Things you might not know about Gateway...

[bobsalive]

We’ve heard a lot of awesome ideas from teams over the last two days, only to have their ideas crushed when we had to inform them that it would break the rules. Even though most people who read forums probably read the rules too, we thought it might be a good idea to list a summary of some of the less known rules… (note these are for high schools, some are a little different for college). Also note that these are our interpretations, and do not represent an official ruling from Vex on what the rules mean.

Scored – A Scoring Object is Scored in a Goal if it is not touching a Robot of the same color of the Scoring Object and it meets one of the following criteria.

1. A Scoring Object is fully below the top of the PVC pipes of a Circular Goal and fully within the outer ring of the Circular Goal. (See figures 4 & 5)
2. A Scoring Object is not fully below the top of the PVC pipes of a Circular Goal and partially within the outer ring of the Circular Goal. (See figure 5)
3. A Ball or Barrel is partially inside the outer edge of a Floor Goal and touching a foam field tile.
   (See figures 6 & 7)

Translation for 2: In terms of the outline of the goal, if the object is in the goal horizontally, but not vertically, it is scored. i.e. if the object is on top of other objects on top of the goal, it’s scored. If the object is in the goal vertically, but not horizontally, it is not scored. i.e. if the object is just stuffed in from the side, it’s not scored.

<SG5> During the Autonomous Period, Drivers and Coaches may handle their own Robot while the Robot is in contact with their own Alliance Starting Tile.
<SG6> During the Driver Controlled Period, Drivers and Coaches may handle their own Robot as long as the robot has never left the Alliance Starting Tile. The intent of this rule is to allow teams to fix Robots which were unable to move at the start of the Match.
Note: During the handling specified in <SG5> And <SG6> robots may be repositioned, but must be returned to a valid starting position as per <SG1> within the same zone.

Translation: If you watched the reveal, this was the “you can turn your robot on” stuff. But the intent is just to fix robots that didn’t start moving. The intention is not for you to swap intakes or anything like that during the match. Once your robot has left the starting square at all, you can’t touch it during the driver control period.

<SG8> If a Doubler Barrel and a Negation Barrel are scored in the same Circular Goal, they each have no effect on the score. If more than one Doubler Barrel or Negation Barrel are scored in the same Circular Goal only the one closest to the foam field tiles will count.

Translation: The negation barrel doesn’t mean x0. Two double barrels doesn’t mean x4. We’re not sure what happens if you have two doubles and a negation (We think it means x2 since the a double and negation cancel out? Official ruling?)

<SG9> Robots are not permitted to remove (descore) any Scoring Objects which are considered Scored by clause 1 of the definition of Scored. Violations of this rule will result in a Disqualification. (See figure 14) /

Translation: No descoring unless the object is not fully in the goal vertically.

<SG10> Robots are not permitted to break the plane of their opponents Alliance Starting Tile during the Autonomous Period. Violations of this rule will result in the offending Alliance losing their Doubler Barrel and Negation Barrel.

Translation: No autonomous ramming (by travelling into their starting square) to push your opponents off course for their autonomous (we like this rule). Unless you don’t mind losing your special barrels.

<SG11> Drivers or Coaches may lift their own Gate at any time during the Match. Once lifting of the Gate had begun it must be finished promptly and the Gate cannot be dropped. Both Gates must be lifted and latched before thirty (30) seconds are remaining in the Match. Violations of this rule will result in a Disqualification of both teams on the offending Alliance.

Translation: Once a gate is opened, it stays open. Also it MUST be opened at some stage during the match (before the last 30 seconds).

<SG12> Robots may not interact with the Gate for more than five (5) seconds or after there are thirty-five (35) seconds remaining in the Match. Robots may not interfere with the raising of the Gate, nor may they lift the Gate. Violations of this rule will result in a Disqualification.

Translation: No robot lifting of opponent (or own) gates, no climbing over the gate (SG14 too).

<SG13> Teams are not permitted to lift their Gate when an opposing Robot is legally touching their Gate. Violations of this rule will result in a Disqualification of both teams on the offending Alliance.

Translation: If an opponent robot is touching the gate, you can’t open it. But they can’t be touching the gate after there are 35 seconds remaining in the match, so you will always have at least 5 seconds to open the gate.

<SG14> Robots may not enter or exit an Isolation Zone while the Gate associated with that Isolation Zone is down.

Translation: Robots can’t climb out of the isolation zone. We assume that it can still reach over, like the robots could in Clean Sweep, as long as they don’t touch the ground (official ruling anyone?).

And the big one that lots of people got confused about (as has been stated in other threads)…
THERE IS NO AUTONOMOUS BONUS. The bonus you get for getting the first object in the goal is considered enough incentive for you to have a good autonomous sequence.

Hopefully that helps!

[LegoMindstormsmaniac]

@bobsalive

(…) Translation: (…) You can’t swap out your intake between playing matches and playing skills challenges (…)

I’m wondering why you are thinking this? To me it sounds like you can swap out anything except the drive with the batteries and Microcontroller.

~Jordan

[dontworryaboutit]

@LegoMindstormsmaniac

I’m wondering why you are thinking this? To me it sounds like you can swap out anything except the drive with the batteries and Microcontroller.

~Jordan

I believe you are correct, as the rule states that a “robot” is a drive base and the control system of the robot, and that a robot does not necessarily need Subsystem 3 (aka an intake).

And as for SG8:

<SG8> If a Doubler Barrel and a Negation Barrel are scored in the same Circular Goal, they each have no effect on the score. If more than one Doubler Barrel or Negation Barrel are scored in the same Circular Goal only the one closest to the foam field tiles will count.

@bobsalive

Translation: The negation barrel doesn’t mean x0. Two double barrels doesn’t mean x4. We’re not sure what happens if you have two doubles and a negation (We think it means x2 since the a double and negation cancel out? Official ruling?)

My interpretation of the rule is that if there are more than one doubler barrel or negation barrel then only the lowest one will count. If there are 2 doublers and 1 negation then there are “more than one Doubler Barrel or Negation Barrel…in the same Circular Goal,” so only the one closest to the floor tile will count.

[bobsalive]

@LegoMindstormsmaniac

I’m wondering why you are thinking this? To me it sounds like you can swap out anything except the drive with the batteries and Microcontroller.

~Jordan

Sorry, got confused with the subsystem numbers, will edit it. I think we were trying time the point that you cant swap intakes during a match, but that is better explained by <SG6>

[allengregoryiv]

My interpretation of the rules specifically <SG6>, is that you can do what you can to get your robot working, not change subsystems (you still could change subsystems for driver’s challenge) . The maximum you would be allowed to do at the most liberal interpretation would be to choose intakes before your robot ever left the starting square, which would mean you could have two and pick one once auton started to keep it secret from your opponents. (I don’t think that will be legal however)

<G10> Robots may not intentionally detach parts during any Match, or leave mechanisms on the field.

This would leave me to believe that you could not detach anything from your robot, only add too it.

Robot – Anything (which has passed inspection) a team places on the field prior to the start of a Match.

This definition would make me think that since the component is not on the field prior to the start of a match then it is not part of your robot and therefore shouldn’t be allowed.

However all of this is pointless until the official Q&A opens but I think the GDC didn’t intend to allow teams to swap parts only to fix minor issues with the robot to prevent dead robots on the field.

On another note, once both gates are open I don’t see any rule that prohibits robots from climbing over the fence to get to the other isolation zone.