Having read through the minibot section of the manual, I have a question about stored energy for the minibot: would it be legal for us to use a flywheel or elastic to store energy for the minibot to use? Also, is it legal for us to launch the minibot up the pole using a pneumatic or other system installed on our main robot?
Neither of those are legal. According to Team Update #1: Minibots must
move up the POST solely through electric energy provided after DEPLOYMENT by the permitted, unaltered battery and converted to mechanical energy by the permitted unaltered motors (and associated, appropriate circuitry).
<G19> MINIBOTS must remain completely autonomous and move up the POST solely through electric energy provided after DEPLOYMENT by the permitted, unaltered battery and converted to mechanical energy by the permitted unaltered motors (and associated, appropriate circuitry).
(Blue Box)
<G19> means that HOSTBOTS are not allowed to launch the MINIBOT up the pole at the TARGET, or otherwise contribute to the vertical movement of the MINIBOT. Energy for vertical movement may not be stored in the MINIBOT before DEPLOYMENT (except that which is contained within the battery and excluding incidental kinetic energy stored in the motors or wheels, but NOT, for example, in a flywheel).
One of my co-workers pointed out that stored energy in a Li-Io battery can often be released in an extremely rapid manner by shorting the leads…
So how about this: put the battery at the bottom of a rocket shaped device, as soon as the device is attached to the rail, short the leads. When the battery explodes, the minibot/rocket will be propelled to the top…
It would take a lot of batteries…
And probably violate safety rules…
But, it would meet the new clarification of <G19>…::safety::
Look a little harder… Section 1.6 Logomotion Glossary (where all of the game- and FIRST-specific definitions are):
DEPLOYMENT – the act of positioning a MINIBOT on a TOWER. DEPLOYMENT starts when the MINIBOT breaks the vertical projection of the TOWER BASE circumference during the END GAME. (Related form, DEPLOY, verb)