Hi Everyone,
Our intake uses a chain and flaps to carry the discs, which does not exceed 18" in certain orientations, but can “expand” past 18" when it rolls. Would this DQ our robot?
I would recommend checking the game manual, specifically SG4.
Unfortunately, I do not believe this is legal.
https://content.vexrobotics.com/docs/2022-2023/vrc-spin-up/VRC-SpinUp-GameManual-2.0.pdf
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No guessing (or belief) required, it clearly violates SG4, and your robot will not pass inspection.
While it may seem trivial to make a distinction, it’s not a DQ to be in violation of inspection, as that is a different kind of penalty spelled out specifically in the game manual under rule T13. If you receive a DQ, you get no points during the match. On the other hand, if your robot is removed for an inspection violation, a team member may remain at the field and your team will still receive the match result, per R3, c, i.
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Mine has a flap that just barely exceeds it and it was fine. I imagine it depends on the inspector/ref but I think you could be fine. They’ll probably excuse that because it’s literally a flap.
If it exceeds, then it should not pass inspection. Not a “barely” issue. Either you are in compliance with the rules or you are not. I hope you have remedied this situation and do not count on the inspection team to let it slide. This of a traffic stop for speeding - would you argue a ticket because you “barely” exceeded the speed limit?
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fair. And iirc we had like a millimeter of space or smth. Honestly, we passed and we know its a problem we need to fix.
if a mm - then likely adjusting the structure screws probably will tuck it all together. It is a challenge to design a robot to be right up to the 18" limit - so I advise teams to allow wiggle room - keep it inside the 35 hole 17-1/2" standard structure sizes.
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the intake is so screwed up anyway I should prob change it (and that will fix the limit issue too). It is literally a conveyor with a ramp under it that scrapes the ground…
If your robot starts in a position that is within frame perimeter each time, you are fine. So if you need to rotate the flaps to be in frame perimeter prior to autonomous you need to do that. You will also need to do that for inspection. Think about all the bots that have mechanisms that fall down to make the bot bigger after the start of autonomous, they are fine as long as they are within the size limit at the start.
This is straight up wrong. If you expand beyond the 18 inch box after the match start before endgame, you are breaking the rule.
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This rule is not applicable to this season, per the game manual. That has been a rule in previous seasons, but not this season.
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It looks like you are using the full-sized flaps, would it still work with the half-sized flaps?
use flex wheels instead
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flex wheel op
20 char
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Reminder to ALL posting here… lots of venues use the vex sizing tool, which is often inaccurate due to 1) assembly issues 2) wear/tear. And, as always, the EP’s word is law basically as to how they want to run their event.
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More importantly, the Head Referee’s decisions are final.
I do know that the new on-field sizing tool is the preferred tool to use at competitions.
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Not just preferred, per R5a it is the only allowed tool for checking a robot’s starting size.
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I would advise students to bring a measuring tape. The tool is likely not correct if it hasn’t been measured. It’s easy to measure the width of the tool to see if it’s off, and it’s easy to adjust if it is. No EP / ref / inspector that I know would argue with that. They want to do it right.
I check before the event, so they should be on the money.
Yep, as an EP, happy to talk with you about it, but pretty much the last words out of my mouth will be: “The Head Referee’s decisions are final.”
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For Spin Up, there is ZERO horizontal expansion beyond 18x18 allowed before endgame. If your bot is smaller and extends out to the 18-inch limit, you should be fine. We had a tournament recently where several robots failed inspection and required modifications because their intakes were outside 18x18 during their intake cycles. Which is a violation because the expansion is being used to manipulate discs.
Vertical extension is another matter, but it’s not part of this particular discussion.
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