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Is it legal to change intake during a tournament to accommodate team alliance robot capabilities and for autonomous? Say for example, the team’s primary intake is a “pincher” type that collects rings from the floor and from the starting pegs and still maintaining the specified dimensions (11x20) x15 at starting position and height extends about 18". Sometimes it is better to use a “claw” type intake during team alliances and/or easier to program for autonomous.
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If I’m not mistaken the rule stated only 1 robot can be used, but I’ve seen teams with 2 identical robots that they use specifically 1 for autonomous and the other for alliance challenges. Would this be legal?
Let’s take a look at rule <R2>:
<R2> Only one (1) Robot will be allowed to participate per team in the VEX IQ Challenge. Though it is expected that teams will make changes to their Robot at the event, a team is limited to only one (1) Robot. The VEX IQ System is intended to be a mobile robotics design platform. As such, a VEX IQ Challenge robot, for the purposes of the VEX IQ Challenge, has the following subsystems:
Subsystem 1: Mobile robotic base including wheels, tracks, or any other mechanism that allows the Robot to navigate the majority of the flat playing field surface. For a stationary Robot, the robotic base without wheels would be considered Subsystem 1.
Subsystem 2: Power and control system that includes a VEX IQ legal battery, a VEX IQ control system, and associated Smart Motors for the mobile robotic base.
Subsystem 3: Additional mechanisms (and associated Smart Motors) that allow manipulation of game objects or navigation of field obstacles.
Given the above definitions, a minimum Robot for use in any VEX IQ Challenge event (including Skills Challenges) must consist of subsystem 1 and 2 above. Thus, if you are swapping out an entire subsystem of either item 1 or 2, you have now created a second Robot and are no longer legal.
a. Teams may not participate with one Robot, while a second is being modified or assembled.
b. Teams may not switch back and forth between multiple Robots during an event.
For scenario 1, this would be considered a swap of Subsystem 3, which is legal. However, the Robot would need to be re-inspected in each configuration, per <R1a>:
<R1> The team’s Robot must pass inspection before being allowed to participate in any Matches. Noncompliance with any Robot design or construction rule may result in disqualification of the Robot at an event.
a. If significant changes are made to a Robot, it must be re-inspected before it will be allowed to participate in a Match.
For scenario 2, this would not be legal per <R2b>, which states that “Teams may not switch back and forth between multiple Robots during an event” (quoted above).