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

Usage Guidelines All Questions

2431: SG9 Protection / Violations for Passive Climbing Mechanism


5509E
11-Jan-2025

The definition of Climb in Game-Specific Definitions is as follows: A Robot action. A Robot is considered to be Climbing if it has intentionally grasped, grabbed, or attached itself to the bottom/black rung of the Ladder and/or a higher point of the Ladder. In most cases, this means a Robot mechanism will be reacting against multiple sides of a rung or vertical section in an effort to latch, clamp, or hook onto the Ladder. See <SC7> for the criteria for a Robot to be considered to have Climbed to a Level.

At a recent tournament, the RED1 robot, which had an arm on top and one side of the bottom rung of the ladder, was not given the protection of <SG9>(a)(i) when the BLUE1 robot, which was not Climbing or attemping to Climb, drove into the RED1 robot. No violation was issued to BLUE1. It was stated that because the RED1 robot's arm was not being mechanically driven by a motor or pneumatic, it did not qualify as a mechanism.

Can you clarify the definition of a mechanism in relation to the definition of Climbing and <SG9>? In this scenario, should RED1 have received the protection of <SG9> and BLUE1 issued a Minor or Major Violation?

Answered by committee
16-Jan-2025

It is impossible to issue a blanket answer beyond what is written in the game manual that encompasses all possible situations based on a snapshot description of a hypothetical Robot or mechanism.

However, there is no requirement that a mechanism used for Climbing be mechanically driven by a motor or pneumatic system. Passive mechanisms that are used for Climbing should receive the same consideration as powered mechanisms under rule <SG9>.

If a Robot has intentionally grasped, grabbed, or attached itself to the black rung or any higher point on the Ladder, it should receive the protection of rule <SG9>. However, incidental or accidental (i.e., not intentional) contact with multiple sides of a rung is not enough to meet the definition of Climb. If, in the Head Referee's judgment, the Robot does not meet the definition of Climb, it cannot receive the protection of rule <SG9>.