first did a good rules job this year

FIRST General Forum
#1

i must say first did a great jod with the rules this year. Usally by this point we have 14 major rules problems but as of yet nothing. I give first an A for the season opener i am sure that this report card will look good by the end of the season.

shaun

#2

I agree–3 updates, and none of them had any major changes that I could find. Let’s keep it up. (What would really surprise me is if there were NO rule changes in Section 4 at all.)

#3

well, on the other hand it is the first time FIRST tells us how to do something specifically (bumpers), which is somewhat frustrating.

#4

i’m not sure, but I assume you could put your own bumpers on, but they just have to fit w/in the starting box and be included in the weight limit…

#5

I agree on the rules. There is a lot less ambiguity than before.

#6

First bullet in the bumper rules section:
<R35> Bumpers must be designed as shown in Figure 5-1.

So I wouldn’t think about desiging your own bumpers if you want the advantage of weight and size(if size is an advantage).

#7

Yes, i didn’t make my point clear: FIRST isn’t restricting the design any more than in past years regarding bumpers, but are instead providing more options

#8

The way our team understands the bumpers, is you must use FIRST’s design or forgo any bumpers at all. Are we wrong?

#9

You are wrong. If you wish to design your own bumper you may do it. The bumper however must be within your 28x38 dimension and counted in your 120 lb limit. If you choose FIRST bumpers then you get added size and extra weight without breaking the rules.

#10

I believe you are wrong. Bumpers that follow the FIRST design are not counted against the robot weight or size limits. I don’t see any rules which forbid bumpers which are part of the robot as weighed and measured at inspection.

(There are rules which constrain bumpers. For instance, contact surfaces must be near vertical, and one may not use “wedges”, which seem to be defined in a way which includes articulated bumpers that lift an opponent.)

#11

they did about the defensive side where you only get the bumper zone but other than that some of them are confusing comparing to previous years.

#12

I give the Game Creators a A all over. There have been no major changes…yet. There are so many avenues for strategy that its hard, at times, to grasp it all. So to those who did a good job, we salute you.

#13