can we use our arms as measuring devices

[railerobotics]

Can we use our arms or other body parts as alignment devices for our robot?

[Rick TYler]

<G42> Nothing may be used to align the robot in the starting area. To insure compliance, the arms of team members placing the robot on the field must be tightly bound to the team members' torsos using Ace brand elastic bandages. Duct tape is not allowed. Team members' ankles must either be shackled together or bound with Ace brand elastic bandages. At the referee's discretion, blindfolds may also be required if this rule is being abused.


(Seriously, if you are using your foot to measure distance to the edge of the starting box, no one is going to care. If you hold up the match by using the last joint of your thumb to measure the distance to the goal, the referees are going to stop you. The intent of the rule is to insure that people don't spend a half-hour with laser range finders and micrometers placing their robot. Frankly, if you need that much precision, your autonomous routine probably isn't going to work anyway. There is too much slop in the average FIRST drivetrain for that much precision to matter.)