Bumper Height

[Team 3270]

I have looked through the manual for the competition and have seen nothing for the bumpers having to be low to the ground. Our team's robot has bumpers high off the ground but still surrounding the frame perimeter. we are looking at all of the teams right now on the live streaming and they all have bumpers low to the ground. is there a rule anywhere that state that the bumpers have to be closed to the ground?

[tim-tim]

Please check the Introduction and definition sections of the manual.

To help you out a little bit though, the bumpers must be at least 1 inch off the ground and no more than 7 inches off the ground

[EricH]

Yes, there is such a rule.

Bumpers must be in the Bumper Zone by <R07>. Bumper Zone is defined by Section 1.6 to be between 1 and 7 inches off the floor. Therefore, bumpers must be between 1 and 7 inches from the floor.

Last year's bumpers were abnormally high; this was due to the game last year. Somewhere around this year's height is actually much more normal; if you look at robots from 2006-2009, their bumpers are all under about the 8-9" mark (though robots from 2006-2007 may or may not have bumpers--they were optional in those years).

Your best bet is to start planning now how to move the bumpers into the proper zone; that way when you get to your event you can change them quickly. I've had to tell a team they were out of the bumper zone at an event before--I don't like to do it, I know that much.