New item for the inspector’s toolkit: a protractor!
/hj
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Now that arbitrary foam pieces (meeting specifications) are also allowed, I don’t see much value in the rules formally distinguishing the different methods of interlacing or filling the corners.
By allowing pool noodles in the first place, FIRST actually made it pretty hard to define a completely coherent rule about continuity of cross-section, and the existing rule obviously fails in the corners (and always has).
I hope the final rule allows short segments that are structurally adequate (definition will admittedly be complex), and curved sections.
If they are set on eliminating mitred corners (as they wrote), I hope that they write the rule in a way that allows unmitred corners right up to 180°, where a flat corner is indistinguishable from a rules perspective from a gap between segments. Having a number means one more constraint that adds very little value from a functional perspective.
There are some annoying edge cases like a cushion belonging one segment and extending a long way over the bare backing of an adjacent segment, just like the overlapped corners above…but maybe FIRST just needs to decide if they care, and make it clear to all of us.
But really, I’m not convinced mitres should be prohibited…especially if stair-step laminations are allowed.
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What are you using for a shock logger? If you found something with high enough sample rates and detection range for FRC collisions at a reasonable cost I’d love to get one.
Completely surround with vertical noodle segments?
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Or here me out: a really big pool noodle where the robot fits in the hollow part.
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I’ll have to see how it works… hopeful!
Tzone Vibration Data Logger 3-Axis Shock Datalogger Temperature Recorder USB,Digital Shipping Vibration Meter Auto Report 34560 Records,Transport Logger for Shock Sensitive Goods Monitor Tzone Vibration Data Logger 3-Axis Shock Datalogger Temperature Recorder USB,Digital Shipping Vibration Meter Auto Report 34560 Records,Transport Logger for Shock Sensitive Goods Monitor: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
Contact Mark’s Magic Plywood about a continuous circular ring. Hopefully the new rules will allow it.
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Markie Mark’s Curved Plywood and Emporium. Meeting all your curved plywood needs.
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Actually, this place should have legal curved plywood… That is, wood laminated together with glue by people who are licensed by some other people of higher authority to provide the general public with said wood thus blessed to be called “plywood”.
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Looks like their cylinders are 5/16” thick wall, 27.5” tall and come in several standard diameters up to 36”. So, too thin for bumpers.
Time to start lobbying for Markie Mark’s. We need beefy bumper barrels!
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Time to make a robot in the shape of a giant ball with plywood in the middle and foam on the outside to play ultimate defense.
Planning on putting the catfood in bumpers? 
I’m going to log my trip to site tomorrow, with “fun” dirt road time and see what this has to say.
Out of the box it has a 30 minute start delay, so you really need the software to set it up for our use.
On the good side, when its set up, it really does make a PDF and show up as a drive! I didn’t actually have data, so no CSV file. It does read my shaking and clunking.
The blog and discussion has only mentioned the safety part of bumper rules. I really hope that as part of the rules overhaul they also lighten up on the rules for bumper numbers and decoration. Having a thin black outline around the white numbers (such as using black thread instead of white on sewn numbers, or going around the edge with Sharpie marker) makes them look better and more visible, but is illegal under current rules. And I saw one set of bumpers at Championship a few years ago that had lovely bumper covers professionally stitched and donated by a local machine-embroidery company, with the name of that sponsor embroidered in small print on the top edge of the bumper – that was also illegal.
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Well… that’s technically legal.
Interested to see who shows up with a 10# robot and 130# bumps.
Except - as written, what we submitted was:
“R402: BUMPER extension limit. BUMPERS must not extend more than 4.25 in. from the ROBOT FRAME PERIMETER”
So IF you back up your bump frame to the robot frame perimeter, and your backer is 3/4" thick, you can have 3.5" of foam.
We think alike.
As soon as I have a minute, I’ll post what we ran at Battle at the Border (with pics and results) that should cover some of this.
“To that end, can we use a backing material with a thickness under 3/4”, such as a steel or aluminum plate?"
Yes.
However, please remember that the FINAL rules (as vetted by a host of people who were not in the BWG) have not been posted. So the below IS NOT FINAL.
what the BWG recommended was:
" Backing – A solid backer at least .25 in. thick and 4.5 in. tall which supports the padding and facilitates installation and removal of the BUMPER from the ROBOT. Additional elements may be added to strengthen the backing, fill space between the BUMPER and ROBOT frame, or serve as part of the attachment system."
EXTRA CAVEAT:
- Please, PLEASE, for the love of all that is holy… unless you do extensive testing on a different backer material (or trust another Team to do the testing and give you the results) JUST stick with 3/4" good quality plywood AND back up your bumps to your frame!!!
- you still have to use fabric. How you attach fabric to your backer is a “you” problem.
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I just can’t get the CD search-o-matic to give me the awesome shock logger that -someone- built… I think I need to copy it. I’m just not enough of a computer kinda guy to scratch build it from modules!
Anybody have a link for that build?
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This aged well lol
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