Answered: Yet another <SG8> thread. Sorry.

[Oliver_W]

Hi Karthik.

I believe we understand the herding rule pretty well by now, despite the confusion earlier in the season.

I just want to clear up two very specific points.

During Robot Skills, a team places a preload on the middle zone tile so that it is between their robot (on the hanging zone tile) and the near 24" goal. Are they then allowed to drive through it with three buckyballs in their robot on the way to the 24" goal, knocking it into the goal zone in the process? This would be legal if the field specs required the buckyball to be placed there, but does the fact that the team placed the buckyball there themselves make the herding intentional and therefore illegal?

I believe this is legal, but I would like to make sure.

During either Robot Skills or the Driver Control portion of a match, a team intentionally collides with the three buckyballs on the bump, while holding buckyballs in their robot, in order to knock them to the middle or goal zone. This action is not part of any other action, such as driving to the 24" goals or moving to pick up a large ball, and after the action the team moves away in a different direction (such as to pick up buckyballs from the row of 6 at the hanging end of the field). This action passes the *attached *test (from this post) but it doesn’t pass the *intentional *test. Is this legal?

I believe it is not, but again I would like to make sure.

@Manual

Possessing – A Robot is considered to be Possessing a BuckyBall if it actively controlling the BuckyBall.
Examples of Possessing include:
• Carrying or holding BuckyBall(s) in the Robot
• Herding BuckyBalls, i.e. intentionally pushing or impelling BuckyBall(s) to a desired location or
path
o Accidentally Herding BuckyBall(s) (i.e. driving through BuckyBall(s) in the path of the
Robot) is not considered herding, and thus not considered Possessing
• Trapping BuckyBall(s), i.e. intentionally pressing BuckyBall(s) up against a field object

@Manual

<SG8> Robots may not Possess more than three (3) BuckyBalls at once. Violations of this rule will result
in a warning for minor offenses which do not affect the match. Egregious (match affecting) offenses will
result in a Disqualification. Teams that receive multiple warnings may also receive a Disqualification at
the head referee’s discretion.

Thanks again.

[Karthik]

@Vex Mundi

During Robot Skills, a team places a preload on the middle zone tile so that it is between their robot (on the hanging zone tile) and the near 24" goal. Are they then allowed to drive through it with three buckyballs in their robot on the way to the 24" goal, knocking it into the goal zone in the process? This would be legal if the field specs required the buckyball to be placed there, but does the fact that the team placed the buckyball there themselves make the herding intentional and therefore illegal?

I believe this is legal, but I would like to make sure.

This is legal.

@Vex Mundi

During either Robot Skills or the Driver Control portion of a match, a team intentionally collides with the three buckyballs on the bump, while holding buckyballs in their robot, in order to knock them to the middle or goal zone. This action is not part of any other action, such as driving to the 24" goals or moving to pick up a large ball, and after the action the team moves away in a different direction (such as to pick up buckyballs from the row of 6 at the hanging end of the field). This action passes the *attached *test (from this post) but it doesn’t pass the *intentional *test. Is this legal?

I believe it is not, but again I would like to make sure.

This is legal. In the Driver Controlled portion of a Match or Skills Challenge, these times of interaction will not be considered possession. For it to be considered herding and Possession, the BuckyBalls would have to travel with the Robot. (i.e. The Robot pushes the BuckyBalls to a location, as opposed to the BuckyBalls bouncing off the Robot)

During the Driver Control Period we’re going with a very relaxed interpretation of herding, to make things much easier for the referees. The original intent of the Possession rule was to prevent teams from hoarding the BuckyBalls as a viable strategy. This interpretation works within that intent.

[Oliver_W]

@Karthik

This is legal. In the Driver Controlled portion of a Match or Skills Challenge, these times of interaction will not be considered possession. For it to be considered herding and Possession, the BuckyBalls would have to travel with the Robot. (i.e. The Robot pushes the BuckyBalls to a location, as opposed to the BuckyBalls bouncing off the Robot)

Ok. I’m not sure how we got here from “intentionally pushing or impelling buckyballs to a desired location or path” but we can do that.

Since I’ve been wrong every time before, I feel like I should ask: am I correct in thinking that if a robot pushes buckyballs (beyond their allowed 3) intentionally, and those buckyballs travel with the robot (over a distance of, say, 3 feet or more) they should be warned or disqualified?

Thank you for your answers to this and the two other threads. I would thank you in those threads, but that would result in each one being bumped twice unnecessarily so I won’t. Your answers were really helpful, though.

[Karthik]

@Vex Mundi

Since I’ve been wrong every time before, I feel like I should ask: am I correct in thinking that if a robot pushes buckyballs (beyond their allowed 3) intentionally, and those buckyballs travel with the robot (over a distance of, say, 3 feet or more) they should be warned or disqualified?

You are correct, this would warrant a warning or DQ as per <SG8>

@Vex Mundi

Thank you for your answers to this and the two other threads. I would thank you in those threads, but that would result in each one being bumped twice unnecessarily so I won’t. Your answers were really helpful, though.

We aim to please! You’re welcome.