Has anyone tried using sticky hands (perhaps some type of dried rubber cement) to retrieve the balls that are protruding into the corral but not over the base angle? I’m imagining the coach slapping the ball and pulling it in without breaking the plane, and without leaving any residue, and handing it to his human player. What thinks ye?
having your hands that close to the opening and your bot carrys too much risk for your team
all you have to do is touch the bot for an instant and your team is DQ’d for the match
even if you could find the right goop to put on your hands, the risks are not worth the extra second or two you would gain.
At the end of our plowing time at PW regionals it seemed there were always a couple balls protruding in but not over the angle on the floor. I hated seeing those points left there.
I don’t think there would be a risk of touching the robot at that time (its running to hang), but it could allow another 15 pts in retrieved balls. It might also be useful with robots that plow the balls to the corral opening if they could stay further away and the coach collect the balls as they come to the opening without the robot having to come close to push them in (and risk the asociated penalties).
Perhaps the coach could use a cardboard stop attached to his palm to assure his hand doesn’t break the plane? Or could the coach hold a suction cup powered only by his own lung suction? Would gluey hands be in a different category than the suction cups because they’re not a device?
I’m not trying to circumvent the rules or the spirit of play. Just wondering if this might be an acceptable strategy for a few extra points at the upcoming SJC regional.
My own interpritation, and by no means is it watertight, is that no, this would not be legal nor in the spirit of the rules.
The rules regarding the ball chute are pretty clear. The rules regarding operators and ‘devices or clothing’ that would give a competitive advantage are also pretty clear. While I have never considered the use of glue, I would feel that it would fall under the same catagory as devices or clothing that would give a competitive advantage, and thus be illegal.
Again, that’s how I look at it. Perhaps I am misreading the rules- I don’t think I am. Perhaps I am taking them to broadly. The problem is in the wording, which doesn’t fully cover what you’re preposing. Only an update from FIRST and/or the ruling of a Ref at the site could really tell you if it is legal or not. The suction cup idea, I can all but promise you is illegal. Since it isn’t controlling a robot function, there is really no way to justify bringing it to the field under the rules. In fact, the rules on that one are pretty open and shut.
Regardless, I wouldn’t do it. I am willing to do a lot of things for my team. Slathering my hand up in rubber cement all day is just not one of them. 
Interestingly, the game orignaly called for some sort of stick or padle the human player could use to grab balls. I really don’t recall just what it was for or why it was removed from the game at the last second.
-Andy A.
just a side note - I noticed the ball that came in the KOP - when inflated to 13" diameter, I could pick it up very easily by pinching it with my fingers
I dont know if the balls being used in the game are the same way - maybe you wouldnt need glue if you could pinch the ball and pull it into the corral?
I know it illegal for a human player to have anything that would aid his performance in the matches(such as grip gloves, overly tall shoes, ladders…), so I assume it is also illegal to have a coach do that. It is against the spirit of the rules anyway.
Wouldn’t something sticky enough to pull a ball into the corral also be sticky enough to mess up your shot? I definately wouldn’t want that if I were shooting.