Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
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The Q&A is closed for the 2021-2022 season. Any rule changes or clarifications pertaining to the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championship will be included in the April 5 Game Manual Update. Teams attending VEX Worlds who wish to pre-submit questions for the driver's meeting should have received a contact form via email; if not, please contact your REC Foundation Team Engagement Manager for more information.

Official Q&A: VRC 2021-2022: Tipping Point

Usage Guidelines All Questions

1024: Robot Starting on a Preload


Jess Zarchi
28-Jan-2022

Hello,


SG1 - Starting a Match.

Prior to the start of each Match, the Robot must be placed such that it is:

a. Contacting at least one (1) of the gray foam field tiles directly in front of their Alliance Station, i.e. the row of gray foam field tiles that contains their Alliance’s Platform.

b. Not contacting any other gray foam field tiles, i.e. those in contact with the white tape lines that define the Alliance Home Zone.

c. Not contacting any Scoring Objects other than the Preloads.

d. Not contacting another Robot.

e. Not contacting the Platform.

f. Contacting no more than three (3) Preloads.

i. No Preloads may be contacting more than one (1) Robot.

ii. All Preloads must be fully within the field perimeter.

iii. All Preloads must not be in any positions that would be considered Scored if the Robot were not present. See Figure 21 for examples of legal Preloads.

iv. If a Team does not wish to use their three (3) Preloads at the start of the Match, they may be used as Match Load Rings at any point during the Match, in accordance with <SG8>.

SG10 - Use Scoring Objects to play the game.

Scoring Objects may not be used to accomplish actions that would be otherwise illegal if they were attempted by Robot mechanisms (e.g., Interfering with an opponent’s Autonomous routine per <SG4>.)

The intent of this rule is to prohibit teams from using game objects as “gloves” to loophole any rule that states “a Robot may not [do some action]”. This rule is not intended to be taken in its most extreme literal interpretation, where any interaction between a Scoring Object and a Robot needs to be scrutinized with the same intensity as if it were a Robot.


The attached image shows a robot that satisfies all of SG1 except for potentially point B. The robot is only contacting the one row of tiles, and is being propped up by a ring that is contacting the tile in front.

Is this starting position a violation of SG1-B through SG10?

img

Thank you for your time!

Answered by committee

Is this starting position a violation of SG1-B through SG10?

Yes. This would not be permitted.