This Q&A is now read-only
Official Q&A: VEX U Robotics Competition 2025-2026: Push Back
2637: VUR13b: Through Bore Encoders
<VUR13a> “For the purposes of this rule, any system that integrates Sensors with other mechanical parts that are fabricated by anyone other than Team members and which serve more use than the basic definition of a Sensor would be considered an Electromechanical Assembly, and is therefore not legal.” <VUR13b> “Examples may include but are not limited to: odometry pods and through-bore encoder housings.” <VUR13c> “Commercially available Sensors with simple plastic housings that do not have any use beyond protecting internal components and aiding in mounting of the Sensor are not considered Electromechanical Assemblies.”
<VUR13b> states that through-bore encoder housings are considered Electromechanical Assemblies and therefore illegal.
A similar question was asked last year (Q&A 2568) after a similar definition of Electromechanical Assemblies, and the REV Through Bore Encoder was deemed legal because it is a commercially available sensor with a simple plastic housing for protecting internal components and mounting. The sensor, like the VEX encoders, is through-bore.
- Is the REV Through Bore Encoder still legal this year? https://www.revrobotics.com/rev-11-1271/
- If the REV Through Bore Encoder is legal for the Push Back season, what would be an example of a through-bore encoder that is illegal?
<VUR13b> will be updated to remove through-bore encoder housings as examples of commercially available Electromechanical Assemblies.
The intent of <VUR13b> is to prevent teams from using off-the-shelf products that combine electronics and fabricated parts (not made or assembled by the Team) into a single packaged solution.
We want Sensors like simple encoders to be legal so that Teams are able to incorporate them into their own fabricated solutions to be legal, but we do not want Teams to be able to buy off-the-shelf solutions to problems they face.
Commercially available Sensors that require work to integrate into a larger mechanism should be considered legal, but a purchased solution that just needs to be mounted and forgotten about is not within the ethos of the VEX U Robotics Competition.