Trying to decipher the game rules for starting position. This is our take:
The bot starts facing your scoring pegs, with the rear bumper outside the line between your opponent’s poles. IOW, your photo sensor is set up over a tracking line at the start of a match.
The ubertube is already in place on the bot before the match begins.
Initial bot placement is randomly determined by some method, so you won’t know whether or not you’ll have to deal with the split tracking line until the time of the match.
<G04> Each ROBOT must be positioned on the FIELD so that the BUMPER closest to it‟s ALLIANCE‟S PLAYER STATION breaks the plane formed by the POSTS of the opposing ALLIANCE‟S TOWERS.
(emphasis mine)
However, from the picture and description in section 2.2.2, the gray tape tracking lines extend farther out than the towers. So it appears you can start with your sensors above the line.
Since the plane defined by the TOWERS is only 1.74" wide, it would be pretty hard to have both front and back BUMPERS breaking that plane. So no, only the front BUMPER can break the plane, not the back. This puts all ROBOTS an equal distance from the GRIDS.
Well, the towers are defined as “an assembly composed of base, post, and tower.” And I believe the base is 30" in diameter. So if you have a wide bot, you could conceivably place both bumpers in the plane.
It would be very easy to do that if you turned the ROBOT sideways. But as long as we’re actually reading the rule we should note that it doesn’t speak of “front” or “back” BUMPERS. You emphasized the relevant word: closest.
we should note that it doesn’t speak of “front” or “back” BUMPERS. You emphasized the relevant word: closest.