pic: Is this corner considered protected?

[Paul Copioli]

Scott,

One important thing to consider is that many of us are picking up from the floor and the "6 inch minimum" + "all sides must have a bumper" GDC clarifications have constrained all of us. The ThunderChicken floor pick-up opening is not as large as we wanted specifically because of the bumper rule. Our robot base design was driven by the bumper rule. Our design is not as cool as we wanted it to be because of the bumper rule.

If any team has a design that looks like the picture at one of my competition, thenn I will bring it up to the inspectors because they will have a significant advantage over everyone esle and it is in violation of written clarifications by the GDC.

The huge advantage on the back of your robot is that you can get your trailer off to the side more to help protect it and you can swing around the trailer more to get a better angle at your opponent.

The advantages on the front side are obvious wrt opening size.

Maybe they left a loophole in on purpose, but if they did, then I say they are lawyering the rules and now we will have to do the same.

For the record, I hate bumpers and designing around the bumper rules, to me, is silly.

[Triple B]

Ya, what Paul said
mike d

[EricH]

Well, you got your official answer.

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=11600

[joeweber]

We figured if we turn the andle corner into a curve we could resove the problem but found the next issue.

Questions about the trailer hitch- I assembles a hitch like the one for the competition trailer (which is different than the team built trailer) and found that the small .615 dia. Hitch pin fits into a 1 inch x 1 inch square tube. There is only about 1 3/8 inch from the pin to the edge of the square tube. Will this limit the amount of turn that the trailer can make and if the aluminum hits the trailer hitch assembly (although it barley fits inside maybe if perfectly centered) will this be a violation of <R18> E..

We want to turn as sharp as possible so we can pin wheel around the trailer for defense.

[Scott Hill]

Cory,
The Q&A answer you refer to follows:

Default Re: Bumper Length
1. The statements are not contradictory. The length of a BUMPER is determined by the portion of the assembly the includes all the required elements (pool noodle, fabric covering, clamping angles, and plywood backing) in the cross-section of the assembly. The length of this portion of the BUMPER assembly must be at least six inches. This is consistent with the previous answers and the statements/drawings in Team Update #2.

2. As indicated in Rule <R08-I>, all exterior corners of the BUMPER PERIMETER must be protected by BUMPERS. Both "sides" of the corner must be protected.

3. Rule <R18-E> requires that the ROBOT be designed such that contact between the ROBOT and the TRAILER (other than the Trailer Hitch) must be BUMPER-to-BUMPER. There are no exceptions to this.

To be honest I don't see here where it is abundantly clear that both sides of the corner must have their own BUMPER segment. It is clear that "all exterior corners of the BUMPER PERIMETER must be protected by BUMPERS." and that "Both sides of the corner must be protected." It is easy to create a ROBOT BUMPER PERIMETER which meets the the two statements in 2. above which has a side that does not have bumpers on it, yet the side would be protected. I believe the ROBOT in question at the beginning of this thread could be such a case. All it takes is two sets of oblique angles as part of the BUMPER PERIMETER.

Paul,

You quote ..."all sides must have a bumper"... GDC clarifications. I would like to know where you found that quote. In the Manual, in the team updates, and in the Q&A in it's many replies to questions on this topic I can't find where the GDC has stated "all sides must have a bumper". If any one has knowledge of where, in the above venues they have, please show me.

If you think about this.... if they really wanted each side of the robot to have BUMPER(S) they just have to include in the Competition Manual or the Team Updates the simple statement "all sides must have BUMPERS". When it would be so easy to state "all sides must have BUMPERS", they don't; not in the Competition Manual, not in the Team Updates, and not even in the many replies to questions in the Q&A. In my mind it is doubtful that in all of this communication, all of these communicators have randomly avoided using this simple statement if it clearly expresses their intent. Therefore I don't think it is the GDC's intent to require all sides of a ROBOT to have BUMPERS.

Paul, I look forward to seeing you, and your team and ROBOT at Midwest, and Cory, if things work out you and your folks as well at Nationals, the best of luck to us all,

Scott

[EricH]

Scott, this Q&A was posted early on. You also have:
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=10933
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=11056
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=11218

Take them all together or one at a time, Paul has summarized what the GDC has said.

[Mike8519]

While there is no rule saying all "sides" must have bumpers it must have corners to form that edge and by the Q&A responses those corners must be protected by 6" of bumper on each side. Extending noodles into the corner for protection does not count as both sides being protected.

EricH's final link explicity states this