How are motors counted?

[ANDY]

Are motors counted by the # of motor mounts(the thing screwed onto the robot) or actual motors(the electronics)?

[Hudsonville_Robotics]

Looking at the rules you can have up to eight (8) complete V5 motors.

I am not sure if you are looking for a legal loophole but…

<R21> No modifications to electronic components are allowed. Motors (including the internal PTC or
Smart Motor firmware), microcontrollers (including V5 Robot Brain firmware), extension cords, sensors, controllers, battery packs, reservoirs, solenoids, pneumatic cylinders, and any other electrical component or pneumatics component of the VEX platform may NOT be altered from their original state in ANY way.

[ANDY]

c. Teams may make the following modifications to the V5 Smart Motor’s user-serviceable features. No other modifications are permitted.

i. Changing or replacing the gear cartridge with other official replacement cartridges.

ii. Replacing the V5 Smart Motor Cap (276-6780).

iii. Replacing the threaded mounting inserts (276-6781).

Many teams(at least in my area) unscrew the motor from the motor cap with the intent of being able to “hotswap” a motor that is either hot or fails. I am wondering if hypothetically I could put a motor mount on a skills only mechanism and take the actual motor off of a mechanism used in alliance or if the 9 mounts would be illegal

[lacsap]

@ANDY

Many teams(at least in my area) unscrew the motor from the motor cap with the intent of being able to “hotswap” a motor that is either hot or fails. I am wondering if hypothetically I could put a motor mount on a skills only mechanism and take the actual motor off of a mechanism used in alliance or if the 9 mounts would be illegal

Ok I will go with the simple test - does the material have a functional purpose? otherwise it is considered non-functional decoration during inspection. If you have 9 functional motors during for skills that would be a problem.

Best to go check with Head Referee / Inspector to be sure they share that understanding as well.

If it seems controversial here, you might want to post a Q&A.

[Hudsonville_Robotics]

In previous years motors , or any part of them, were not allowed as decoration / non-functional. That rule did not make it into this season’s rule book. It’s a gray area related to R21 as one EP may allow and another could decline, it may be in your best interest to ask the Q&A.

Edit: @Jobe found the rule I was looking for under R13 c

I do like your thought process.

[kmmohn]

If this were deemed acceptable, which would have to happen on the q&A, and I saw motor mounts as an inspector without motors in them, I would definitely be informing the head referee to keep an eye on the robot in competition to make sure that extra motors didn’t suddenly show up after inspection!

[Jobe]

@ANDY

I am wondering if hypothetically I could put a motor mount on a skills only mechanism and take the actual motor off of a mechanism used in alliance or if the 9 mounts would be illegal

If that were the case, why not just make the whole mechanism swappable? No grey area. Problem solved.

[lacsap]

@kmmohn

If this were deemed acceptable, which would have to happen on the q&A

I am going to turn around this, it is unacceptable to modify motors, but is it unacceptable to have motor parts that are non-functional on the robot?

Given this question, it is on the OP to spell it out citing Robot rules in the game manual and other references that is the cause of a good debate here.

I think @Hudsonville_Robotics good citation R21, and @Jobe has sage advice to keep it simple by swapping out mechanisms that have been inspected and no controversy.

@ANDY good enough discussion?

[Jobe]

@ANDY here’s a more complete answer, No.

R13 c. VEX electronics may not be used as non-functional decorations.

Motor caps are part of an electronics component. Since the game manual prohibits electronics from being considered non- functional decorations it must be functional and therefore would be considered a 9th motor.

[VexTeamZ]

Additionally,

< R21> No modifications to electronic components are allowed. Motors (including the internal PTC or
Smart Motor firmware), microcontrollers (including V5 Robot Brain firmware), extension cords, sensors,
controllers, battery packs, reservoirs, solenoids, pneumatic cylinders, and any other electrical component or pneumatics component of the VEX platform may NOT be altered from their original state in ANY
way.

It has been pointed out that just modifying the cap, like so, would be illegal. As this is considered part of the motor, and there is a previously mentioned rule that states that electronics cannot be nonfunctional decorations, this would definitely not be legal.
Edit: So I basically just restated what @Jobe said.