pic: Cart Wiring Plans

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Specifically at issue here is the chance for a wiring error to cause high voltage to be present on exposed metal on your cart. I know you are going to tell me that everything is done correctly and it has been checked over by a knowledgeable mentor but we still have the potential for personal injury of not only your team but those around you in the pit and in the cue. As Richard has pointed out, I have a few grey hairs (and many that have dropped out by themselves) from being witness to a variety of damages from miswiring. These events are mostly non-robot related. One of the things I and other mentors strive for is a safe event where everyone can have a great time. I would feel very bad if I was able to head off a disaster but failed to cry a warning. So for the record, the use of an inverter and the obvious use of high voltage on a cart requires some extra precaution and safety checking that even I am not able to give (either via CD or in person). I caution you (and other teams that may be thinking along the same lines), that event staff may not be open to the use of this cart where the public is at risk. I would rather you have an interesting cart with no power on board than a cart which event staff and other teams find objectionable and needs to be removed from the venue.

On another note...although there is no rule against charging batteries right up until you take the field, I think many people could and would take it as giving you an advantage over those teams that don't have that capability. I wouldn't commit to this design without an official FIRST OK. Sorry.