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Center line bonus
Posted: January 12th, 2018, 7:43 am
As per the rules, Center Line Bonus is given if the center tape remains completely within the vehicle's widest wheelbase.
The term "Wheelbase" means distance between front and rear wheel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelbase
Does it means that both front and rear wheel needs to be within the center tape ?
Not sure whether the rule used the wrong term "Wheelbase". I feel it should be "Track"
The term "Track" means distance between wheel in an axle.
"Widest Track" makes more sense than "widest wheelbase"
Do I interpret wrong here ? Can anyone explain please ? I tried to clarify with SO, but not got response for a month.
Re: Center line bonus
Posted: January 12th, 2018, 8:35 am
by AnonymousStudier
Yes, you've interpreted it wrong.
The "wheel base" is the distance between the left and right wheel.
So basically the left or right wheel can't stray so that the wheel goes onto the center line tape or farther.
Re: Center line bonus
Posted: January 12th, 2018, 9:01 am
Re: Center line bonus
Posted: January 12th, 2018, 9:58 am
by Unome
Regardless of interpretation, what Wikipedia calls the Track is what was intended, since the other interpretation is (as you noted) impossible. I haven't looked at the relevant section for Battery Buggy in particular (basing this off of previous vehicle events knowledge), so I might have missed something.
Re: Center line bonus
Posted: January 14th, 2018, 9:23 am
by AnonymousStudier
If you're basing the rules off of wikipedia, then ur saying that you need to face the car perpendicular to the center line and make the wheels move toward the center line (so the car moves literally to the right or left).
Yeah, I don't think so.
Re: Center line bonus
Posted: January 14th, 2018, 2:44 pm
by builder83
I do not see it clarified anywhere. For example what if most the wheel is on the centerline and part of the wheel straddles it? Is this good? Or does the whole centerline tape need to be fully between the wheels.
I have dual wheels on one axle. Even more questions arise lol
Re: Center line bonus
Posted: January 14th, 2018, 6:50 pm
by shrewdPanther46
ye i was wondering about that too. Does it count if the wheel is on the line, etc. etc.
they were kinda vague about it so i hope it gets clarified
Re: Center line bonus
Posted: January 15th, 2018, 7:36 am
by SPP SciO
From the judge’s perspective it would be really tricky to see if the wheels touch the tape underneath a quickly moving vehicle - I think contact with the tape would still permit a bonus. The judge can only see the floor clearly outside of the vehicle’s width. If the judge sees any center tape to the left of the left (or left-most, in the case of more than 2) wheel, or to the right of the right wheel, no bonus. I’m wondering if supervisors at high-stakes competitions would record video of runs to review a close call.
Re: Center line bonus
Posted: January 15th, 2018, 12:45 pm
by shrewdPanther46
I think that makes sense (like to take a video of each run)
Re: Center line bonus
Posted: January 15th, 2018, 4:48 pm
by builder83
Since the centerline bosus also states 'between starting line and target point' would it be true that a vehicle that is 1 cm short of target but straight as an arrow would not receive bonus?