Q&A

Can a motor be rigged to be hot swapped?

This is done by taking out the cover screws from the motor cover. The cover is is mounted to the robot in the traditional way with mounting screws. The motor case is then fastened to the cover with either zip ties or rubber bands. This allows a participant to quickly be able to replace a malfunctioning motor during competition.

In this previous ruling, it was determined that <VUR5> takes priority over <VUR6>:

https://events.vex.com/VEXU/2020-2021/QA/674

However, this is contradictory to every other instance of past rulings regarding <VUR6> and the wording of <VUR6> in the game manual.

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For example, consider a typical custom sensor such as the pixy camera:

https://www.robotshop.com/en/charmed-labs-pixy-2-cmucam5-image-sensor.html

This sensor violates <R6>, <R7>, <R8>, <R10>, <R12>, <R20>, <R22>, as well as <VUR3> and <VUR8>.

VUR3 restricts the materials allowed, but this sensor violates the allowed materials.

VUR8 restricts the screw sizes allowed, but this sensor may have smaller screws than the allowed limit.

As another example, considerer a vex IQ sensor: https://www.vexrobotics.com/228-3014.html

This sensor would violate <R6>, <R7>, <R8>, <R10>, <R12>, <R20>, <R22>, as well as <VUR3> and <VUR2b>.

<VUR2b> restricts teams from using any vex IQ electronics, which would include this sensor.

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Because <VUR6> specifically states "There is no restriction on sensors and other additional electronics that Robots may use for sensing and processing" it has been understood by most VexU teams that <VUR6> takes priority over all the other rules in the game manual. Logically this would also mean <VUR6> would take priority over <VUR5>.

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Several other Q/As over the years have verified this as correct as the wording on <VUR6> has not significantly changed since these rulings:

https://www.vexforum.com/t/answered-vexu-speakers-as-part-of-custom-sensor/42312

https://www.vexforum.com/t/answered-vex-u-old-college-q-a-updates/23810

https://www.vexforum.com/t/answered-custom-sensor-housing/19582/2

These three Q/As verify that <VUR6> would take priority over <VUR3> and <VUR8> as well as all the regular game manual rules mentioned above.

Furthermore, the following Q/A shows that <VUR6> would also take priority over <VUR5>:

https://www.vexforum.com/t/answered-vex-u-non-vex-servo-motors-for-a-custom-sensor/35538

This allowed external non vex motors used solely for manipulating custom sensors.

If this were the case, it would agree with the wording of <VUR6>. There are numerous sensors and processing boards that rely on motors to operate.

For example, many full field lidar systems such as:

https://www.robotshop.com/en/rplidar-a1m8-360-degree-laser-scanner-development-kit.html

rely on an integrated motor to spin the lidar enabling it to map the field. VexU teams have legally used similar lidar systems in the past and may plan to do so again this season.

Another example would be the Nvidia Jetson Xavier NX listed below:

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems/jetson-xavier-nx/

This processing board has a built-in fan on its heatsink that is critical to its function as a processing unit.

A third example is the pixy tilt and pan kit: https://pixycam.com/pixy2-pan-tilt-kit/ (ruled legal in the above Q/A linked).

Without these integrated motors, none of these sensors or processing units could function as intended.

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Therefore, which rules, if any, restrict the "no restriction" clause of <VUR6>?

Furthermore, if <VUR5> does not apply to <VUR6>, then was the previous ruling in QA#674 an error?

If <VUR5> is applicable, are 360-degree Lidar sensors and the Nvidia Jetson processing boards also illegal? If all VexU appendix rules also apply to <VUR6>, then does that mean that there are no legal VexU custom sensors?

What is the legality of cutting a support hole off on a shaft encoder? Would this fall under R22 or R23? <R22> No modifications to electronic components are allowed. Motors (including the internal PTC or Smart Motor firmware), microcontrollers (including V5 Robot Brain firmware), extension cords, sensors, controllers, battery packs, reservoirs, solenoids, pneumatic cylinders, and any other electrical component or pneumatics component of the VEX platform may NOT be altered from their original state in ANY way.
<R23> Most modifications and repairs to non-electrical components are allowed. Physical modifications such as bending or cutting are permitted and may be done to legal VEX Robotics Competitionmetal structure or plastic components.

Yesterday, <R22>-d was updated to

Teams may make the following modifications to the V5 Smart Motor. No other modifications are permitted. i. Changing or replacing the gear cartridge with other official replacement cartridges. ii. Replacing the V5 Smart Motor Cap (276-6780). iii. Replacing the threaded mounting inserts (276-6781).

There is a common technique used by many VRC teams, known as quick swap, where the screws holding the cap onto the motor are removed and instead zip-ties are used to hold the motor together. While this doesn't affect matches, it greatly reduces the time required to troubleshoot a misbehaving motor, allowing students to spend more time on the engineering process. While this has previously been considered legal, Quesiton 673 and the new changes to <R22>-d seem to prohibit any modifications to the motor other than replacing a cap, swapping the gear cartridge, or replacing the threaded inserts. Is quick swapping still permitted, and is it considered to be a modification?

Attached is a labeled picture of all the components of a VEX V5 Smart Motor and its Gear Cartridge:

For each individual labeled part, is it legal for VRC Teams to do one or multiple of the following:

• Modify the part using legal modification techniques.
• Replace the part with a legally manufactured part.
• Remove the part.
• Use the part for other purposes outside of the motor (e.g. using the J type screws elsewhere in the robot construction).

I understand that the legality of modifying/replacing/removing/using elsewhere of some of these parts has previously been ruled upon in the following Q&As: https://events.vex.com/VRC/2020-2021/QA/610

https://events.vex.com/VRC/2020-2021/QA/490

https://events.vex.com/VRC/2020-2021/QA/101

However, my goal with this Q&A is to remove any ambiguity as to the legality of modifications made to V5 Smart Motors or the Motor Cartridge.

Attached is a labeled picture of all the components of a VEX V5 Smart Motor and its Gear Cartridge:

For each individual labeled part, is it legal for VEXU Teams to do one or multiple of the following:

• Modify the part using legal modification techniques.
• Replace the part with a legally manufactured part.
• Remove the part.
• Use the part for other purposes outside of the motor (e.g. using the J type screws elsewhere in the robot construction).

I understand that the legality of modifying/replacing/removing/using elsewhere of some of these parts has previously been ruled uponin the following Q&As: https://events.vex.com/VEXU/2020-2021/QA/611

https://events.vex.com/VEXU/2020-2021/QA/612

https://events.vex.com/VEXU/2020-2021/QA/650

https://events.vex.com/VEXU/2020-2021/QA/652

However, my goal with this Q&A is to remove any ambiguity as to the legality of modifications made to V5 Smart Motors or the Motor Cartridge.

What is considered modifying a motor? It has been previously ruled that removing the motor screws does not count, but does removing other parts count?

Similarly to a motor screw, the motor cap is a non-electronic part sold separately on the VEX website, so do you consider removing it from the motor a modification?

Furthermore, can they be modified? Can you cut a motor screw to be shorter or or add another hole in the motor cap for a screw?

<R22>Rule R22 L states that no 3d printed parts can be used, even for license plates. Last year one of my teams used 3d printed license plates as well as 3d printed license plate holders since it was allowed. I just want to clarify if we are no longer allowed to do that.<R22>

For the past few years, <R16> covered the rules on allowed modifications. This year, many but not all of those rules moved to <R22>. One rule that dis not move was last year's <R16>g regarding the allowed use of Loctite or other threads locking solutions. Since this rule did bot move to any other part of the document, does that mean that Loctite is no longer allowed? Or is this a possible oversight which will be added in a future revision?

<R22>

Our teams will use the legacy pneumatic parts. One of the SMC parts has been replaced with a newer version. The part is on/off switch (hand/finger valve) is part number VHK3-04F-04F. The newer version works the same way except that is goes directly into the reservoir Here's the link to SMC, https://www.smcpneumatics.com/VHK3A-04F-04F.html. May we use the newer version with identical part number, VHK3-04F-04F?

Hi, In past seasons R22 had a subsection g which stated

Mechanical fasteners may be secured using Loctite or a similar thread-locking product. This may ONLY be used for securing hardware, such as screws and nuts.

However, this subsection is not present in the latest version of the Tipping Point Game Manual. This rule, or an equivalent, has been present in the game manual for a long time, so it seems odd to me that it would suddenly be removed. In Tower Takeover, a similar error was made, and was corrected: https://events.vex.com/VRC/2019-2020/QA/276

Is it legal to use Threadlocker such as Loctite for the sole purpose of securing hardware, such as screws and nuts?

Thank you.