RE: Question about chassis

[FRC1743]

This question is in response to this thread:
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=11519

According to a contact at Innovation First, the kitbot chassis that came in the 2008 KOP is identical to the kit currently sold by the company, thus satisfying all relevant rules for COTS part usage (assuming that it is still in mint condition). Can you please specify which components were custom to the 2008 KOP? Since IFI sells the kitbot components individually, I suspect that there must be something in that box that is still legal for use. Thank you for your guidance.

[FRC1618]

This thread (http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=11519) indicates that the IFI Kitbot chassis is not legal under <R32-B>. As I understand their site, item KITBOT from Innovation First, Inc. (who presumably meets all requirements of a VENDOR) is still commercially available for anybody (you, me, NASA, Uncle Bubba's Robot Shop) to purchase and use in a multitude of configurations.

This brings up two questions:

a) Would a team that purchased a KITBOT from Innovation First after the 2009 FRC Kickoff be able to use it?

b) Would a team that stored away a KITBOT from a past season (or passed one out of charity) be able to raid the closet for it, provided that the COMPONENTS used are still considered COTS?

[GDC]

The 2008 kit-bot chassis was custom-made for the 2008 FRC competition by Innovation First, Inc. That IFI now sells the chassis as a COTS item does not change the status of the 2008 chassis elements provided as part of the 2008 Kit Of Parts. COTS items recovered from a previous ROBOT can only be used if all three conditions listed in Rule <R32> are satisfied. A 2008 kit-bot chassis does not satisfy item <R32-B>, and would therefore be a prohibited item. Note however, that a current chassis element similar in form/function, obtained as a purely COTS purchase (i.e. not re-used from a previous ROBOT) would be permitted under Rule <R31>.