Can I get a confirmation on the legality of my interpretation of the following rules?
There are 2 maximum volume constraints which a robot cannot exceed at any time. These volumes must also include the bumpers.
Within these volume constraints, there is also a frame perimeter, defined by a robot’s bumpers, which must completely surround a robot at the beginning of a match.
Lastly, a robot also may never at any time during a match to go past the volume in which it has passed inspection.
However, if a robot passes inspection with a volume GREATER than the frame perimeter (ie with a robot part extended past the bumpers), then, after the beginning of a match, said robot can extend past the frame perimeter so long as it doesn’t pass the volume in which it has passed inspection.
My team is using this technicality to make it easier for us to guide the gears dropped from the chute in the Return Loading stations into a container. Does anyone know if this has been officially confirmed?
You are allowed to expand outside of your frame perimeter after the beginning of the match as long as your robot still fits inside its inspected volume throughout the whole match.
So yes, having a gear guide expanding outside of your robot is completely legal as long as you still fit in your inspected maximum volume.
It has not been official confirmed to my knowledge, but by carefully reading the rules, your mechanism is legal.
There are** no rules that require a ROBOT remain within its FRAME PERIMETER** beyond the start of the MATCH (required per G1-C combined with R2). Rule G4 requires only that it remain within the volume constraints defined in R3 during the MATCH.
The frame perimeter isn’t defined by the robot’s bumpers; the bumpers attach to the frame. Extensions will always be able to extend to the outside edge of the bumpers, since by definition the bumpers are within the inspected volume. If the bumpers are smaller than that volume, then extensions will be able to go past the outside edge of the bumpers.