to climb the pole
which i see as an idea from the people at cirque to make the game more watchable. (kinda a combination of cirque gymnastics and first robots)

[PAR_WIG1350]

Originally Posted by 578robotsrock

I hope they don't require you to have a battery. Seem kinda limiting for catapult launch designs

Maybe that's the idea. A heavier robot would be harder to launch up, thus teams can't simply shoot a piece of fin-stabilized piece of aluminum box tube at the trigger. that would be a hazard, not a miniature robot.

NOTE: I am aware that this situation is a bit extreme, but it illustrates the point.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by PAR_WIG1350

Maybe that's the idea. A heavier robot would be harder to launch up, thus teams can't simply shoot a piece of fin-stabilized piece of aluminum box tube at the trigger. that would be a hazard, not a miniature robot.

NOTE: I am aware that this situation is a bit extreme, but it illustrates the point.

Yep...but you'd think that it'd be easier to say, thou shalt not launch, catapult, throw, shoot, or otherwise propel a projectile, minibot, or other device at the target, unless it be affixed to the post.