Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
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Official Q&A: VRC 2023-2024: Over Under

Usage Guidelines All Questions

1537: SG9: Autonomous Contact with other Robots


Jacob Church
11-Jun-2023

<SG9> Stay in your starting Zone during Autonomous. During the Autonomous Period, Robots may not contact foam tiles, Triballs, or Field Elements on the opposing Alliance’s side of the Neutral Zone, or in the opposite Offensive Zone from which they began the Match. a. <G17> does not apply to this rule, unless egregiously exploited for strategic gain. It is expected that Triballs which are launched as part of normal Autonomous gameplay may contact foam tiles on the opponent’s side of the field.

<SG9> forbids any contact with field elements, triballs or foam tiles in the opposite offensive zone or side of the neutral zone.

Can a robot therefore during autonomous contact:

  1. The teams alliances robot
  2. The opponents robot fully outside of the neutral zone
  3. A robot overhanging the neutral zone where the contact is within the neutral zone
  4. A robot overhanging the neutral zone where the contact is beyond the end of the neutral zone
  5. A robot that was utilizing the neutral zone but has returned to its side
Answered by committee
23-Jun-2023

There are no rules that prohibit contact with another Robot during the Autonomous Period, so all five of your examples could be legal assuming no other rules--including <SG9>--are violated in the process. Destructive interactions may still be governed by rules such as <SG10>, <G13>, and <G14>, as applicable.