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Calum Tsang wrote:
> In lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto, Iain Hendry writes:
> > I destroyed about 8 parts total at rtl8, several of which I could have
> > spared and re-used with a drop of lubrication. I've mutilated an entire
> > turntable because of not lubricating it. All of my turntables are lubricated
> > now. As someone who tries to be careful with his money, and his investment
> > in LEGO, I insist that *PREVENTATIVE CARE* must be permitted.
>
> The difference is that while one may call it preventative care, others may
> call it competitive advantage. I do not wish to get into what lubrications
> are allowed etc, same as some suggested various formulations and chemicals
> to treat tires for sumo.
I see competitive advantage.
To take an example from our recent contest:
Several X-bots used bricks sliding on tile designs. Many of these bots had piles
of generated dust afterwards. It is, however a design decision to use bricks
running on tiles. The designers of these bots chose to use this design. The
designers of these bots suffered the consequences of this design, through damaged
pieces and piles of plastic dust.
There are millions of ways to improve the design of sliding bricks on tiles. One
of them is to apply lubricant. Lubricant will help protect the pieces and reduce
or eliminate the damage. However lubricant also improves the effectiveness of this
design by reducing the friction between the blocks and tiles.
Another solution is to consider the fact that Lego is the worlds largest tire
manufacturer. There's no reason this design couldn't have been changed to have
tires running on the tiles. This would eliminate the damage caused by running
bricks on tiles. If done right this would also reduce the friction in the design.
The addition of lubricant in this case is an unfair advantage. You are using an
outside material to improve a poor design. Why should we allow a poor design to be
improved through outside means?
You have to be willing to accept the consequences of your design. If you don't
like the fact that your design is damaging pieces then change it.
I know from talking to Chris that he fully understood the damaging effect his robot
had on his pieces. Pieces like the tiles he was sliding on, to the axle joiners he
would periodically bust. He excepted this as a consequence of his design and was
willing to accept the damage being done to his parts.
I on the other hand am not willing to damage my parts. I made many design changes
to my robot to prevent parts from getting damaged. Originally I was sliding pieces
along the flange of the tracks I used to run my x and y carriages on. I realized
this was going to damage these pieces as well as the tracks over time. I
redesigned the carriages to use train wheels on the tracks instead. As it turned
out there was far less friction in this design.
There are many ways design changes can eliminate damage to pieces. This is part of
the challenge. If you don't like the fact that your design is damaging pieces,
then change it. If you are willing to accept that your design is damaging your
parts then that's your decision.
The idea of having Lego contests, is to have a Lego contests. Until there is a
bottle of lubricant that is an official Lego product for the purpose of lubricating
Lego parts, then using lubricant is not normal Lego construction and shouldn't be
allowed.
As Calum has said the line must be drawn somewhere. The Lego only rule is a very
easy and definitive rule to make. There are very few grey areas formed by this
rule. I think it is very clear to all and leaves very little room for confusion.
Derek
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: lube....
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| (...) snip (...) snip (...) All of these lubriciant comments, and no mention of using lego lubricant... i.e. OILY TIRES!!!! Jeff VW (23 years ago, 1-Mar-02, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: lube....
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| (...) Four days ago at rtl10, thank you. Our entry was covered in plastic dust. (...) The difference is that while one may call it preventative care, others may call it competitive advantage. I do not wish to get into what lubrications are allowed (...) (23 years ago, 1-Mar-02, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)
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