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

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Reset during programming skills - does the robot have to meet starting height requirement

85974B
10-Feb-2024

At a recent event the skills referee interpreted rule <RSC5> "Upon handling the Robot, it must be immediately brought back to any legal Starting Position" to include that robots handled during the autonomous skills runs must meet ALL of the starting criteria of rule <SG1> which includes "Fit within an 11” wide x 20” long x 15” high".

Some teams had expanded vertically (for example raised a lift) - and were not allowed to start the second portion of their autonomous routes because the robot exceeded the 15" height limitation.

QnA 1820 (https://www.robotevents.com/VIQRC/2023-2024/QA/1820) clarifies that motors may be running when resetting during autonomous skills (which is counter to SG1).

I understand the requirements for resetting during autonomous skills to include starting against the wall of the field and not touching any blocks (from SG1) - but to not include the requirements for returning to the starting dimensions or stopping the motors. Is this correct?

SG1   RSC5  
Answered by committee
23-Feb-2024

I understand the requirements for resetting during autonomous skills to include starting against the wall of the field and not touching any blocks (from SG1) - but to not include the requirements for returning to the starting dimensions or stopping the motors. Is this correct?

This is the intent for both <RSC5> and <G10> resets.

However, we acknowledge that this intent is ambiguous / not clearly stated in the rule as currently written. Absent any other clarification (i.e. prior to this Q&A post), it would not have been "wrong" for a Head Referee to judge this in either direction, as long as they were consistent within their event. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused, and will be sure that this is better clarified in future Game Manuals.