G42 Clarification

[2010FRC1370]

Rule G42 states:

ARENA Reset Delay - ROBOTS must release any portions of the TOWER, PLATFORM, or ALLIANCE ROBOT without power after a MATCH. Violation: YELLOW CARD.

Our team interpreted this rule to mean that a robot must lower itself at the end of the match under no power, we were leaning towards letting the motors back drive with no load but were concerned about damaging other robots when our lift is deenergized.

Do we need to lower without power?

[GDC]

The intent behind Rule <G42> is for the ROBOTS to be designed such that they can be removed from the ARENA by the TEAM members after the completion of the MATCH without requiring the application of electrical power. One way to address this is to design any grasping/latching mechanism to be back-drivable. But also please pay attention to Rule <G05> - if a mechanism back-drives under just its own weight, it may cause the ROBOT to move out of scoring position before the scores are determined.