Unofficial, No, the robot has to maintain the 18" cube on it’s own, not touching the floor or the walls.
Actually, this was answered earlier on the forums with this question and response and the floor CAN be used.
https://vexforum.com/index.php/26161-answered-rule-clarifacation-r4c/0
This is incorrect, I’m pretty sure. It’d invalidate a large amount of designs.
My bad, we were almost disqualified for this the year before last at State so I took the info from that. However, when our robot powered up it lifted the offending member above the floor surface so they let us in.
Ok thank you! Since there’s different sides I think I’m gonna wait for Karthik to respond.
Did you read the ruling that i posted from Karthik?
“Let’s look at <R4>”
QUOTES RULE
“Please note that both methods of sizing do not all the robot to be restrained in all directions EXCEPT in the direction of the flat surace/tiles. Thuswhat you have described would be legal. If we did not allow Robots to be restrained by the ground, it would become nearly impossible to inspect for size.”
Hypothetical that I’m not sure is worth posting in the official Q&A:
Suppose that I have some mechanism that stays within size based on friction against the tiles. The coefficient of friction is different (and I presume less) when on a plastic table than on foam tiles. If the mechanism cannot stay in on the table, would it be legal to bring a tile with you to inspection, and have the inspection crew inspect you on the tile?
Probably not. I am quite sure that would not pass at worlds.
Oh sorry, I understood that response wrong.
So I am assuming it is legal, but highly unrecommended?
I believe the intent of the ruling was to say that you can rely on the existence of a flat surface under your robot to restrain it in terms of physically not being able to expand into said flat surface.
I expect the official ruling to be in following with the idea that your robot must still be within the 18" cube if said flat surface was frictionless.
If I were actually in the position and had no better option, I would use a different method to restrain it in inspection than in a match.