The 72 x 72 Box

FIRST General Forum
1

I am fully aware that the robot must not extend more than a 72 x 72 inch area at any point during the match. The way our robot is designed when the arm is fully extended at horizontal it will break this rule; however the arm is never fully extended unless we try to reach the top spider leg, in which case it does not break the 72 x 72 rules

However, recently I’ve read posts on a 72 x 72 inch box. What is the requirement of this box and what does the robot have to do within it to prove it ‘fits’?

Thanks.

2

The GDC has answered at least one question on this already in the official Q&A forum. Look here. And here. And here.

How do you ‘prove’ your robot fits? Hmmm… looks like it won’t be part of inspection – see the inspection checklist. No reference to <R12> there.

The referees will be looking for robots that extend too far on the field: “if a device has a horizontal dimension more than 102” and it is used outside the Home Zone, then it will automatically be assessed as a violation of Rule <R12>. In all other cases, each robot will be assessed in real time as they operate outside the Home Zone to identify any confgurations in which they violate the dimension constraints specified in Rule <R12>. A robot/device that has the physical potential to violate the dimension constraints, but does not actually do so during the match, would not be in violation of Rule <R12>."

3

Ok so there is no box we have to fit into at inspection… that answers my question. Thank you

I didn’t mean prove to sound like that, we are positive that our robot fits into the 72 x 72 dimensions. Our arm extends and withdraws as it raises to prevent this problem. I was just checking that we weren’t physically going to be placed into a box and asked to turn our turrent round with the arm fully out in all directions… This naturally would create a problem…

Thanks for clearing that up.

4

Think of it as being in a 72 x 72 by infiniti tall test tube. You can go as tall as you want as long as you stay in the tube.

5

Uhm, i think that there is something wrong there. When has there ever NOT been a box that you had to fit into. Im not 100% but i think there will be a box. You HAVE to fit into starting position, which is what the box is.

6

Yes, but this box is 28X38 and tests your starting configuration. After the start of the match, you may extend past these boundaries.
The “72X72 box” is purely conceptual.

7

There is an inspection box that your robot must fit into for the start of matches. The box will be 28 x 38 by your height depending on weight.

8

This rule puts a burden on the refs. I’ve seen several designs that could easily extend beyond the box.