Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
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Official Q&A: VEX V5 Robotics Competition 2024-2025: High Stakes

Usage Guidelines All Questions

2418: Spectators near field perimeter during skills


8889A
1-Jan-2025

Rule <G11> states that

During the Autonomous Period, Drive Team Members are not permitted to interact with the Robots in any way, directly or indirectly. This could include, but is not limited to: [...] Manually triggering sensors (including the Vision Sensor) in any way, even without touching them

However, it is possible for a spectator (a person who is not a Drive Team Member) to stand nearby the field during the autonomous skills match and manually trigger sensors on the robot. Even if this action is accidental, it can still negatively affect the robot's autonomous routine if sensors are triggered when they normally would not be. Spectators interacting with the robot is not expressly forbidden by G11, but we believe that it does go against the intent of G11 and is probably forbidden by <G3>. Are there any safeguards that should be put in place (such as spectators needing to stand behind a minimum distance from the field perimeter) or is this something that should be up to the Head Referee's discretion?

Answered by committee
9-Jan-2025

Note 2 for rule <G8> says, "During a Match, Robots may be operated only by the Drive Team Members and/or by software running on the Robot’s control system, in accordance with <R27> and <G10>." A spectator triggering sensors on a Robot would be a clear Violation of this rule.

There's not a rule in the game manual that specifies where spectators can and cannot be, although an Event Partner may designate any area as off-limits to spectators under rule <T4>.