Skip to Main Content
VEX Events
 
VEX Robotics

Official Q&A: VEX U Robotics Competition 2026-2027: Override

Usage Guidelines All Questions

3178: Does <R28c> apply to both 5.5W and 11W motors for custom motor caps in VEX U?

CSTU
29-Jun-2026

According to <R28c>: "For the purposes of this rule, the V5 Smart Motor Cap is not considered 'part of the motor.' Therefore, <R27> applies." This clause does not specify which motor it applies to — it uses the general term "the V5 Smart Motor Cap."

However, in <R28a-ii>: "Removing or replacing the screws from the V5 Smart Motor Cap (276-6780)", the rule explicitly identifies the 11W motor's cap (276-6780) as the one whose screws may be removed, without mentioning the 5.5W motor.

Given that:

  1. Clause (c) is at the same letter-level as clause (a) under <R28> — it is a standalone, rule-level definition, not a sub-item of (a);
  2. Both the 11W (276-4840) and 5.5W (276-4842) V5 Smart Motors use the same V5 Smart Motor Cap (SKU 276-6780);
  3. Clause (c) defines the cap as "not part of the motor," meaning removing/replacing it is not a "modification to the motor" at all;

My questions are:

  1. Does <R28c> apply equally to both the 5.5W and 11W V5 Smart Motors?
  2. For VEX U, can teams remove the original motor cap from a 5.5W motor and replace it with a custom 3D-printed cap, just as they can with the 11W motor?
Answered by committee
6-Aug-2026

The V5 Smart Motor Cap mentioned multiple times in R28 is specific to the 11W motor, but the rule will be revised in the August 6 game manual update to extend the 11W motor's allowed modifications to equivalent parts of the 5.5W motor, including similar treatment of its motor cap as "not part of the motor".

For VEX U, can teams remove the original motor cap from a 5.5W motor and replace it with a custom 3D-printed cap, just as they can with the 11W motor?

Yes.