New Robot Sizing Tools

[magicode]

I’ve just never seen any VEX tournament use the sizing box before.

[The_VEX_Raptors]

I’ve just never seen any VEX tournament use the sizing box before.

That is utterly hilarious. I don’t suppose you’d be able to access separate dimensions with Vex parts…

To the OP, our region just uses really well made wooden boxes that don’t flex or bend, so you’d just have to make a box that’s 24" or 15".

Apparently they use them in western Canada.

[Warrior5]

Nebraska, Iowa, and U.S. Nationals use the sizing box.

[Rick_TYler]

The rules say that robots have to be a certain size, but there is no rule requiring inspectors to use a particular measurement tool.

[JesseCRN]

I’ve just never seen any VEX tournament use the sizing box before.

We go to a competition in IL (Wildstang Regional) and they use a measuring box. The boxes are so much more accurate than the sizing tools just because there can be human mistakes with the regular sizing tool

[magicode]

Well, I guess some tournaments do use boxes then. I haven’t seen this at any tournaments I’ve been to in the northeast.

The boxes are so much more accurate than the sizing tools just because there can be human mistakes with the regular sizing tool

Tilting the sizing tool even slightly can cause discrepancies, and I’ve seen inspectors use this to overlook small extensions past 18".

[The_VEX_Raptors]

The rules say that robots have to be a certain size, but there is no rule requiring inspectors to use a particular measurement tool.

Yes, there is.

<R4> At the beginning of any match, robots must be smaller than 18” x 18” x 18”.
a. During inspections, robots will be measured in one of two ways
i. Robots will be placed into a “sizing box” which has interior dimensions matching the above size constraints. To pass inspection, a robot must fit within the box without touching the box walls or ceiling.
ii. Robots will be sized using a VRC Robot Sizing Tool. Robots will be placed on the base plate and must not touch the measurement slide as it is passed over the base plate. Please see http://www.vexrobotics.com/276-2086.html for a visual reference

This rule requires that the tournament use one of those two tools. So rulers and tape measures would not be valid inspection tools.

[Godzilla]

Yes, there is.

This rule requires that the tournament use one of those two tools. So rulers and tape measures would not be valid inspection tools.

http://swiftor.com/attachments/f10/10401d1329929906t-borderlands-2-launch-trailer-mother-god-meme-rage-face.jpg
They were all lies!!

[Rick_TYler]

Yes, there is.

This rule requires that the tournament use one of those two tools. So rulers and tape measures would not be valid inspection tools.

Since this thread was discussing sizing boxes and the VEX measuring tool, I didn’t think it was necessary to enumerate all of the non-legal ways to measure the robots, although my wording could have been clearer.

For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen a plywood sizing box that was exactly 18x18x18 and perfectly flat, plumb, and square. I’ve helped with inspections at dozens of tournaments, including five World Championships, was the head of inspections at the World Champs in 2011, and was the assistant head of inspections at the 2012 World Champs. I’ve inspected a few robots, and I personally prefer the VEX sizing tool to a wooden sizing box, if for no other reason than I don’t like to have to tell teams that they have to pull their hopelessly jammed robot out of a box when it was just a little too big.

The best way to insure that your robot meets the size limit is to build it a half-inch undersize in every dimension. Those robots easily pass using any standard measurement.

[Foster]

We use a plexiglass box that is the right size. Nice thing is you can see the robot inside the box. It helps position the robot where teams are doing things on a diagonal to fit in the space.

[Godzilla]

Since this thread was discussing sizing boxes and the VEX measuring tool, I didn’t think it was necessary to enumerate all of the non-legal ways to measure the robots, although my wording could have been clearer.

For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen a plywood sizing box that was exactly 18x18x18 and perfectly flat, plumb, and square. I’ve helped with inspections at dozens of tournaments, including five World Championships, was the head of inspections at the World Champs in 2011, and was the assistant head of inspections at the 2012 World Champs. I’ve inspected a few robots, and I personally prefer the VEX sizing tool to a wooden sizing box, if for no other reason than I don’t like to have to tell teams that they have to pull their hopelessly jammed robot out of a box when it was just a little too big.

The best way to insure that your robot meets the size limit is to build it a half-inch undersize in every dimension. Those robots easily pass using any standard measurement.

How will college teams get inspected at the 2012-2013 World Championships? I know it’s a while until then, but I’m just curious. Is the next best thing measuring tape?

[The_VEX_Raptors]

I’ve inspected a few robots, and I personally prefer the VEX sizing tool to a wooden sizing box, if for no other reason than I don’t like to have to tell teams that they have to pull their hopelessly jammed robot out of a box when it was just a little too big.

Perhaps a box that could unfold into a net would solve this problem. You could simply unfold the box from around the robot and tell the team to make the bot smaller.