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

Usage Guidelines All Questions

1870: Clarification of a "damaged" robot for the Violation Note of <G10>

Jeff Gill (Event Partner)
12-Jan-2024

<G10>Rule <G10> allows a driver to handle their robot mid-match . <G10> Handling the Robot mid-match is allowed under certain circumstances. If a Robot goes completely outside the playing Field, gets stuck, tips over, or otherwise requires assistance, the Team’s Drivers may retrieve & reset the Robot.

The Violation Note with <G10> states "This rule is intended to allow Teams to fix damaged Robots or help get their Robots out of trouble".

Should the robot be considered "damaged" in each of these situations and the drivers be allowed to fix it:

  1. A robot that has a part become misaligned (like a wheel, tread, rubberband or axle) without contacting anything on the field. (Design or build issue)

  2. Another robot contacts it and a part like a rubberband or wheel gets misaligned. (External force to the robot)

  3. The robot runs into a wall and a part becomes misaligned. (The robot itself is the cause of the contact)

G10  
Answered by committee
18-Jan-2024

Rule <G10> provides Drivers with a way to repair damage to a Robot, regardless of whether it was caused by their own actions or outside forces.

Regarding whether or not a Team could legally repair their Robot in the specific situations you describe, It is impossible to provide a blanket answer that would encompass all possible hypothetical mechanisms and scenarios. In situations like these, the Head Referee must make a judgment call about whether the Robot requires assistance or the Team is attempting to strategically exploit rule <G10>.