Testing Robot off Tether

[FRC2973]

<T02> Radio control mode of ROBOT operation is not permitted in areas anywhere outside the ARENA or practice field. ROBOTS must only be operated by tether when not within the ARENA or practice field.

This prohibition from running wireless with the team's radio except in the ARENA (although not stated in the manual, we were required to use an FRC provided radio on the practice field) precludes troubleshooting any problems with the telemetry system, since the tether takes that part of the system out of the loop. This has potentially contributed to the significant delays in starting matches since these problems must be corrected on the field during the reset period.

Would the GDC consider amending this rule to allow untethered operation in some managed way at each competition, such as at specific times and/or locations where it would not interfere with the matches taking place in the ARENA?

[GDC]

The use of FIRST hardware at the Practice Field is to insure that teams are not required to reconfigure their own hardware after using the Practice Field to play on the Competition Field, which would likely lead to different and possibly additional issues. It is also controlled wireless that will not interfere with the field's access point. Use of team hardware to run wirelessly off the competition field may cause interference with the field and adds risk to the event.

This concept will be one of the things considered for 2011.