How many Attwoods?

Technical Motors
1

Are we allowed to use more than 2 attwood motors on our robot?

Mike

2

no, if you did, that would be insane. dual atwood per side drools

3

Yes our team had thought of using a drive system with dual attwoods, however we were unsure if we were allowed to use 4. I could not find an Additional hardware list in this years manual, is this supplemented by another document this year? What rule prevents us from using 4?

Mike

4

Well, the additional hardware list is supplemented by the restricted hardware list this year. It does not have motors anywhere on it, however if you refer to the flowchart of what is allowed/disallowed, you cannot use any motors that are not in the kit. Even though the atwood motors are in the kit, you cannot use more than the quantities provided in the kit.

5

Is there an additional materials list this year or just the restricted list?

6

Since you are allowed to use any off-the-shelf item this year, they only put out a restricted hardware list so that you know what you specifically CAN’T use. If it’s not on the restricted hardware list and is an off the shelf item, it costs no more than $400, and your total parts aren’t more than $3500, then you can use it.

7

Use the flowchart. Two cases cover this issue:

  1. Let’s say you had an additional motor in your kit (by accident) or bought an additional kit motor. Looking at the flowchart:

    1. Start Here
    2. “NO” to safety hazard
    3. “NO” to bumper
    4. “YES” to kit part
    5. “NO” to document, etc.
    6. “YES” to off the shelf
    7. “YES” to kit part
    8. “YES” to exceeding the quantity limits
    9. Part may not be used.

  2. Let’s say you want to buy a different motor (I.E. Last year’s Fisher-Price):

    1. Start Here
    2. “NO” to safety hazard
    3. “NO” to bumper
    4. “NO” to kit part
    5. “NO” to exotic material
    6. “NO” to springs
    7. “NO” to pneumatics
    8. “NO” to traction devices
    9. “YES” to electronics

  3. “YES” to Motor, pump, solenoid, or other actuator

  4. Part may not be used.

It is pretty clear that only motors in this year’s kit in the quantities specified in this year’s manual are legal.

-Paul

8

A general rule on motors is that you can only use the number that they give you. So, according to this rule, if they give you 2 you shouldn’t add last year’s on as extras… If you weren’t going to use last year’s though, I don’t have any idea where you would have gotten them from (they are impossible to find!)…

9

But you could use extra motors for back up or reserve, in case you break something or burn something up.

10

That is true. You can use extras as spares but you can’t use them on your actual robot along with others of the same kind…