Thoughts from Lead Inspectors

FIRST General Forum
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Ok everyone,
The division lists are out, the travel plans are almost done, the packing lists are close to finalized, the strategy teams are getting teary eyed, and the mentors are dreaming of the sleep filled nights to come in a just a week and a few days. One last thing for all you teams coming to Atlanta to work on, inspections.
What follows is a thread that lists some of the issues that we as inspectors have seen this year and will be watching for next week. I would like to ask that inspectors only post here. We can start another thread for questions if you like or you can PM with questions. So I will start…

What we will follow
The robot rules are now up to Rev K and Team Updates are up to TU19.

Bumpers.
Not enough can be said here. The GDC has spoken and we will enforce. Bumpers need to cover both sides of a corner, be at least six inches in length, be firmly attached with hardware to the robot, removable, 2 pool noodles high and covered in durable fabric, greater than 2/3 of the robot perimeter, be backed by robot structure, and have protected corners. Please refer to R08 in the robot rules and various team updates for more more info. TU#2 in particular.

Motors
The only motors allowed are those that came in the KOP or those in addition as provided in R51. These are up to 4 CIM, 2 Fisher Price (from this year only #00968-9015), 2 Banebot 545 (-12 not -120as provided with Banebot transmissions), 2 mabuchi, 2 Globemotor, 1 Keyang, 1 left window and 1 right window motor, 1 Thomas compressor.

Wiring
As required in 8.3.6 of the robot rules. Specifically #12 or #10 for 40 amp circuits. WGA must be wired to the gaming adapter power output on the PD and the robot signal light must be wired to the sidecar with the jumper in place to flash the light when enabled. Crio wired to the PD output.

Software
WPA keys will be different for the Championship and need to be installed on Thursday morning. Volunteers will be available near each inspection area to do that for you. Software needs to be LabVIEW for FRC Update 3.0a and newer, cRIO FPGA Image FRC_2009_v11. Zip and newer, WPI Robotics Library 3.0.1718 and newer, Driver Station 2009-02-010a3 and newer per R56.

Control System
Crio and camera needs to be insulated from robot frame. There must be no electrical connection made to the frame of the robot. per R41

Safety
No sharp edges please. High speed assemblies, large chain and sprockets, fans and propellors need to be shrouded to protect participants and volunteers from injury. Safety glasses in the pits, no exceptions. UL volunteers will be working closely with the inspection teams.

Pneumatics
Approved and tested parts only. Minimum system must have 1 or more storage tanks, pressure switch to allow software control of the compressor, spike to control compressor, high side gauge, 60 psi regulator and low side gauge, pressure relief valve (normally mounted on compressor), and a vent valve. Robot parts should not forcibly move when pressure is removed. See 8.3.9.

Ballast
Added weight in any form must be securely mounted to the robot frame. Wire ties may not be considered a firm mounting. Lead in any form must be sealed (painted, coated or dipped) and may not be machined in the pit. Ballast in a form that could affect or damage the field (i.e. sand, shot, BB or ball bearings) will require extra attention and discussion by the inspection team and field personnel.

As you may have experienced at regionals, finals inspections will consist of a weigh in and visual check. If you are vastly different from your check in inspection weight, full inspection will be possible. Inspections can take place at random throughout the weekend as always. Field personnel will inform inspectors to check on items throughout the weekend. If you are contemplating a change in your robot during competition, please contact an inspector before and after the change.

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Please also make sure that there is not any additional weight added to the bumpers, i.e. steel, lead, etc.

Most of the bumpers that we weighed at the regionals came in anywhere from 9 to 13 pounds. Anything heavier will be looked at more closely.

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As a side note. If the inspector finds something not according to the rules with your robot, do not tell them “It passed inspection at the XXX Regional”.
The inspector may have made a mistake or may have been new at inspecting.
Don’t take it personally.

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Two more things to please be aware of:

Bill of Materials: You must provide a BOM at the Championship, even though you have already submitted one at your regional(s). Make sure it is up to date for any modifications you have made to your robot, especially things like additional speed controllers you may have added. Please do not forget it at the hotel! We would prefer not to have to look at your handwritten list on the back of a napkin from breakfast. Every year we have many teams that do not pass inspection on Thursday at Championship because they forgot to bring the BOM with them.

The second thing is to please make sure that your team numbering complies with:

<R15> The judges, referees, and announcers must be able to easily identify ROBOTS by team number. Teams shall display their team number in four locations at approximately 90-degree intervals around the perimeter of the ROBOT. The numerals must be at least 4 inches high, at least in 3/4-inch stroke width and in a contrasting color from its background. Team Numbers must be clearly visible from a distance of not less than 100 feet.

Every year we have multiple robots that do not comply with this, even though they have already passed inspection at Regionals. The seats in the Dome are a lot farther away from the field than at most Regional events, and we want to make sure that everyone can tell which robot is which.

See you in ATL!

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Hotel you say?
I remember leaving the bill of materials at our hotel last year and asking my roommate to go back and pick it up at VCU '08. :smiley:

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Please use the correct color wire. I’ve seen teams at events this year that just use whatever color, red or black, they happen to have around without regard to polarity. I saw one team (not this year, fortunately) which “cleverly” color coded all of their victors to use red wire and all of their spikes to use black wire.

This is not an opportunity for you to continue the color theme of your team. If your team colors happen to be blue and white, congratulations, go ahead and use those wire colors, otherwise don’t get creative here. Purple and yellow are not legal wire colors.

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I would definite concur with this. I know some teams follow the write-it-on-the-bus school of writing a bill of material. A good bill of material says a lot about a team, they are prepared, detail oriented, knowledgeable about what makes their robot work, and most of all willing to share information about their robot. Teams with these qualities I find enjoy inspections because it is a chance to share their robot with an interested person where the teams that seem to neglect the BOM are sometimes fearful and defensive during inspection.

Obviously this is just an observation and not the rule.

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I’m going to cross post this here from the Robo-Prom thread, so hopefully more people will see it:

Just a reminder to everyone attending the Robo-Prom: Please keep in mind that you really should complete your inspection on Thursday, before you leave to go back to the hotel to get ready for the prom. The inspectors are supposed to discuss the robot with students, not with the adults you left in the pit. And a student needs to be present to sign the inspection form as team captain. Last year we had some teams where all the students left and there were only a couple of mentors in the pit late Thursday.

Thanks!

See you in ATL!

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Thanks, Jeff for posting our concerns on the Robo Prom thread. I am reasonably sure more students read that thread than this one…

As my .02…

  1. A PRINTED BOM is best.

  2. If you make a change during the course of the weekend, ask for a re-inspection. One of my worse fears is to have to reject a team that has passed inspection, competed, made a change that made the robot non-compliant and are entering the elimination rounds.

  3. Have you trailer hitch and bumpers off when you come up for weight and size.

I’ll probably think of a few more and will check in later…:slight_smile:

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A member has reminded me that wheel inspection is also part of the process.
See R06 for a reminder.

“Specifically, the addition of cleats, studs, carved treads,
alterations to the wheel profile, high-traction surface treatments, adhesive coatings, abrasive
materials, and/or other attachments are prohibited. The intent of this rule is that the ROVER
WHEELS be used in as close to their “out of the box” condition as possible, to provide the
intended low-friction dynamic performance during the game.”

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Sorry, I’m not an inspector … but I wanted to post to say Thanks for starting this thread Al. I’m sure you guys are at least as frustrated as I am when you see teams that don’t know the rules. This is good stuff!!

And Jeff, thanks much for this. It is very difficult for the refs when we can’t identify a team because their numbers do not comply with the rules.

Looking forward to a GREAT Championship … as usual. See you all in Atlanta!