Now all this talk about ramps has me wondering. What is FIRST’s idea of a wedge??? Now I went and searched the definition and it gave me a few:
-any shape that is triangular in cross section.
-something solid that is usable as an inclined plane (shaped like a V) that can be pushed between two things to separate them.
This two can be completely different in a robot sense. Now which do you think FIRST means by a “Wedge”. And If you have a better definition I’d be glad if you posted it.
I’ll tell you exactly what FIRST means by a wedge:
<R05> "Wedge” ROBOTS are not allowed. ROBOTS must be designed so that interaction with
opposing ROBOTS results in pushing rather than tipping or lifting. Neither offensive nor
defensive wedges are allowed. All parts of a ROBOT between 0 and 8.5 inches from the
ground (the top of the BUMPER ZONE) that are used to push against or interact with an
opposing ROBOT must be within 10 degrees of vertical. Devices deployed outside the
ROBOT footprint should be designed to avoid wedging. If a mechanism or an appendage
(e.g. a harvester for retrieving GAME PIECES) becomes a wedge that interferes with other
ROBOTS, penalties, disabling, or disqualification can occur depending on the severity of the
infraction.
I intend to move a ruler around our entire robot this year to see if anything below the 8.5" mark could be interpreted as such.
the wedge rule is no longer counted when you are in the home zone and trying to lift up another robot. therefor when you deploy your ramp at the end of the match you are not breaking any rules.
yeah I know that. But my design is not nessacary a ramp. So by reading this rule would on think that a platform that is between these measurements (0 - 8.5 inches) with a flat edge on it, be considered legal?
They’ve made an excellent change to the wedge rule, from the way it appeared last year. And I’m not talking about the home zone exemption. It used to restrict parts “that might push against another robot”; now it covers parts “that are used to push against or interact with an opposing ROBOT”.
Under the old rule, pretty much every robot was theoretically illegal, in some insignificant way. Now, you’ve got to actually wedge something to cause a violation.
If your design could easily lift any part of a bot off the ground, it can’t be used on the field (excluding alliance zones). It was actually last year that they added this rule. There was this huge argument thread here bout it too. I said that it counted as robot entanglement, which was an existing rule. Soooo, looks like my argument won as they expressly forbid wedge use.
Ahh I see ok that helps thanks. My design cant lift robots until I want it to but it is fiarly thin. so it should be allowed… if not there is an easy fix lol
The way it is currently written, I am afraid the answer is yes, that would be illegal based on the wedge rule. This is an unfortunate oversight that did not seem to get corrected from last years rule.
Almost every year we put wheelie bars on our robot and we have to modify them to make sure they dont get us penalized. A blatant wedge that is on your robot, or something that isnt designed to prevent robots would be considered a wedge imo.
Inverse wedges will help climb. Should not be allowed according to the rules though. But last year, I know a couple team who followed the 12 feet per second rule and some that did not. It wasn’t fair but people still did it. Same thing will happen this year with these type of machines. People will make them and inspectors will not see a problem.
Ok a wedge… Anything that Team 302 does not create is not a wedge. In previous years at least. The wedge rule was made because of team 302. We kept getting penalties because other robots would drive up our wedge and tip over. they kept calling it a wedge and Lift but we never did the and lift so just make sure the wedge is 10 degrees or less