Does this include the use of compressed springs?
[R36] The only legal source of electrical energy for the Robot during the competition is one MK ES17-12 12VDC non-spillable lead acid battery, or one EnerSys NP 18-12 battery, as provided in the 2012 KOP. This is the only battery allowed on the Robot.
Batteries integral to and part of a COTS computing device are also permitted (i.e. laptop batteries), provided they’re only used to power the COTS computing device.
Non-electrical sources of energy used by FRC Robots, (i.e., stored at the start of a Match), shall come only from the following sources:
A. Compressed air stored in the pneumatic system, stored at a maximum pressure of 120 PSI.
B. A change in the altitude of the Robot center of gravity.
C. Storage achieved by deformation of Robot parts.
Notice how it says “Non-electrical sources of energy used by FRC Robots, (i.e., stored at the start of a Match), shall come ONLY from the following sources:” From my knowledge of the rules and from past years I don’t believe that springs are allowed.
Are you planning to use springs that aren’t a part of the robot? Or were you planning to store energy in them by doing something other then deforming them? If not, then I think R36C would make them legal.
Does compression count as “deformation”?
Springs were most definitely allowed in the past. Elastic potential energy is stored in a compressed spring, and that spring counts as a deformation of a robot part.
::rtm::
We used torsion springs to power our kicker that year. As long as you make sure the energy is safely stored and released, and can prove that, you shouldn’t have a problem (Assuming FRC hasn’t completely changed its mind over the past 2 years on this kind of ruling…).
This answer is incorrect. Springs are allowed.