Were to store practice bot at regional?

[GeeTwo]

(Emphasis mine)

Originally Posted by David Brinza

In 2015, teams were required to bring their withholding allowance items into the pits during robot load-in. Going to the trailer or build site after load-in was not permitted. Robot inspectors would ask teams with a significant amount of fabricated items declared as "withhold allowance" to weigh them at the inspection station.

Where was that, exactly? I've re-read the 2015 rules with specific emphasis on R12-R17 (Fabrication Schedule and Material Utilization),and T12 (during the event). Neither the word trailer nor the phrase build site appear anywhere in the game manual. I can't find any rules prohibiting access to a trailer or build site for the purposes of (for example) getting COTS parts, tools, non-robot items (such as costumes, buttons, and office supplies) , or excepted assemblies at the end of R17. The key rules regarding fabricated items at the tournament were:

Originally Posted by 2015 Game Manual, R17

At an Event, Teams may have access to a static set of FABRICATED ITEMS, not bagged per R14, known as the WITHHOLDING ALLOWANCE, that shall not exceed 30 lbs. to be used to repair and/or upgrade their ROBOT. The WITHHOLDING ALLOWANCE may only be brought into the Venue when the Team initially loads in at the Event. Items made at an Event do not count towards this weight limit.
For Teams attending 2-Day Events, these FABRICATED ITEMS may be used during the Robot Access Period and/or brought to the Event, but the total weight may not exceed 30 lbs. FABRICATED ITEMS constructed during the Robot Access Period and bagged with the ROBOT are exempt from this limit.
Items exempt from this limit are:

• A. the OPERATOR CONSOLE,
• B. any ROBOT battery assemblies (as described in R4).

Originally Posted by 2015 Game Manual, T12

During the event, from load-in on the first day to load-out on the final day, Teams may only produce FABRICATED ITEMS in the pit areas or provided machine shops, as defined in the Administrative Manual, Section 4.8: The Pit, and per R17 in Section 4.6: Material Utilization.

Bottom line: During an event, you may not fabricate items for use on the robot except at the designated locations and times within the venue, nor bring fabricated items for use on the robot into the venue except at check-in, either in the robot bag or the withholding allowance.

An interesting subtlety I noticed on this search is that while "FABRICATED items consisting of one COTS electrical device (e.g. a motor or motor controller), connectors, and any materials used to secure and insulate those connectors" created before build season were permitted on the robot (or in the withholding) under R12, they were not exempt from being part of the withholding allowance under R17.

[David Brinza]

Originally Posted by David Brinza:
In 2015, teams were required to bring their withholding allowance items into the pits during robot load-in. Going to the trailer or build site after load-in was not permitted. Robot inspectors would ask teams with a significant amount of fabricated items declared as "withhold allowance" to weigh them at the inspection station.

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

(Emphasis mine)


Where was that, exactly? I've re-read the 2015 rules with specific emphasis on R12-R17 (Fabrication Schedule and Material Utilization),and T12 (during the event). Neither the word trailer nor the phrase build site appear anywhere in the game manual. I can't find any rules prohibiting access to a trailer or build site for the purposes of (for example) getting COTS parts, tools, non-robot items (such as costumes, buttons, and office supplies) , or excepted assemblies at the end of R17. The key rules regarding fabricated items at the tournament were:




Bottom line: During an event, you may not fabricate items for use on the robot except at the designated locations and times within the venue, nor bring fabricated items for use on the robot into the venue except at check-in, either in the robot bag or the withholding allowance.

An interesting subtlety I noticed on this search is that while "FABRICATED items consisting of one COTS electrical device (e.g. a motor or motor controller), connectors, and any materials used to secure and insulate those connectors" created before build season were permitted on the robot (or in the withholding) under R12, they were not exempt from being part of the withholding allowance under R17.

Sorry for not being more specific in my comment about not going to the trailer after load-in. Teams were not allowed to bring in FABRICATED items from a trailer (or other off-site location) after load-in. Teams can retrieve COTS items, raw materials, driver's stations, tools, etc. from outside the pits (i.e. trailer) at any time during the competition.

[Stayskull]

Originally Posted by I_AM_Clayton

#cardboardFRCrobots
#woodFRCrobots

Which team is the one that makes wood robots every year? I can't seem find them

Team 1899 makes wood robots every year, I don't know if this is the team that you're referring.

[orangemoore]

Originally Posted by Stayskull

Team 1899 makes wood robots every year, I don't know if this is the team that you're referring.

4183 as well

[martin417]

Originally Posted by I_AM_Clayton

#cardboardFRCrobots
#woodFRCrobots

Which team is the one that makes wood robots every year? I can't seem find them

1771 made wood robot from 2009 through 2012. Here is post I made at that time about wood frames.

[Christopher149]

I might be a little wary of Q416, where a bot for a Chairman's presentation was ruled to count toward the 45 lb allowance.

How much does the bot weigh?

[protoserge]

You will want to have your 45lbs selected and removed prior to going to competition. The rules state that you cannot work on the robot mechanical components outside of the pit or outside of the pit operating hours (no in-hotel work).

If you are bringing the entire robot, it would be best to leave it in the hotel. Thefts from parking lots are unfortunately, not uncommon.

[Doc Wu]

Store it at your school, your shop, your sponsor's facility, wherever you normally keep it. Don't bring it to a regional.

While you can use a used, unmodified, COTS part that was on an old robot, as a spare, you cannot store it on the robot until you need it. It's not a parts rack.

A manufactured part, even if it's identical to one on your competition robot, can be a spare part, but it counts under your weight allowance and must be brought into the pits as a part, not as a part of a robot.

Think about what you are asking. If every team brought a spare or practice robot to a competition, where would they put up to 60 extra robots?

[mrnoble]

Originally Posted by nixiebunny

We have a practice bot in the back of the pickup truck. It's a spare-parts machine at the regional.

Dude, if what I read here is accurate, you need to understand that that's not ok. My team has a practice bot too, which we've used for drive practice and R&D. We will take our spare parts and improvements off of it and take them to competition, leaving the rest behind. 45 pounds only, excluding the bumpers, batteries, and COTS straight from the box. That is a generous rule and it's very clear.

[B2E175]

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[mrnoble]

Originally Posted by B2E175

I dont see anything wrong with keeping a second bot in the parking lot. Our team is planing on doing this and removing assemblys as needed in the lot then bringing them into the competition. As long as no more than 45 lbs in spare parts is brought in to the arena there is nothing wrong with this. It is legal.

You are dead wrong. The rule is intended to prevent us from doing exactly what you suggest, and to encourage us to be proactive thinkers. We need to make choices as to what we will bring, or manufacture, or buy, based on our best understanding of the game and what our robots' weaknesses are. What you are planning on doing is (I repeat) CHEATING. Don't do it.

[BigJ]

Originally Posted by mrnoble

You are dead wrong. The rule is intended to prevent us from doing exactly what you suggest, and to encourage us to be proactive thinkers. We need to make choices as to what we will bring, or manufacture, or buy, based on our best understanding of the game and what our robots' weaknesses are. What you are planning on doing is (I repeat) CHEATING. Don't do it.

Not disagreeing with you but you don't get to define the intent of the rule. The GDC (rule updates, Q&A) and their delegates (LRI, Head Ref, etc.) do.

If anything, the problem with the "practice bot in trailer" might be the addition of "static" to the rule.

2014:

At an Event, Teams may have access to a static set of FABRICATED ITEMS that shall not exceed 45 lbs.

2013:

Teams may bring a maximum of 30 lbs of FABRICATED ITEMS to each event to be used to repair and/or upgrade
their ROBOT

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by BigJ

Not disagreeing with you but you don't get to define the intent of the rule. The GDC (rule updates, Q&A) and their delegates (LRI, Head Ref, etc.) do.

If anything, the problem with the "practice bot in trailer" might be the addition of "static" to the rule.

2014:



2013:

I agree with this, by bringing in the parts one at a time when needed your 45 lbs is no longer static, its dynamic. I believe by adding the term static this strategy is now illegal.

[shades23]

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[B2E175]

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