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Official Q&A: VIQRC 2023-2024: Full Volume

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1516: Can robots start away from the field perimeter?


4028X
3-Jun-2023

Regarding:

a. Only be contacting the Floor and/or the Field Perimeter.

and

Contacting the inside and/or top face of the Field Perimeter wall

The ambiguity around "and/or" is our point of inquiry (dictionary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%2For):

Based on the definition and our understanding of "and/or", Rule R4 appears to allow contacting the floor without contacting the perimeter ("or"). Surely the intended conjunction is simply "and" here? Something like:

Be contacting the Floor and the Field Perimeter inside wall or top face.

Rule SG1 seems to be clearer: Must contact the inside or top face. A bot that only touches the top of the wall is not really materially different than one that only touches the inside wall. Nevertheless, clarification in the Q&A would be appreciated: it's OK for a bot to only touch the floor + top of wall but not the inside of the wall?

Is it possible that the intended phrasing is something more like:

Contacting the inside face of the Field Perimeter wall. Additional contact with the top face of the Field Perimeter wall is permitted, but not required.

Thank you for any clarification. Sorry, we obviously have some budding lawyers over here.

Answered by committee
9-Jun-2023

Thank you for your question. Clause A of rule <R4> will be revised to read, "Only be contacting the Floor and the Field Perimeter" in the next game manual update.