Robot Track Meet Updates

Dear coaches and interested Robot Track Meeters…

The track meets are fast approaching, with Kennebunk less than 3 weeks away.  The number of teams and the number of team members have already surpassed the last few years and we expect them to keep going up.  If you know of teams that haven’t registered, let them know they need to get it in!

A few housekeeping notes about the Steeplechase:

• The steeplechase directions for building the board are off.  The actual building directions are correct, but the diagram for cutting the pieces has one of the pieces listed as 12”x26” Landing Bottom, when it should read 12”x24” Landing Bottomsorry for any confusion.
• The directions for the steeplechase don’t specify the transition from the floor onto the ramp.  There will be a section of the foam liner taped down onto the floor with a flap of foam liner from the ramp that overlaps onto the floor piece.  The black line extends over both.
• The dimensions of the start of the Steeplechase are not specified (sorry).  But the “start line” will be 6” from the base of the ramp and the robot must start completely behind this and time will start when it passes the line.  Next year there WILL be a back line 12” away, but we didn’t specify so it won’t be applied this year.  Therefore longer robots will not be disqualified.
• Both the start line and the stop line are sharpies drawn on the foam liner, they are NOT electrical tape.
• The transition from the ramp to the pit are not clear (there are three different possible interpretations to this, again sorry).  The ramp will end at the inner edge of the pit.  There is NO “landing” of any kind at the edge of the ramp and there is at least an additional 1/4” drop off the edge of the ramp into the pit due to the thickness of the wood used to make the ramp.
• We have COOL new ribbons this year for the GOLD STANDARD winners, rather than the paper certificates we’ve used the past two years.  Coaches should work with their team members to make sure all of the responsible children (and only the responsible children) are listed for a particular robot and event.  Gold Standard ribbons are given to all of the members associated with a particular robot that succeeds at a particular event (or bridge or speed build)

The Steeplechase is a new event this year and obviously we miss little details.  Thanks to all those who find them and are patient in pointing them out.  Remember we try to err on the side of ingenuity rather than rule picking.