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Subject:	Re: [rtlToronto] rtlToronto16 Preliminary Rules Released
Newsgroups:	lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto
Date:	Wed, 25 Feb 2004 14:11:59 GMT
Viewed:	890 times

A couple of suggestion on the proposed rules:

“The rope will hang roughly 12” from the floor.”

I think this needs to be a more exact measurement...because of the reaching-up aspect, the differerance between 11” and 13” could be the difference between sucess or failure.

“At 132” (11 feet) there will be a lower mark, using 1/2” black electrical tape. 12” further along (12 feet) there will be an upper mark, again using black tape.” ... “The first robot with makes it above it’s lower mark and is also under it’s upper mark will win that match.”¼

As Rob commented, the 1 foot spacing between the two tape strips is somewhat limiting for several reasons.

Assuming a straight rope feed, the robot will have to retract itself to under 1’ after extrending itself to over 1’ (or rotate itself perpendicular to the rope) to be within the lines.
Assuming a non linear rope path (rope wound around a pully, rope serpentined through pullys, spooling robot etc.) again, the bottom tape stripe is (as pointed out) meaningless.
If a robot crosses the top strip is it disqualified?

I suggest an alteration to the rules so there is only one tape strip at the top that must be reached, and just stating that the entire robot has to climb the rope. Unless people thinks this opens it up to the clever/d*nk strategy of grabbing and lifting 1” off the ground with a transport/battery/RCX base and sending a lightweight runner up the rope trailing power cords behind.

I have proto-typed a few things and have some additional comments...

This sash cord is not easy to grip...It is very smooth so friction drives have trouble and very tightly woven so lego based spurs don’t seem to grab well.

Any idea on the end of the rope...taped or just cut? The rope I am playing with has demonstrated significant fraying and widening at the cut end after being spindled, folded and mutilated. This could significantly alter the competition as the ropes are used through the day...

The rules do not state the robot has to be able to get back down, it just has to get up. Is this everyone’s interpretation?

TTYL-

Rob A.

Message has 2 Replies:

		Re: [rtlToronto] rtlToronto16 Preliminary Rules Released
(...) HUH!!!???? how much more exact do you need than 12" ???? the only thing I can add, is that dead hung rope will have a tendency to curl. I think we can cover our buts and let people know that fully stretched the rope will be 12" from the (...) (21 years ago, 25-Feb-04, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)

		Re: [rtlToronto] rtlToronto16 Preliminary Rules Released
(...) I agree. You guys need to eliminate the lower mark. That will make it much easier for people like me to build robots that will be talked about for months after the contest. If I were making up rules, I would simply hang a second rope with a (...) (21 years ago, 27-Feb-04, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto, FTX)

Message is in Reply To:

		Re: [rtlToronto] rtlToronto16 Preliminary Rules Released
(...) I think "spooling" would be quite difficult. First, grabbing on to the rope is not a trivial task. Second, the more you gear the "spool" down, the more counterweight you need to deal with the "gerbil effect", meaning you want the spool to turn (...) (21 years ago, 25-Feb-04, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)

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