Will flipping robot upside down before climbing be in violation of any rules? The rules are not clear.
Technically no. However I have yet to see a proposed mechanism which would achieve this without violating other rules.
Flipping the robot could potentially be considered a violation of R28, which states that a team’s numbers must be readable from all angles when on the field. Being upside down would make the numbers not easily readable.
Your best chance for a definitive answer on this is to wait until tomorrow when the FIRST Q&A opens and this question is answered, since many other teams have the same question.
Keep in mind that by this interpretation, ramp bots are also illegal since it requires referees to stoop, squint, or otherwise inconvenience themselves to see numbers on all 4 sides.
R28 was ruled irrelevant to climbing in 2010 and 2016. I suspect it will have the same ruling this year.
There are about half a dozen topics on this question. When possible, please search chief Delphi to see if there is already people talking about your question.
Look at Team Update 1. A robot must not be in direct contact with the ground to count as a climb, so I believe that means no, you can’t flip your robot over.