The official VEX V5 Robotics Competition Question & Answer system has closed for this season.
Official Q&A: VEX V5 Robotics Competition 2024-2025: High Stakes
2490: Functional or Non-Functional
Q&A 2248 states that non-functional elements, such as a license plate that is not backed by a functional structure, will not be considered in the context of SC8(4).
Q&A 2364 states that zip ties are functional elements that can be used to meet the criteria of SC8(4).
QUESTION: Is the head referee required to determine if a zip tie is, in fact, serving a function other than extending the robot's reach? (It seems counterintuitive that a required robot part like a license plate would not count as "contact" when an optional item like a zip tie would, especially if neither is serving any other function on the robot.)
QUESTION: Are the same criteria (functional/nonfunctional) used to determine if a part of the robot is "breaking the plane of the starting line" in the context of SC8(3) (and other rules regarding robot orientation vis-a-vis field boundaries)?
QUESTION: Is the head referee required to determine if a zip tie is, in fact, serving a function other than extending the robot's reach?
The game manual classifies a zip tie is a functional component. No judgment call is required.
As described in rule <R9>, "Inspectors and Head Referees will have final say in what is considered “non-functional"" for components that aren't standard Robot parts.
QUESTION: Are the same criteria (functional/nonfunctional) used to determine if a part of the robot is "breaking the plane of the starting line" in the context of SC8(3) (and other rules regarding robot orientation vis-a-vis field boundaries)?
A non-functional decoration cannot help a Team achieve a game objective (e.g., completing an Autonomous Win Point task) but is a part of the Robot for the purposes of Robot sizing.
All non-functional decorations must fit within the Robot's starting and expanded size limits. If a non-functional decoration is contacting or breaking the plane of the Starting Line, that Robot has not completed that AWP task.