The orientation of the robot does not matter in sizing. I get what you’re trying to say, by having the same volume of the robot as an 18X18X18 cube, but the cube is absolute, meaning that your robot cannot be elongated to 20 inches. All dimensions have to stay under 18 inches.
Yes, the orientation does not matter, but a robot that is 20" long in some dimension may fit inside an 18x18" cube diagonally. Measure a “standard” robot diagonally and you’ll find that it’s over 18 inches in some dimension. So yes, this is legal.
Actually, no. There was a Q&A asked about a very similar situation in Nothing But Net and Karthik ruled such a robot illegal (I’ll have to pull it up). The 18" cube has to be upright when sizing, and the robot has to fit within that upright cube, so unless the robot can prop itself up before the match and un-prop itself once the match begins, it will not pass inspection.
If you look at the OP, about a 20" robot fitting inside by laying diagonally on its side in the box then this would be legal
It needs to fit within the on field sizing tool without him touching it though. It needs support built into the robot that folds away once the match starts for it to be legal.
The original question, as asked in the official Q&A is:
This part is problematic:
The robot has to be in the position it will be placed at the start of competition. That is, put the robot on the sizing table as if you’re about to drive it. Place the sizing cube over it. The rotation of the sizing cube around the Z axis does not matter; if there is a rotation of the box that allows the box to cover the robot without touching it, that’s in compliance. Neither the robot nor the sizing box need be aligned to the edges of the field or sizing table. However, the robot has to be in playing position. You can’t prop it up, or use string or rubber bands to hold it unless that’s how it’s going to be during the competition.*
Specifically, you can’t put it on its side unless you’re going to start play that way. So, any orientation of the robot that requires the driver to move it by hand before being able to operate it is not a valid position for sizing.
*A complicating factor to size compliance is that it is acceptable for the preload to hold some portion of the robot inside the size limit. One instance where this mattered was in Startstruck with some teams’ hinged forks that were rubber banded. It was clarified in a Q&A that it was acceptable to hold the robot in spec with the preload star. This made size compliance determination just a bit more difficult, since there was no way to fit the robot and a star inside the sizing box. What I saw at competitions was the inspectors first measured the robot, noting that the forks touched the sizing box. Then, they had teams demonstrate that the weight of a star would push the forks into position.
I assume the same issue would apply this year, with a cone replacing the star.
That’s actually pretty cool (using preloads to keep the robot in size)
As @kypyro said, unless you’re planning on starting a match like that, you have to have it in the orientation you will have in a match.
Seriously just resize your robot. It isn’t worth the confusion with refs.
Agreed