pic: 51 - Wings of Fire Redirecting

[Lil' Lavery]

It's great to see 51 in action and already off to a winning start. A great beginning to a new tradition from two former powerhouses.

That being said, while I have been a strong supporter of this strategy in terms of legality, I'm not sure about the legality of team 51's device. 469's is clearly legal, but the fact this robot is hanging introduces some doubt into my mind.

<R19> ROBOTS must be designed so that in normal operation BALLS cannot extend more than 3 inches inside
a) the FRAME PERIMETER below the level of the BUMPER ZONE (see Figure 8-5),
b) a MECHANISM or feature designed or used to deflect BALLS in a controlled manner that is above the level of the BUMPER ZONE.

Would the hanging elements of the robot be considered part of the same "MECHANISM" as the ball redirection chute?

MECHANISM – A COTS or custom assembly of COMPONENTS that provide specific functionality on the ROBOT. A MECHANISM can be disassembled (and then reassembled) into individual COMPONENTS without damage to the parts.

I'd say yes. It's not a mistake that they put the chute into the position so it provides the very specific functionality of redirecting the balls. They also accomplish the hanging bonus, but a MECHANISM can accomplish more than one functionality.

I'm not positive they're illegal, but I'm not confident that they're legal, either.