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Official Q&A: VRC 2022-2023: Spin Up

Usage Guidelines All Questions

1293: Pneumatic Alterations Clarification

Jon Kitagawa (Event Partner)
9-Nov-2022

<R20> No modifications to electronic or pneumatic components are allowed. Motors (including the internal PTC or V5 Smart Motor firmware), microcontrollers (including V5 Robot Brain firmware), cables, sensors, controllers, battery packs, reservoirs, solenoids, pneumatic cylinders, and any other electrical or pneumatics component of the VEX platform may NOT be altered from their original state in ANY way.

In this VEX Knowledge base article, it states the nut can be removed from the cylinder to reduce weight.

R20 states pneumatic cylinders, reservoirs, solenoids, etc. may not be altered from their original state in any way.

  1. Is the removal of the nut on the bottom of the pneumatic cylinder (NCJ2D10-200S or NCJ2D10-200) considered to be an alteration from the original state?
  2. Is the removal of the nut on the bottom of the pneumatic reservoir (US14227-S0400 or NCMZ5-U12001-320) considered to be an alteration from the original state?
  3. Can either of these nuts by themselves be used in an end-game launcher's design if the head referee considers the mechanism to be safe per <R4d>
  4. If the nut from the reservoir is used outside of the reservoir, is the nut considered to be only the "pneumatic reservoir nut" or is it considered to be an "an entire pneumatic reservoir that has been altered such that only the nut remains"?
R4   R20  
Answered by committee

Thank you for your questions.

  1. Is the removal of the nut on the bottom of the pneumatic cylinder (NCJ2D10-200S or NCJ2D10-200) considered to be an alteration from the original state?
  2. Is the removal of the nut on the bottom of the pneumatic reservoir (US14227-S0400 or NCMZ5-U12001-320) considered to be an alteration from the original state?

These are both considered normal uses of the parts, and are not modifications of the pneumatic device.

  1. Can either of these nuts by themselves be used in an end-game launcher's design if the head referee considers the mechanism to be safe per R4d
  2. If the nut from the reservoir is used outside of the reservoir, is the nut considered to be only the "pneumatic reservoir nut" or is it considered to be an "an entire pneumatic reservoir that has been altered such that only the nut remains"?

Using either of these nuts as part of an Endgame expansion mechanism is allowed, provided no other rules are broken in the process. If used in this manner, the nut is considered to be a pneumatic reservoir nut and not a modified pneumatic device.