Your tall opaque robot is now illegal

[Libby K]

Q & A 959 has been answered:

Q. Assuming no interfering markings a la Q955, would a robot that completely fills the maximum sizing volume allowed by R3 and is not transparent violate R9-A or any other rule? Assuming that to a reasonable observer that modifications are made to the robot to block shots, may a robot be modified and reinspected during the event to fill the maximum space allowed by R3? Must these modifications be made of transparent materials or have holes cut in them for visibility?
2016-03-23 by FRC1410


A. Before we address your questions, we want to be clear that, as a matter of principal, we try hard to answer the questions asked and avoid inferring what we think the questioner was trying to ask. Given that, please accept our apologies if the information that follows is not what you were seeking. A ROBOT that completely fills the maximum size volume allowed by R3 is not automatically a violation of R9-A, but it is impossible for us to say whether it would violate any other rule. Yes, a ROBOT may be modified after initial Inspection in a variety of ways that are still within the rule set, including increasing its size such that it maxes out the size constraints (and please note T15). There is no requirement that materials used be transparent.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Libby K

Q & A 959 has been answered:

In principle, the GDC gave a good answer. That answer might not fully address the questioner's principal concern.

[Tem1514 Mentor]

Just a few comments IMHO.

Wow, what a can of worms this one is.

I would just like to remind everyone that the Q&A is NOT official, only the Game Manual is. Please see 1.6 in the manual.

So as long as the LRI has passed the robot making it and all of its' components legal (Rule 5.5.2) then the head referee would have to say that a robot would just trying to block/deflect the shot.

[Tem1514 Mentor]

We have been told that using a non-see thought screen as a defence to both block a shot and/or block a camera view is against the rules.

Could someone be so kind as point out this rule in the Game Manual for me as I can not seem to find it

Many thanks.

[Ben Wolsieffer]

If you have not done so already, you will want to read through this thread: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=146094

[Tem1514 Mentor]

Thank you for the link.


Just a few comments IMHO.

Wow, what a can of worms this one is.

I would just like to remind everyone that the Q&A is NOT official, only the Game Manual is. Please see 1.6 in the manual.

So as long as the LRI has passed the robot making it and all of its' components legal (Rule 5.5.2) then the head referee would have to say that a robot is just blocking the shot. Just food for though.

Opps, will move my comments over to the other thread.

[jspatz1]

Originally Posted by Tem1514 Mentor

I would just like to remind everyone that the Q&A is NOT official, only the Game Manual is.

Incorrect.

[Tem1514 Mentor]

Originally Posted by jspatz1

Incorrect.

The only time the Q&A answer becomes official is when it causes a team update to occur that causes the game manual to be changed. Not all Q&A answers cause team updates. Again please see 1.6 in the game manual.

[GaryVoshol]

Threads merged

[Tem1514 Mentor]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

Threads merged

Gary,

Thank you for merging the threads.

Randall Thomas

[jspatz1]

Interpretations of the rules by the Q&A are official and LRI's and HR's will use them to make rulings. 1.6 says that Q&A answers do not "supercede" manual text, such as if they are contradictory. It does not say that answers which clarify and interpret the manual text are not official. 1.6 says answers "sometimes" result in team updates, it does not say they always do, or that they are not official and can be ignored if they don't. Not all answers require a manual update because not all answers are contradictory to the text. But all answers are official, whether or not they cause an update.

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by Tem1514 Mentor

The only time the Q&A answer becomes official is when it causes a team update to occur that causes the game manual to be changed. Not all Q&A answers cause team updates. Again please see 1.6 in the game manual.

I can tell you, from the perspective of an LRI, that I see the Q&A as official clarifications of the game manual. The rulings provided in the Q&A inform my own interpretation of the rules and the rulings I make at an event. While I do reference specific rules more often at events, I do pull out Q&A responses when explaining some rulings to teams.

The answers on there are official, they just aren't considered to be final. Final rulings come from the LRI and Head Ref.

[cbale2000]

There's nothing against blocking a shot, per say, there is a rule about mechanisms specifically designed to block camera tracking, per R9.

Imo, the simple solution is to just use a sheet of polycarbonate for blocking shots.

[dubiousSwain]

Originally Posted by cbale2000

There's nothing against blocking a shot, per say, there is a rule about mechanisms specifically designed to block camera tracking, per R9.

Imo, the simple solution is to just use a sheet of polycarbonate for blocking shots.

This is purely semantics, but the isn't a rule about /blocking/ the camera image. There is a rule about blocking the vision of driver, and there is a rule about jamming, specifically mimicking the vision targets. But there is no rule about blocking cameras.

[dodar]

Originally Posted by dubiousSwain

This is purely semantics, but the isn't a rule about /blocking/ the camera image. There is a rule about blocking the vision of driver, and there is a rule about jamming, specifically mimicking the vision targets. But there is no rule about blocking cameras.

Q&A says differently. If you build a blocker, purely to block a camera from viewing the goals, that blocker is illegal.