At the “AAI VEX Classic Hosted by REX” competition yesterday, we had an interesting issue come up. The red alliance was connected to the competition field using the larger black “Competition” cable. (They were using VEXnet.) A blue alliance robot drove near the red alliance driver station, and ended up getting entangled with the competition cable, and took several seconds to get untangled.
Here is the question, was it the blue alliance robot driver’s fault, the red alliance driver with the cable hanging into the competition field, or the competition field itself?
Secondly if this is considered to just be “something that happens”, would it be a legal “strategy” to hang your cable over into the playing surface, somewhat inhibiting the movement of a robot in certain area(s) of the field? (Remember that this year we have goals on the very edge of the wall, and this could pose as a large problem if a cable is on/hanging over one of those wall goals.)
~Jordan
EDIT: In the rules, this is the closest thing I could find:
So if a driver or coach intentionally moves a competition cable or other object to touch the playing field, I would guess the rule would act as if they were making contact with it? And if it is believed to be unintentional, unless it is obvious it directly affected the score of the match?
This would both be the fault of the red alliance for allowing their cable to hang over the field and the competition field/personnel for not having the cables tucked away.
This would definitely not be a legal strategy. Cables are not meant to over the playing field.
