This Q&A is now read-only
Official Q&A: VEX U Robotics Competition 2025-2026: Push Back
2639: R26c: Releasing Air (the PYRO question)
<R26c> “The compressed air contained inside a pneumatic subsystem can only be used to actuate legal pneumatic devices (e.g., cylinders).” <R26 red bubble> “Another way of thinking of <R26c> is that ‘pneumatics should only be used with pneumatics.’ Teams should not use compressed air as a means of actuating non-pneumatic devices such as screws, nuts, etc. For example, pulling a pin with a pneumatic cylinder is okay, but using air to actuate the pin itself is not.” <VUR14> does not address this issue at all.
This “air inside a pneumatic system can only actuate cylinders” rule has been around for awhile, but for the past few years, teams have been allowed to release air mid-game (typically to do things the robot is not allowed to do with an arm). Historically, it has been descoring game elements. I do not want to argue if descoring is legal or illegal in this question. I will post that separately. What I would like to know is if releasing air (regardless of the reason) will be legal or illegal in the Push Back game. It seems to me like using air to do anything other than actuate a cylinder should be illegal since it would be “actuating non-pneumatic devices.” The following videos demonstrate previous robots that released air to move game objects or help their robot move:
Spin Up: https://youtu.be/M9IQYp8dq_k?t=141 Over Under: https://youtu.be/oMStQ_CMciQ?t=606 High Stakes (concept only; not used in game): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoxZ2JFlv8k
The legality of “Rapid Pneumatic Depressurization” question was asked in the Over Under season, and it was deemed legal because, as the answer to Q&A 1635 put it: “in general, VUR13 can be interpreted as wholly superseding R22.” Here is the question:
- Is releasing air to move / block scoring elements / robots legal in Push Back?
- Does <VUR14> “wholly supersede” <R26> to the extent that no part of <R26> is applied in VEXU?
Note: this response was revised to reiterate that VURC and VAIRC Robots are not limited to two reservoir tanks.
Thank you for your question. We acknowledge that in prior seasons we have allowed very loose interpretations of the V5RC pneumatic restrictions as they're applied in VURC Matches.
For the Push Back season, clause C and the red box of rule <R26> apply in VURC and VAIRC Matches as written, with the exception that VURC and VAIRC Robots are not limited to two reservoir tanks. Rule <VUR14> does not wholly supersede rule <R26>.
Releasing air to move or block scoring elements or Robots in Push Back Matches is not legal (although we'll fully admit that it could have been exciting to watch!).