Could some one explain to me what frame perimeter exactly is? We are looking at attaching our “ball bucket” to the outside of our rails. Can we then call this ball bucket our frame? I understand that all of it must be maintained in the window but am unsure if this extra 1/4" piece of aluminum is going to be considered part of the frame (Do we have to go around the entire perimeter to call it a frame piece?)
As explained in the game manual, the frame perimeter is the shape that a piece of string that you wrapped around your robot would take. This is not including bumper. You can call whatever your frame perimeter, it just has to securely attach the bumpers to it. While there are no restrictions on the size of the frame perimeter this year, keep in mind you still have to have your bumpers extruding from all corner of your frame perimeter, so if you have something jutting out more than the 1/4 allowance, you now have to put a new bumper there as it’s a new corner and your bumpers will be more than a quarter inch outside of your robot (see R31). Also, keep in mind that these new additions will still have to be inside your entire robot volume, with the new corners on the bumpers.
There are really two parts to the frame perimeter, the hardware which makes it up, and the geometric shape used to define the starting configuration and bumper requirement.
Frame Perimeter (hardware) is defined in R01. It must consist of fixed non-articulated structural elements (aka chassis) pieces and be within the bumper zone (< 7" off the floor).
Frame perimeter (geometry) is a vertical prism of the smallest convex polygon (or closed curve) which includes all of your frame perimeter (hardware), excepting minor protrusions.
At the beginning of the match, all of the robot (except bumpers and frame protrusions) must be inside the frame perimeter (geometry), and the wooden and noodle bumpers are just outside the frame perimeter (geometry) throughout the match.
The frame perimeter (geometry) drives what must be covered in bumpers (this year, everything within 6" of a corner or curve). You must back up the bumpers with frame perimeter (hardware) at each end of the bumper (within 1/2") and regularly along the length of the bumper (small gaps allowed).
This year, unlike the last few, the length of the frame perimeter (geometry) is not proscribed by a rule. However, the whole robot (including bumpers) must fit within one of the two sizing boxes (R03) for the whole match.From a practical standpoint, the frame perimeter (geometry) must be >~7" smaller each horizontal dimension than the sizing box.
Read all the rules, but R01 through R03, and R22 through R31 define the frame perimeter and bumper rules.
That’s the question of the year…GeeTwo gives it a good try, but I would be hard pressed to try to explain what EXACTLY it is.
But I know it when I see it.
Bkeeny and GeeTwo give good technical descriptions. If you are still not understanding, post a picture of your robot from the top and what you’re looking to do and any number of people here could visually show you what your perimeter is.
If the ball bucket does not move relative to the frame, and forms the outer convex boundary of the robot, then yes, it is part of the frame perimeter, and bumpers will be required to protect it.
If the ball bucket moves relative to the fixed frame, it must begin inside the fame perimeter, but may move outside the frame perimeter. It must remain within the sizing box for the whole match. Bumpers are not required, but know it will take a beating.