Problem: The youth are not being challenged to create quality programs but rather simple programs that just end in touching a cube so they may reset the cubes across the field closer to their respective color scoring zone and their robots next to it and just push the cubes in for an easy 10 points. RSC5b allows this "Any Game Objects being controlled by the Robot while being handled must be removed from the > Robot and gently placed in a non-Scored position by the Team."
As a mentor this ruling makes it hard to motivate youth to think about their programs and use their savvy skills to create a autonomous program. This earlier Q & A ruling has prompted many teams to not actually create quality autonomous programs for their robots. We want to see them grow and learn but not by shortcuts.
Solution: Please create a legal position for game objects being controlled by robots during autonomous. There was once a rule that an object be placed back on the field closest to where it left the field, could a similar rule not be created for this scenario as well? An example: "Any Game Objects being controlled by the Robot while being handled must be removed from the Robot and gently placed in a non-Scored position closest to programmed robot ended prior to reset by the Team" or " Any Game Objects being controlled by the Robot while being handled must be removed from Robot and gently placed in a non-Scored starting position by the Team.
or perhaps have RSC5 also be governed by <G17>, especially for strategic violations such as touching game cubes on the filed while reseting the cube.
Details of what is being seen at tournaments: Teams will program robot to turn and drive forward to touch red cube (or blue), program will stop. The team will reset by moving the red cube and robot to other starting position closer to red scoring zone(or blue). They then set the red cube down pushing the blue cube out of the way, then they use their hands to move blue cube back in b place, but allowing the red cube to be placed just right. They then run their robot program to push red cube in to score 10 points. EPs allow this bc of this earlier ruling, this should in fact be a warning or a DQ since they touched other game elements on the field. This is not accidental hands on as we saw two skills runs and each one they did the exact same way.
<RSC5> A Team may handle their Robot as many times as desired during a Programming Skills Match. a. Upon handling the Robot, it must be immediately brought back to any legal Starting Position. i. Driver may reset or adjust the Robot as desired from this position, including pressing buttons on the Robot Brain or activating sensors. b. Any Game Objects being controlled by the Robot while being handled must be removed from the Robot and gently placed in a non-Scored position by the Team. c. Any Game Object in the Starting Position may be moved out of the Starting Position and gently placed into a non-Scored position by the Team. Robot Skills Challenge Rules
Earlier question that is prompting teams to move cubes close to their scoring zones:
Programming reset while touching cube... Strategically...
David Sankey (Event Partner)
1 month ago
RSC5 A Team may handle their Robot as many times as desired during a Programming Skills Match. b. Any Game Objects being controlled by the Robot while being handled must be removed from the Robot and gently placed in a non-Scored position by the Team.
In other words, there is no rule against strategically placing the cube, it can be placed on any non-scored position by the team.
So are the following legal during a Programming Skills Match?
#1: A robot starts by turning and lifting a red cube. The team picks up the robot and cube and places the bot in the other starting position and places the cube next to its scoring zone on the other side of the field. The robot then pushes the cube in.
#2: A team is going to score the green cube on the platform and it gets off course. The team then resets the bot before it drops the cube. They reset the bot and put the cube back in its original position and give it another go.
RSC5 G17
Answered by Game Design Committee
So are the following legal during a Programming Skills Match?
#1: A robot starts by turning and lifting a red cube. The team picks up the robot and cube and places the bot in the other starting position and places the cube next to its scoring zone on the other side of the field. The robot then pushes the cube in.
#2: A team is going to score the green cube on the platform and it gets off course. The team then resets the bot before it drops the cube. They reset the bot and put the cube back in its original position and give it another go.
Yes, these are both legal within RSC5, which supersedes G17 for Programming Skills Matches. Please also see RSC5's Note, which states the following:
Note: This rule only applies to Programming Skills Matches. Driving Skills Matches are still governed by <G17>, especially for strategic violations.