Autonomous Period - Answer Thread

[Air Jordan]

<G16> Pinning, Trapping, or Blocking Robots - Access to a Beacon

We have a few questions regarding Posts #8 and #11 in the Game Rules, Autonomous Period answer thread. The following questions pertain to the Autonomous Period.

Question 1: Can a robot pass through the opposing alliance's tiles with white tape during the last 20 seconds of the autonomous period if no opposing alliance robots are on the tiles and if no contact with opposing alliance robots occurs?

Question 2: The Answer to post #11 says in part "Rule <G16> is violated if the defending Robot is Inside the Area defined by the soft foam floor tile (not including the tile connecting teeth) that contains the one-inch-wide strip of white gaffers tape at the same time that an opposing Alliance Robot is approaching their Alliance's Beacon." Rule G16 says "A Robot cannot cause an opposing Alliance Robot to become Pinned, Trapped, or Blocked for more than five seconds." May a robot contact an opposing alliance's robot that is on one of its tiles with white tape in front of a beacon if it does it defensively without blocking access to a beacon and if it does it for less than 5 seconds?

Question 3: Can a robot park on the opposing alliance's tile against the wall between the two beacons with no white tape during the last 20 seconds of the autonomous period?

Question 4: If the answer to Q3 is yes, will any penalties be assessed if the parked robot is then pushed onto a tile with white tape by one of the opposing alliance's robots? Would G17 would protect the robot in this scenario?

Answer 1: Yes, if an opposing Alliance Robot is not attempting to access the Beacon.

Answer 2: Yes, if no rules are violated. If a referee believes that the Robot's actions are part of a deliberate strategy, (s)he will watch carefully for a rule <G16> infraction.

Answer 3: In general, this action is allowed. The actions and locations of the other Robots may play a role in the legality of the scenario. For example, rule <G16> and the related guidance provided by the Game Design Committee in the game Q&A forum could come into play.

Answer 4: Rule <G17> would protect the defensive Robot in this scenario.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;G16&gt; Pinning, Trapping, or Blocking Robots - Access to a Beacon

Scenario: After the first 10 second in autonomous, a blue Alliance robot crosses onto the red side of the field and parks directly in between the two red alliance beacons, on the tile without any gaffers tape.

While this transpires, a red alliance robot moves toward the red alliance beacons closest to the corner vortex and claims it for their alliance. The red alliance robot then proceeds to move parallel with the field perimeter wall towards the second red alliance beacons and along the way it encounters the blue alliance robot mentioned above.

The red alliance robot is then able to push the blue alliance robot along the wall and onto the tile located directly in front of the second beacon (the one with the gaffers tape); however, the red robot was not able to push the blue robot far enough to gain access to their beacon.

Question 1: Would this be considered blocking access by the blue alliance robot?

Question 2: If the answer to question 1 is "yes", at what point would it be considered blocking access, at initial contact between robots or when the blue robot comes into contact with the tile in front of the beacon?

Question 3: Same scenario as above occurs, but the red alliance robot is able to push the blue robot completely across the tile in front of the beacon and still claim the beacon for the red alliance. Would this be considered blocking access?

Thank you.

Answer 1: No, the Blue Alliance Robot is protected by rule <G17>.

Answer 2: Not applicable.

Answer 3: No, the Blue Alliance Robot is protected by rule <G17>.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS7&gt; Autonomous Period Robot Keep Out Area - Pushing the Alliance's Cap Ball

Rule <GS7> specifies: Autonomous Period Robot Keep Out Area – Robots may not go Inside the opposing Alliance’s Area of the Playing Field during the first ten seconds of the Autonomous Period.

Question: May a robot intentionally knock its alliance's cap ball into the opposing alliance's side of the field in the first ten seconds of the autonomous period?

Answer: Yes.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;G16&gt; Pinning, Trapping, or Blocking Robots - Blocking Access to a Beacon

Scenario: During the autonomous period of several matches, a red alliance robot triggers both of their alliance's beacons to the correct color, before driving over to the opposing alliance's side of the field and parking in front of their beacon, inside the protected area. The protected area is the area defined by the soft foam floor tile (not including the tile connecting teeth) that contains the one-inch-wide strip of white gaffers tape.

Question 1: Does this violate any rules?

Question 2: Same as the scenario, except the blue alliance robot is in the protected area around the beacon before the red robot arrives. The red alliance robot pushes the blue alliance robot sideways away from the beacon and parks in front of the opposing alliance's beacon. Is this allowed?

Question 3: Same as the scenario, except the blue alliance robot is in the protected area around the beacon before the red robot arrives. The red alliance robot pins the blue alliance robot against the playing field perimeter wall, preventing the blue alliance robot from triggering their beacon.

Answer 1: The Red Alliance Robot's actions are allowed if a Blue Alliance Robot does not attempt to access the Blue Alliance Beacon that is Blocked by the Red Alliance Robot. Rule <G16> consequences come into play if the Blue Alliance Robot attempts to access the Blocked Beacon.

Answer 2: Yes, the action is allowed if the Blue Alliance Robot is not attempting to drive back to access the Beacon while the Red Alliance Robot is inside the protected Area in front the Beacon. Rule <G16> is violated if the Blue Alliance Robot attempts to maneuver back to the Beacon and it is Blocked by a Red Alliance Robot that is In the protected Area in front of the Beacon.

Answer 3: The Red Alliance Robot's actions violate rule <G16> for Pinning if the referee determines that it is a deliberate strategy. The Red Alliance Robot having performed this maneuver during several preceding Matches will influence the referee's determination of the Robot's intended strategy for the current Match.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;G16&gt; Blocking Access to an Alliance Specific Game Element &amp; &lt;GS6&gt;

I would like to get some clarification on what constitutes blocking of a beacon for a defensive autonomous routine. Please note all of these scenarios take place after the 10 second mark.

Question 1: If a red alliance robot on the red alliance side has fully entered the tile with the white line when a blue alliance robot enters the tile with the white line makes contact and pushes and prevents the red alliance from claiming the correct beacon color, is this considered blocking?

Question 2: If the incorrect button in question 1 was pressed due to robot contact, provided nothing else occurs with the beacon, is the beacon claimed for the blue alliance?

Question 3: If a red alliance robot on the red alliance side has not yet entered the tile with the white line when a blue alliance robot that is partially in the tile with the white line makes contact and pushes and prevents the red alliance robot from entering the tile with the white line, is this considered blocking?

Question 4: If a red alliance robot on the red alliance side has partially entered the tile with the white line when a blue alliance robot is moving through the tile with the white line makes contact and pushes and prevents the red alliance robot from fully entering the tile with the white line, is this considered blocking?

A Robot cannot incur a <G16> Penalty during the Autonomous Period unless it is determined by a referee to be part of a deliberate strategy. The defensive Robot's behavior in previous Matches will influence the referee's determination of the Robot's intended strategy for the current Match. It is stated in the post that the Blue Alliance Robot is executing a "defensive autonomous routine." Therefore, the following answers are based on the referee determining that the Blue Alliance Robot is intentionally playing defense.

Answer 1: No.

Answer 2: During the Autonomous Period, the answer depends on which Robot triggered the Beacon. A Red Alliance Beacon triggered by contact with a Red Alliance Robot is counted as Scored based on the illuminated color of the Beacon. A Red Alliance Beacon triggered by contact with a Blue Alliance Robot violates rule <GS6>.

Answer 3: Yes.

Answer 4: A Blue Alliance Robot entering the restricted Area around the Beacon before the Red Alliance Robot attempts to enter the restricted Area is Blocking if the Red Alliance Robot attempts to access the Beacon. A Blue Alliance Robot entering the restricted Area around the Beacon after the Red Alliance Robot enters the restricted Area is not Blocking.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS4&gt; Drive Team Touching the Driver Station After Beacon Randomization and &lt;G26&gt;

Question: During Autonomous, the robot was stopped prior to the end of the 30 seconds. Does the team receive a penalty or is the robot disabled for the driver controlled period?

Answer: The Robot may participate in the Driver-Controlled Period and multiple Penalties could come into play. Rule <G26> for egregious behavior is violated if the Drive Team stops their Robot during the Autonomous Period for strategic reasons. A rule <G26> violation will result in a Yellow Card and Major Penalty for the offending Team. Subsequent violations of rule <G26> will result in Team Disqualification from the tournament.

Section 1.5.2 in the Game Manual Part 2 states that "Teams are not allowed to control Robot behavior with the Driver Station or any other actions during the Autonomous Period." Rule <GS4> is violated if the Team uses the Driver Station or any other actions to stop their Robot from playing the game during the Autonomous Period. If rule <GS4> is violated, a Minor Penalty will be assessed and the affected Robot is not eligible to Claim a Beacon in the Autonomous Period.

Drive Teams may stop their Robot for safety reasons without Penalty. When possible, consult with a Field Technical Advisor or Referee before stopping a Robot for safety reasons during the Autonomous Period.

No Penalty is assessed when the robot controller software without intervention by the Team, stops the Robot from playing the game early.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS7&gt; Autonomous Period Robot Keep Out Area

Scenario: A red alliance robot is pressing the beacon button during its autonomous run. During the first 10 seconds of the autonomous period, a blue alliance robot intentionally crosses into the red alliance's side of the playing field and interferes with the red alliance robot. The red alliance robot is not able to continue its autonomous routine to claim the second beacon and move the cap ball off the center vortex base as it has successfully done in previous matches. Are any rules violated by the blue alliance robot?

Answer: Yes, rule <GS7> is violated because the Blue Alliance Robot entered the opposing Alliance's Area of the Playing Field during the first ten seconds of the Autonomous Period. A Major Penalty should be assessed because the action by the Blue Alliance Robot is not Inadvertent and Inconsequential.

[Air Jordan]

Center Vortex Scoring and Particle Eligibility for re-Scoring

Question: If a robot scores a particle in the center vortex during the autonomous period but the particle falls back onto the robot and does not touch the floor, does the robot still score the 15 points since the particle traveled through the vortex?

Answer: Yes, the Particle counts as Scored if it was released into the goal and rolled through the Vortex. The Particle "falling back onto the Robot" after Scoring does not cancel out the points awarded for the legally Scored Particle. The Particle is not eligible to be Scored again until it contacts the Playing Field Floor.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;G16&gt; Pinning, Trapping, or Blocking Robots - Beacon Access

Question: After the first 10 seconds of the Autonomous period, may RobotA repeatedly enter an opponent's tile with the white tape in front of a beacon, remain there for under 5 seconds, then leave the tile entirely for a second, and repeat the process over and over for the remainder of the Autonomous period, for the purpose of pushing or otherwise hindering opposing robots trying to push their beacon buttons, if there is no period of time when RobotA occupies the tile with the white tape for more than 5 consecutive seconds (as G16 says is necessary for Blocking penalties to apply)?

Answer: In this scenario, the Autonomous Period exception for enforcing rule <G16> does not apply because the Robot is using a deliberate strategy. The defensive Robot must move away at least three feet from the restricted Area around the Beacon after each Blocking event. Since the Team is intentionally violating or "gaming" a rule, they are likely to be warned by the referees about egregious behavior and the consequences or rule <G26>. In this scenario, the Team should expect the referees to rapidly escalate to applying <G26> consequences to the Team.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;G16&gt; Pinning, Trapping, or Blocking Robots - Beacon Access

Post #24 in the Autonomous Period - Answer Thread says:

"Question: After the first 10 seconds of the Autonomous period, may RobotA repeatedly enter an opponent's tile with the white tape in front of a beacon, remain there for under 5 seconds, then leave the tile entirely for a second, and repeat the process over and over for the remainder of the Autonomous period, for the purpose of pushing or otherwise hindering opposing robots trying to push their beacon buttons, if there is no period of time when RobotA occupies the tile with the white tape for more than 5 consecutive seconds (as G16 says is necessary for Blocking penalties to apply)?

Answer: In this scenario, the Autonomous Period exception for enforcing rule <G16> does not apply because the Robot is using a deliberate strategy. The defensive Robot must move away at least three feet from the restricted Area around the Beacon after each Blocking event. Since the Team is intentionally violating or "gaming" a rule, they are likely to be warned by the referees about egregious behavior and the consequences or rule <G26>. In this scenario, the Team should expect the referees to rapidly escalate to applying <G26> consequences to the Team."


Post #56 in the Miscellaneous Game Questions - Answer Thread says:

"Still need a little more clarification on defensive moves, sorry. <G16> appears to allow pinning, trapping and blocking for up to 5 seconds. Trying to be very direct:

Question 1: Can a robot directly block access to an opposing alliance's beacon for less than 5 seconds, without incurring a penalty, even if an opposing alliance's robot is attempting to score at that beacon?

Question 2: Can a robot push an opposing alliance's robot away from a beacon it is trying to score on without incurring a penalty? This assumes that the push is of reasonable intensity and not likely to harm a well-built robot.

Answer 1: Yes.

Answer 2: Yes."

Question: From these two answers, may we conclude that a robot (either in the Autonomous Period after 10 seconds or the Driver Controlled Period) may directly block access to an opposing alliance's beacon or push them away from a beacon for less than 5 seconds one time without penalty if they subsequently back away and do not attempt to repeat the strategy, but that a robot (either in the Autonomous Period after 10 seconds or the Driver Controlled Period) that attempts to do this repeatedly after only briefly backing away is subject to <G16> and possible <G26> penalties?

Answer: Yes.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS10&gt; Controlling an Opposing Alliance's Particle

Question 1: During the driver-controlled period, it seems fairly consistent across tournaments that GS10 penalties are not given until the robot passes the 5 second control time period. Is this the same for the Autonomous period?

Question 2: The response above includes "After the first Warning..." Does this mean that the first 5 second control in Autonomous/Teleop is just a warning? if not can you explain what is meant by the phase "After the first warning"?

Question 3: We also note ruling http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/showthre...ll=1#post33777 applies here. The brief control of opponent's particles in order to access the beacons is allowed. Our interpretation here is that pushing an opponent's particles while driving towards the beacon is not controlling, is that correct?

We'd appreciate a quick turnaround as our design window is rapidly shrinking! Thanks for the Challenge!

Answer 1: Yes, in the Autonomous and Driver-Controlled periods, a referee will give a <GS10> warning to the Drive Team followed by a five second count before a Penalty is assessed. If the Robot has not stopped Controlling the opposing Alliance's Particle after a five second period following a warning from a referee has passed, the escalation path should be followed and a Major Penalty assessed. An additional Minor Penalty should be assessed for each additional five second period that the violation continues.

Answer 2: See Answer #1.

Answer 3: Yes, the Robot's action is not a violation of rule <GS10> if the intent demonstrated by the Robot is to play offense (i.e. interact with the Beacon).