Hello, in the KOP for FIRST, there is an angled piece of aluminium, my team was wondering how we should apply the bumbers. Does it even need any? Should we apply on both surfaces?
My team didn’t get the kitbot this year, but looking through the AM14U4 assembly instructions, I don’t recognize that piece. How will it be attached to your robot?
You might think about where on the robot that piece might be used, and also carefully study the rules about bumpers.
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We would like to put it at the base, right up front in the drive train.
This is the wedge plate - not a part of the KoP, I’m pretty sure, but available as an optional item. We used this to good effect in STRONGHOLD, to help over the defenses. It could certainly be used this year as part of a climb strategy. Essentially, it replaces one of the end sheets, and attaches the same way. Note that this will add ~3" to your robot’s length.
Reconsidering - may still be useful, but likely not as useful as STRONGHOLD, because the bumper zone is lower this year. Also, the AM part number was AM-3356 [fixed]
Without seeing it attached, it’s hard to tell how to apply bumpers. You DO still need them protecting each outside corner per R24.
Bumpers can only be on the frame perimeter, not inside of it, so I doubt you need them on “both surfaces”. I suggest you read the rules again and come up with a more specific question, preferably with a picture or diagram of how you want to implement both the robot frame and your bumpers.
Just curious, where exactly in your KoP was this part? I don’t see it in the checklists.
We didn’t get one with our KoP.
Do you have both of the am-3920 End Plates?
I’ve not seen that used before, but is likely you may have to place regular frame pieces 6"on the front corners since the bumpers must be at least 6" from the corner on each side. I don’t know if they would allow you to angle the bumpers. I would think it would be difficult to match the corners with the sides because you can’t have a gap. This might be a good question for Q&A. I would include the picture with the question.
With tolerance stack, the bottom of your bumper is going to be at most 3" of the ground. So with the wedge installed like the post above, the wedge is going to be mostly covered by bumper. At least on the outside corners. The frame perimeter is somewhat of a theoretical construct. There doesn’t actually have to be actual frame on much of the frame perimeter. But the bumper require support and you have to have structure where the frame requires support.