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Official Q&A: VEX U Robotics Competition 2025-2026: Push Back
2978: <R24> Naturally coloured fabricated parts interfering with sensors.
Per <R24> d.
Decorations that visually mimic Field Elements or Blocks, or that could otherwise interfere with an opponent’s Vision Sensor, are considered functional and are not permitted.
Now teams are allowed to make custom Fabricated parts out of legal raw stock, specifically 3D printed parts. Thus the specific wording of <R24> can generate some grey areas doe to the nature of Vex U
Bellow Questions assume that parts are not straight clones of game piece attached to robots
Q1) Can a legally fabricated, interntionally functional part violate clause d. ? (eg. hand sized rectangular chassis caps, roller plates similar to vex sprockets etc.)
Q2) Does the pigmentation of the PLA Raw stock count as decoration while the plastic caounts as a fabricated part.
Q3) Does the prasing "could otherwise interfere with an opponent’s Vision Sensor" apply to legally fabricated funtional parts, or legal vex v5 parts? (eg, a robot chassis being mostly colured red through a, annodized vex c-channel, or b. red Polycarbonare/3d printed PLA)
Q3b) Would fabritating a chassis of pure clear poly carbonated and using a multiple large red vex gears on the outer face of the chassis voilate clause d.? (since the large gears could be mistake for Blocks)
Q4) Could you provide some examples of ways to violate clause d. to assist in implementing this rule. Mainly on what would cross the threshold of "interferinging" with an opponents vision sensor
Q1. Yes, a fabricated functional part can be disallowed by <R24d>.
Q2. No, the color of PLA or other material is an inherent property of the raw stock.
Q3. If any part is deemed to intentionally interfere with an opponent's vision system, it can be considered a violation of <R24d>.
Q3b. Most likely not, although if the red gears are used solely to interfere with the opponent's vision system instead of being used as gears, a head referee could reasonably consider it an <R24d> violation.
Q4. Clause D is intended to prevent teams from using the following as decorations:
- Game pieces or Field Elements
- Images depicting game pieces or Field Elements
- Anything that mimics the shape, size, and color of a game piece or Field Element
Clause D is not intended to prevent Teams from coloring their robots red or blue just because game pieces are red and blue. Please don't overthink this.