My team is using a claw for the HIgh Stakes challenge. With the new expansion rule we are worried about if it is allowed. Our claw has a wrist joint and an elbow joint. does it count and more than one direction of expansion since it can be past the front of our robot or past the back of our robot. It cannot be both at once. Any info will help!
Just looked at the manual for this question, it is extremely confusing. According to what the words themselves say, this is technically legal. The robot is not leaving an 18x24 rectangle and is only expanding the X direction. However, the images showing examples suggest that this would be illegal, as the robot is expanding in more than one direction, although both are on the x-axis. The images are probably how the GDC intended the rule to function and how it will be interpreted at competitions, so I would guess this is illegal. However, you should probably ask the official Q&A for clarification.
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This depends on the size of your robot. If you could start your robot with your claw extended either all the way past the front of your robot or all the way past the back of your robot (for sake of example, we’ll say the front of your robot), while still fitting within the 18”x18”x18” starting volume per G5, then this would be considered your starting configuration. From there, you could retract you claw into a neutral position. Then, extending your claw past the front of your robot would be considered putting it back within its starting configuration, and extending the claw past the back of your robot would be considered your chosen expansion direction up to 24”. This would be legal. There used to be a Q&A, 2005 Expansion within the starting position (SG2), about retracting a mechanism and expanding again, but as far as I can tell it has since been removed.
However, if you could not start the claw in an expanded configuration and still fit within an 18”x18”x18” starting volume as I described above, then expanding the claw from both sides would be illegal (see Figure SG2-9).
I hate to kind of be that guy, but the most recent game manual should answer your questions, and if not then check the official Q and A.
If you cannot find an answer then posting on the forums is the next step, then say the specific rules, and maybe include pictures with such a specific rule like this.
That will let us know that you have truly read the manual, and will help us help you!
Thank you and good luck!
I reread the game manual, and it seems like that is a technical question / a ref’s choice depending on their interpretation. I feel like this rule should be updated and defined better in the next update.