Springs on a minibot?

[Andrew Remmers]

Originally Posted by ThePeracha

Interesting. However, I see a few problems. If the magnet is powerful enough to attach a minibot onto the pole, won't the electronics be disrupted on the hostbot and the sensors on the pole?

Who said you need magnets?

[GW Kalrod]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

Are springs on the list of approved parts for the MINIBOT?

They list polycarbonate, which can be made into a spring. They list aluminum, which also could be made into a spring. it's really really unclear at this point.

[JesseK]

In FTC, if you can fabricate a "spring" from allowed parts, then the "spring" you fabricated is allowed so long as it's obvious that the allowed parts exist. This circumvents efforts by teams to make a spring by (for example) "stretching the 1/8" thick wall of an allowed metal tube such that it becomes wire thin, then bending the resulting metal wire into a spring-like shape".

Now, that doesn't mean the "spring" one fabricates from allowed parts in this scenario would put out enough energy. So perhaps one should try to do some spring calculations first. Or just prototype with real springs and try to figure out how to fabriate them later.

Really, prototype the stuff first guys. This conjecture is just ... noisy crap I have to filter out on my CD RSS feed...

[AdamHeard]

Surgical tubing is listed in there... One of the most commonly used springs in FRC.

[PAR_WIG1350]

Originally Posted by Walker

Really? Where in the rules does it say this?

Potentially in rule <T14> which addresses the uncontrollable falling of minibots.