pic: #470 Ypsilanti HS

[Nuttyman54]

Flop-bots were allowed again this year, after taking a hiatus in 2006 and 2007. Bomb Squad (Team 16) was a prime example of it this year, I don't know if there were any others.

[WikiY]

Our robot was originally going to be a flop-bot because it was too wide to fit in the starting configuration, but we couldn't figure out how to flip during the match and bent some axles drop testing it. 968 advised us that it was a bad idea and later helped us trim it down to size.

[NEMentor470]

Originally Posted by WikiY

we couldn't figure out how to flip during the match and bent some axles drop testing it.

They designed a little "foot" that flipped out as the Beast was flopping. The foot would hit the ground first to break the fall and then flip back up under the bot. You can see it in the picture: it's that long narrow rectangle up and down the middle section of the bot.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Nuttyman54

Flop-bots were allowed again this year, after taking a hiatus in 2006 and 2007. Bomb Squad (Team 16) was a prime example of it this year, I don't know if there were any others.

I remember that flopbots were explicitly banned in 2006, but were they in 2007? Given the lack of differentiation between starting configuration and playing configuration that year with respect to bumpers, flag holders, and the like, I imagined it was mostly a case of everybody figuring it wasn't worth it rather than an outright ban.

[thehurd03]

Originally Posted by Billfred

I remember that flopbots were explicitly banned in 2006, but were they in 2007? Given the lack of differentiation between starting configuration and playing configuration that year with respect to bumpers, flag holders, and the like, I imagined it was mostly a case of everybody figuring it wasn't worth it rather than an outright ban.

Nope you can check the rule book, it says that you can't, and we at 470 take great pride in that rule, but at far as the 06-07 year for flop bots if it was a haietis none of the teams were informed.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by thehurd03

Nope you can check the rule book, it says that you can't, and we at 470 take great pride in that rule, but at far as the 06-07 year for flop bots if it was a haietis none of the teams were informed.

As a matter of fact, flop-bots were allowed in 2007. From 2007's <G29>, "After the start of the match, ROBOTS may change their orientation such that the long dimension is either vertical or horizontal."

They were not allowed in 2006, but that is the only year I know of that did not allow them.

[Nuttyman54]

Whoops, my bad. Thought it had been illegal in 2007 as well.