I was Wondering if the electromagnetic solenoid was legal for a shooter.
If anybody could give me any information if this is legal it would help a ::safety:: lot thanks
No, see <R53B>
Where is this <R53B>?:o
<R53> Items specifically PROHIBITED from use on the ROBOT include:
A. Electric motors and/or servos different from, or in addition to, those in the KOP, with the exception of those specifically permitted by Rule .
B. Electric solenoid actuators (note: electric solenoid actuators are NOT the same as pneumatic solenoid valves – the latter are permitted, the former are not).
Rule 53
(the search function on adobe reader can be a huge time saver if you are trying to find what is legal… also if you download the entire manual it will give you entries in multiple sections with an easy to sort function in the new adobe reader 9).
So maybe it’s just because I’m a theoretical physics guy, but a “solenoid” to me is an electromagnet – and I have always presumed that they are illegal because of this.
However, I hear tell that some teams have used electromagnets in the past…
Given that we have an application that might benefit greatly from an electromagnet, and that we have a new mentor with a winder that can make us electromagnets, I must ask:
Is the “electromagnetic solenoid” an engineering term for a device that incorporates, but is more than, an electromagnet?
And if so, are electromagnets thus legal?
No electromagnetic solenoids
Yeah, me too.
However, I remeber in 2006, at Nationals (so lots of inspections) there was a robot that had a ball slingshot, which used an electromagnet as the release mechanism.
The magnet was turned on, which grabbed the metal cup of the slingshot, it was pulled back to stretch the bungies, and then the field was turned off to release the ball.
Granted I never saw it on the field… but I saw it in the pits…
Anyone know the story there?
Electromagnet… but not a solenoid?
A solenoid consists of two parts, an electromagnet and an armature (the part that is moved linearly by the electromagnet).
Or it consists of just the electromagnet, if you’re not an engineer.
Have fun!
So if FIRST excludes:
Electric solenoid actuators
Then they are obviously using the Engineering variaton, rather than the pure physics form.
So the coil itself is not banned, but trying to use it in some form of actuator is. It does seem to limit the possibilities… but I guess if they didn’t people would be building high power motors and calling them solenoids 
In which case the electric slingshot release should have been illegal…