Gravity Vehicle C

[chalker]

Are we allowed inside the launch area when we are actuating the vehicle?

General rules #2 applies here: http://soinc.org/ethics_rules

[gsheni]

Are we allowed inside the launch area when we are actuating the vehicle?

General rules #2 applies here: http://soinc.org/ethics_rules

This rule

Unless otherwise stated, it is generally understood that if writing utensils, notes, resources, calculators, actions, etc., are not excluded, then they are permitted unless they violate the spirit of the problem.

I dont understand.

[Kovu]

So we could just have a block that you push to let the car go?

[chalker7]

This rule

I dont understand.

Is there a specific part of General Rule #2 that you do not understand?

[fishman100]

I am confused with the rules when it says an automatic release device on the ramp. What is an example of this I just really dont get how that works.

This is my understanding of what an "automatic release mechanism" is:
The release mechanism has to hold the car in place without having to use the starting pencil. So if you have a block that can hold the car to the ramp without having to use the starting pencil to, say, hold that block of wood to a slot in the ramp, then your release mechanism is fine. The starting pencil is only used for triggering the "switch" that releases the car form the ramp.

Bad comparison (Click to Show Hidden Text)

This is a really bad example, but let's say that your car is a can of soda in a vending machine, the vending machine is the ramp, and the coin that you insert to get it is the starting pencil. The soda can is being supported by the mechanisms in the vending machine and doesn't rely on the starting pencil to keep it in place. The soda can will stay there for an unlimited amount of time until the coin (starting pencil) is inserted. Once you insert the coin (starting pencil) the mechanisms in the vending machine releases the can of soda.

If someone would like to correct me then by all means please do. :P

[chalker]

This rule

Unless otherwise stated, it is generally understood that if writing utensils, notes, resources, calculators, actions, etc., are not excluded, then they are permitted unless they violate the spirit of the problem.

I dont understand.

In other words, if the rules don't explicitly forbid you from doing something, you can generally assume you are allowed to do it.

[chalker7]

This rule

Unless otherwise stated, it is generally understood that if writing utensils, notes, resources, calculators, actions, etc., are not excluded, then they are permitted unless they violate the spirit of the problem.

I dont understand.

In other words, if the rules don't explicitly forbid you from doing something, you can generally assume you are allowed to do it.

I suspect the confusion comes from the term "spirit of the problem," but if that's well understood then no more clarification is required.

[Primate]

This event is not exciting. And I mean that entirely as constructive criticism. Don't get me wrong — it's certainly a challenge, and the rules are written well, but the concept will forever be lacking. Something like Scrambler is infinitely more exciting.

Please note that I was pleasantly surprised by the depth to other events (thermodynamics, in particular) that at first seemed simplistic, but this event hasn't grown on me. Perhaps it's just me?

[Teal]

This event is not exciting. And I mean that entirely as constructive criticism. Don't get me wrong — it's certainly a challenge, and the rules are written well, but the concept will forever be lacking. Something like Scrambler is infinitely more exciting.

Please note that I was pleasantly surprised by the depth to other events (thermodynamics, in particular) that at first seemed simplistic, but this event hasn't grown on me. Perhaps it's just me?

Same here. It's been getting a bit repetitive for me, because the goal of GV is essentially one thing: get close to the line. As long as your time isn't 10 seconds off, then it's not a big deal. Even with Mousetrap vehicle, you had to focus on a number of goals: get the cup to the line, make sure the car goes straight, get it to the starting point. Maybe MTV was much easier to perfect, and GV has fifty bajillion things that could go wrong (those set distances could be the death of me).

By the way, our release mechanism is astonishingly simple: a piece of string, tied in a loop, glued to the back of the vehicle. There's a screw at the top of the ramp. Attach string onto screw. Take a pencil and left the string up, the car goes. Voila!

[chalker7]

This event is not exciting. And I mean that entirely as constructive criticism. Don't get me wrong — it's certainly a challenge, and the rules are written well, but the concept will forever be lacking. Something like Scrambler is infinitely more exciting.

Please note that I was pleasantly surprised by the depth to other events (thermodynamics, in particular) that at first seemed simplistic, but this event hasn't grown on me. Perhaps it's just me?

I definitely agree that it is a bit more straightforward than previous vehicle events, but I'm quite pleased with the number of layers involved with improving the gravity vehicles (in particular making them go faster.)

Does anyone have any suggestions about how to make the event a bit more complicated, in particular with an added challenge of some sort (like the back and forth of mousetrap, speedbumps of scrambler in the past, etc)? We have a couple that we've thought about, but aren't sure if they are sufficiently challenging or viable for the event.