Cortex electronics were still legal for a long time after V5 was released, but they are not legal anymore. What if they make SMC parts illegal later on? This could hurt teams like mine that have very little to spend on new parts and still have not fully recovered from replacing Cortex with V5 to be able to buy another new system.
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I know I would protest that change. The old pneumatics equipment is functionally identical.
Cortex was a different situation – aside from being an inferior, out of date system, allowing cortex to persist would affect tournament control options.
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What about old structure and motion like wheels?
For everyone stating that restrictions can lead to innovation… I agree (e.g. PTO).
Along this an argument could be done to also restrict pneumatics or highly costly sensors (like a camera or gps sensor) to drive different/more innovations(?)
On the converse, I hope people can see that more options can lead to different innovations and opportunity to learn additional skills. At the same time, not everyone would need to use 3DP, like not everyone needs to use Pneumatics, a GPS or a camara sensor. It would be a team decision (vs an imposition)… and yes I know restrictions are part of the real world but also think the world can evolve).
My two cents are that it is a good time to consider introducing 3DP for the next season
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3DP has already been introduced, you know non-functional decorations. I would urge a more specific functional purpose to introduce 3DP - so it is not “I need to print all my own replacement gears”, but “I need a special shape to guide object in mechanism attached at end of c-channel”… For inspection purpose, a second copy of objects be presented and measured to meet constraints of use of 3D parts.
Just putting it out there.
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Why not though? Teams often make custom size sprockets out of polycarb to achieve ratios not otherwise possible. I think it would be a good balance to set a rectangular prism of volume your parts must fit in in order to ensure teams don’t just print a robot and let them go from there.
simple response - because you need to start somewhere.
Gears are available to everyone - level playing field - and working with constraints allows for innovation.
But you wish unrestricted platform for 3DP - then start a competition platform solely for this purpose - 3DP Robotics Competition … There are other robotics competition platforms - even those that involve flying robots!
That said, start with focus application of 3DP for VRC, you might get traction.
Tsk… drones… not flying robots… 
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The reason why its not allowed is because you could print anything and they would get no money which means no money for making brains, motors, pneumatics, and sensors.
I dont see why this thread is not dead yet. The officials of vex have already stated that it wont be a thing. 3d printing is not allowed, and is unlikeley to be allowed. Why do we need to discuss this?
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