So today they released the first four sections of this year’s manual, now granted every word in the manual is important, however some require additional attention. That’s what this thread is for, drawing attention to the minor details that some of us will trip up on if we don’t see.
Just in what I’ve read so far I’ve found a few:
This next one is rather important for everyone out there that uses a cart to move your robot around:
Here is another for all of you out there who like to work on their robot
Remember all the broken crates last year? Looks like the stiffened up the rules (and crates too).
Remember, all crates most pass all 10 rules!
Ok, thats all I’ve seen from what I picked up, what other rules have you seen that are interesting from this year (particularly the new rules)?
The saftey glasses for everyone in the put area was required at the VCU regional. So thats not new to those people. However no music on the cart is a bummer as one of our members does alot of work on cars and wanted to do sound and lights for our cart.
While music carts may be cool and all, they really don’t serve any practical purpose other than being cool, and are kinda distracting in the pit/transit area. Pit+Tools+Distraction=bad
For the past several years we have been using the same crate. It has a welded aluminum frame and skin on a wood base with provision for forklift handling. When closed it will support a couple of grown men on top (approx 400lbs).
But from the sound of these rules it is no longer acceptable. Have they opened Q&A yet?
BTW at least one damaged crate I saw met the above specifications. But in that case it looked like the damage was not inadvertent. Seeing as it was all in the area around the lock
I agree, IN THE PIT. Now, when you’re oustide and stuff (like one team did in ATL) and play music, I think that’s fine. As they said, no music, not no speakers.
Agreed. In the pits it would be a distraction but what about outside of the pits? Well it says " • Do not add music to the cart." so what good are speakers without music.
Playing music-particularly loud music-has always been frowned upon for a number of reasons (pit announcements being one of them). However, it has been hard to enforce. Now, they are making it easier on themselves by making this rule. I also saw something about the cart must be in the pit unless it is transporting the robot, so no music outside from the cart.
4.3.4. Required Crate Contents
Teams must include the robot and may include the two batteries and other equipment. When shipping the batteries in the crate, carefully and completely follow all instructions listed above in “Battery Packaging.”
Non-North American teams cannot ship batteries with their crate(s). They must make arrangements with FIRST to pick up a battery for competition at their initial event.)
SAFETY NOTE: Don’t pack all of your safety glasses in your crate. You will need them when uncrating! FIRST will allow you to keep all of your robot controls (Operator Interface, OI power supply, joysticks, etc.) and not ship them with your robot on Tuesday, February 20, 2007. This will allow you to continue to work on your programming. If you decide not to ship controls with your robot, remember to bring them to your initial competition. FIRST does not have replacement controls.
It looks like they have cleared up one of the questions that comes up year after year. You do not HAVE to ship the 2 batteries but you MAY if you want to. I suppose you cannot ship more than 2 though?
It also looks like they are still going to get hit with the obligatory “Can we keep the Robot Controller? Is it part of the robot controls?” question. I am pretty sure we couldn’t keep is in 2005 and 2006 but I seem to remember we could in 2004. Someone correct me if I am remembering incorrectly. In any case, if we can’t keep the RC the what is the point of the statement “This will allow you to continue to work on your programming.”?
Does anyone know how you could go about finding out if your glasses are ANSI approved? I know mine are some sort of shatter resistant plastic, but I have no idea how to find out if they’re ANSI approved. I probably would use goggles anyway (my glasses are rather small) but it’d be nice to be able to just put on the side shields and take off the goggles for a short period of time to let some air in.
Thank you FIRST for that rule. It gets kind of annoying hearing the same music from the same cart 50 gazillion times and they think they’re cool. Everything goes well in moderation.
I don’t see why you couldn’t ship more than two. Call it “other equipment”… As long as it’s legal in the countries through which the robot is travelling, and safe to transport, I don’t see an issue.
But I guess it’s time for a robot rules question that follows directly from this: is the (one, I assume) main battery considered part of the robot, and if so, is there any specific exemption from it being shipped with the rest of the robot. I know, I’m being pedantic, but since non-North-American teams aren’t supposed to ship batteries in their crates, and yet we’re presumably supposed to ship the robot in its entirety, what becomes of the battery (a robot part)? Can a North American team decide it wants to ship zero batteries in its crate, or is it required to pack one as a robot part (detached from the robot, of course), to satisfy the need to ship the entire robot?
Also, though I hesitate to call the crate specifications “rules”, you can’t really follow all 10, because some of them aren’t things that you must do (e.g. “All Crates must: *Don’t use particleboard…” is a grammatical abomination). But despite the poor phrasing, I think the intent is obvious.
