Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
Inspiring students, one robot at a time.
This Q&A is now read-only

Official Q&A: VRC 2018-2019: Turning Point

Usage Guidelines All Questions

249: Parking while partially supported by a game object or robot


404Z
24-Feb-2019

Parking is defined in the game manual as

Parked – One of two Robot statuses.

• Alliance Parked – A Robot status. A Robot is Alliance Parked when it is:

o Contacting its Alliance Platform.

o Not contacting the foam field tiles or white tape.

• Center Parked – A Robot status. A Robot is Center Parked when it is:

o Contacting the Center Platform.

o Not contacting any Alliance Platform.

o Not contacting the foam field tiles or white tape.

The platforms are defined as

Platform – One of three (3) raised surfaces made of PVC and polycarbonate, roughly 23.875” (606.4mm) by 21.70” (551.2mm), that can be used for Parking Robots. See Figures 5, 9, and 10.

• Alliance Platforms are denoted by their red or blue structural PVC pieces, and can only be used for Parking by Robots of the same color Alliance as the Platform.

• The Center Platform is denoted by its yellow structural PVC pieces, and can be used for Parking by Robots of either Alliance.

Note: The structures on the sides of the Center Platform are not considered part of the Platform, and cannot be used for Center Parking. See Figure 11 and <SG9>.

Assuming no violation of SG9 and SG10, and given these definitions, would it be legal to park such that the robot is not fully supported by the platform? For example, if one set of a robot's wheels were touching the top, clear plastic part of the platform, with the other wheels supported by another robot, either from the same or opposing alliance, assuming no part of the robot is touching the foam tiles? Would it then also be legal if those wheels were supported instead by a cap or ball?

Also, would it still count as parked if, instead of the wheels being supported by the clear plastic on top of the platform, if the wheels were supported by the colored PVC pipe around the perimeter of the platform?

Would the answers to these questions be the same regardless of it is the center platform or alliance platform that is in question?

Thank you for your time.

Answered by Game Design Committee

Thank you for the specific question and for quoting the relevant rules.

Assuming no violation of SG9 and SG10, and given these definitions, would it be legal to park such that the robot is not fully supported by the platform?

"Fully supported" is not a listed requirement in the definitions of Alliance Parked and Center Parked, so yes, there are scenarios that exist in which a Robot can receive points for being Parked without being "fully supported" by the Platforms.

For example, if one set of a robot's wheels were touching the top, clear plastic part of the platform, with the other wheels supported by another robot, either from the same or opposing alliance, assuming no part of the robot is touching the foam tiles?

Yes, this would be considered Parked.

Would it then also be legal if those wheels were supported instead by a cap or ball?

Game Objects are not mentioned in the definition for Center or Alliance Parked, therefore a Robot can be Parked even if they are contacted (or supported) by a Game Object.

If a Robot is hypothetically balanced on Robots/Game Objects and touching only the clear plastic skirt on the sides of the Center Platform, this does not count as Center Parked. If a Robot is hypothetically balanced on Robots/Game Objects and touching the clear plastic top or yellow PVC sides, this does count as Center Parked.

Also, would it still count as parked if, instead of the wheels being supported by the clear plastic on top of the platform, if the wheels were supported by the colored PVC pipe around the perimeter of the platform?

The definitions of Alliance Platform and Center Platform include both the clear polycarbonate on the top and the colored PVC pipe, so there is no ruling difference between the two.

Would the answers to these questions be the same regardless of it is the center platform or alliance platform that is in question?

Yes.