We are planning to add something in the interior of the gear collector in order to raise the height of the gear once it is in the collector. What materials can we use to do this? We’re considering adding a loose piece of plywood at the bottom. Is this legal?
Plywood is a legal material to use on a robot (see bumpers).
What do you mean by “loose piece”?
The options are endless. Plywood, polycarbonate, spacers etc.
How about piece of pool noodle? Easy to replace.
What I mean by this is that in the container that hold the gear, there will just be a piece of wood, not screwed in or nailed in that is just at the bottom of our robot. It is within the structure, just not nailed, screwed, or bolted in.
So what stops this piece of material from falling out of your robot? Leaving parts on the field is rule violation.
Why wouldn’t you want to secure it to the robot? While it’s not prohibited from being left loose, if it is integral to your gear collector, why risk it falling out?
Edit:
Do note G16:
The Gear Collector is like an open box, and the piece of wood is at the bottom of the box. If you put a gear into the box, it will be on top of the wood in the box. But the wood won’t fall out
Always assume your robot may be turned on its side or even upside down, and hit by another bot. What advantage does not securing the wood have over using some adhesive or other fastener to keep it in place ?