Designs

[killer225whale]

New FAQ!

2015-03-10 20:30 The device task explicitly says that the device has to "lift one or more golf balls into scoring jugs." What is the penalty for not lifting any golf balls in the device?
You would receive no points for golf balls. You might receive other points for time, ETS completion, etc.

ETS points can still be scored without lifting golf balls. Guess that settles it?

The rules committee has firmly established the idea you don't have to lift golf balls for the ETS points contrary to the rule book. Now they rule the MP device does not even have to complete the "Device Task" which is to lift and collect at least one golf ball (par. 4, line 1). The penalty should be a construction violation. All this settles is the conclusion that the rules committee is willing to make decisions that contradict the published rule book. They seem unwilling to repair this sinking ship.

Consistency is much more important this far into the competition season; negating that small part of the rules (which isn't even referenced anywhere in itself) is much better than having to once again revise a whole score of previous FAQs and causing (probably a lot of) teams' devices to fall out of compliance. The rules committee did write the rules, so I'm sure that if they decide to contradict the published rules, it's for a good reason(s).

I'd say it's more like they scrapped some decoration on the ship that everyone forgot existed and used it to fix the holes and keep the ship afloat.

[chalker]

Consistency is much more important this far into the competition season; negating that small part of the rules (which isn't even referenced anywhere in itself) is much better than having to once again revise a whole score of previous FAQs and causing (probably a lot of) teams' devices to fall out of compliance. The rules committee did write the rules, so I'm sure that if they decide to contradict the published rules, it's for a good reason(s). I'd say it's more like they scrapped some decoration on the ship that everyone forgot existed and used it to fix the holes and keep the ship afloat.

Bingo

[chalker]

The rules committee has firmly established the idea you don't have to lift golf balls for the ETS points contrary to the rule book. Now they rule the MP device does not even have to complete the "Device Task" which is to lift and collect at least one golf ball (par. 4, line 1). The penalty should be a construction violation. All this settles is the conclusion that the rules committee is willing to make decisions that contradict the published rule book. They seem unwilling to repair this sinking ship.

FYI, as recently as a few minutes before the FAQ was posted, I was advocating for this to be a competition penalty. However I was convinced by others that would not be in the best overall interest of everyone, hence the FAQ listed above was issued instead. Note that I fully support this decision that the committee has made, since I believe I've considered and weighed all the factors and options.

[goodcheer]

Consistency is much more important this far into the competition season; negating that small part of the rules (which isn't even referenced anywhere in itself) is much better than having to once again revise a whole score of previous FAQs and causing (probably a lot of) teams' devices to fall out of compliance. The rules committee did write the rules, so I'm sure that if they decide to contradict the published rules, it's for a good reason(s).

I'd say it's more like they scrapped some decoration on the ship that everyone forgot existed and used it to fix the holes and keep the ship afloat.

They are being consistent with their unjustified FAQs, but not with the written rules. The lifting and collecting of golf balls is not a small part of the rules, but is the backbone of the original rule book. I would say "bingo" to the fact they decided to contradict the published rules, but they have yet to explain why.

They took an air craft carrier and redesigned it to be a luxury liner. Decorations cannot fix structural damage.

[goodcheer]

The rules committee has firmly established the idea you don't have to lift golf balls for the ETS points contrary to the rule book. Now they rule the MP device does not even have to complete the "Device Task" which is to lift and collect at least one golf ball (par. 4, line 1). The penalty should be a construction violation. All this settles is the conclusion that the rules committee is willing to make decisions that contradict the published rule book. They seem unwilling to repair this sinking ship.

FYI, as recently as a few minutes before the FAQ was posted, I was advocating for this to be a competition penalty. However I was convinced by others that would not be in the best overall interest of everyone, hence the FAQ listed above was issued instead. Note that I fully support this decision that the committee has made, since I believe I've considered and weighed all the factors and options.

Sometimes a captain is so wrong the other officers have to take charge and launch the life boats. I guess it is in the best interest of everyone that we all go down with the ship?

[goodcheer]

This may not be the place, but all these ship metaphors got me to wondering if there has ever been a boat event? Maybe rubber-band powered boat?

[conspicuousClockwork]

2015-03-10 22:01 Can the golf balls be lifted above the jug all at once as part of the Start Task, and then triggered to drop into the jug one at a time, or does each one have to be lifted individually?
The golf balls can be lifted above the jug all at once as part of the Start Task, and then triggered to drop into the jug one at a time.


Must've been one pigeon of a meeting in the tech committee.

Does this mean that they will receive bonus points because they began below the jug before the starting task? Or is it just affirmation that the balls do not have to be located in the machine prior to starting?

Edit: Never mind, just realized what it actually meant.

[killer225whale]

This may not be the place, but all these ship metaphors got me to wondering if there has ever been a boat event? Maybe rubber-band powered boat?

I believe that Division A does have an event called Paddle-Boats or something!

[goodcheer]

This may not be the place, but all these ship metaphors got me to wondering if there has ever been a boat event? Maybe rubber-band powered boat?

I believe that Division A does have an event called Paddle-Boats or something!

That sounds more like my speed: my battleship got sunk! Its been a real experience. Good luck to everyone with what seems to be the final rulings.

[chalker]

...... I would say "bingo" to the fact they decided to contradict the published rules, but they have yet to explain why.

As always, what I say here is unofficial..... The why is pretty simple: to minimize the damage. We've made some mistakes and missteps with this event this year, which is obvious to everyone who's been on 'watch'. There are a lot of reasons behind those, but the bottom line is as with any human endeavor, perfection is impossible to achieve. We strive to be perfect with the rules and FAQ process, but sometimes we 'go overboard'. The general 'tack' we've decided to take in this situation is to be as open to interpretations as we can, provide some 'leeway', and try not to do anything that will result in lots of teams being effectively 'sunk' for designs they thought were ok.

Yes, this will upset and be unfair to teams that followed a strict 'heading' based on the original rules and FAQs, but either way someone was bound to be unhappy. Those teams still have functioning, competitive devices, and won't have to put in for 'drydock' if they don't want to (which in not the case were we to have ruled in the other way on some of these situations).

There might be a few more FAQs that "float" out. Today I provided input on more than 100 other open FAQs for this event, and there were some common themes that might 'make way' additional postings (however I don't think any of them are as significant as the ones we set 'adrift' yesterday).

P.S. - There was an event around 2000 called Water Striders. Here's the description of it: The objective of this event is to design and build a device, using only the materials specified, that will travel the length of a water-filled trough, propelled solely by the carbon-dioxide produced from the chemical reaction between sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid.