Answered: Use of 3D printed parts in High School Competitions

[Alex50911]

Greetings,

I need help in interpreting a rule on the VEX Nothing But Net Manual. The rules I wish to clarify is rule <R7> where it states:

Robots are allowed the following additional “non-VEX” components:

One of the subdivisions of <R7> is the following:

Any parts which are identical to legal VEX parts. For the purposes of this rule, products which are identical in all ways except for color are permissible. Note: It is up to inspectors to determine whether a component is “identical” to an official VEX component.

My team wanted to verify if making a 3D printed version of a VEX part, using the same measurements, as the rule states, is valid. Can anyone please confirm if this applies to the rule?

By the way, my team is High School. We knew VEX U teams are permitted to do so, but we were unable to clarify this for High School Teams.

[Karthik]

@Alex50911

My team wanted to verify if making a 3D printed version of a VEX part, using the same measurements, as the rule states, is valid. Can anyone please confirm if this applies to the rule?

No, this would not be legal. The 3D printed part would not be considered identical.