Trajectory B/C - 2010

[fschultz]

Post questions.

[fschultz]

Question: I have a question on the wording of the trajectory regulations in section 3b where it says it must "fit witinin a 60 cm cube prior to all launches." Does this mean that if the arm at full height is above 60 cm high that it needs to be shorter?
Would it be possible to ask the event coordinator or should I just wait till regionals to find out?

[scoots]

That is the way I read the rules. Last year the device only had to fit before any launch. So the arm could be outside the cube as long it was inside when the supervisors measured the device before the event began. I would consider "prior to all launches" to mean just before the device to triggered. Last year this rule read "prior to the first launch"

[Mark Denniston]

May a competitor bring a laptop computer to use as a reference material for the competition? For example, the laptop could be used for referring to launch data, etc. If so, does it need to be impounded?

[Mark Denniston]

According to the Event Parameters listed, students are to develop and use performance data and calibration charts to assist them in determining the best launch parameters. Copies of graphs and other materials teams will use must be impounded prior to competition. May a competitor bring a laptop computer to use as a reference for performance data and calibration charts? I assume the laptop would need to be impounded.

[bhinaus]

As event coordinator, when I read the rules 2b "...copies of graphs... must be impounded" and 6bii "Each graph table pair must be on a seperate sheet of paper ..." it seems that the intent of the rule is to turn in the table/graph data in on paper. Since the graph/table need to be on paper to be graded, it seems to not allow the use of a computer.

[bhinaus]

Question: I have a question on the wording of the trajectory regulations in section 3b where it says it must "fit witinin a 60 cm cube prior to all launches." Does this mean that if the arm at full height is above 60 cm high that it needs to be shorter?
Would it be possible to ask the event coordinator or should I just wait till regionals to find out?

As event coordinator, I interpret this rule as follows: It has to fit inside the box before each of the 4 lauches they have. If they fold the arm down to make it fit inside the box while being measured, it satisfies the rule. But if they have to fold the arm to get their device into the box then unflod it to get it into the proper launch position, that would take time and count against their 10 minutes they are allowed to make their launches(rule 4g). I would say the time to measure the device is the time it takes to 1.)pick it up, place it in the box 2.) measure and 3.) take it out; this time does not count against the 10 minutes for launching. But "disassembly and reassembly"time required to get it ready to go in the box, does count against the 10 min.

[Shuff]

3.B The launching device must fit within a 70 cm cube for B division, 60 cm cube for C division prior to all launches. Any weights used to stabilize the device must be within the respective cube.

I think that we need a lawyer to interpret the section “prior to all launches”. Does this mean put the device into the cube than take it out and make it bigger and launch or it has to fit in the cube just before the trigger is pulled?

[scoots]

Here are the National Event clarifications http://soinc.org/node/293

02/17/2010 - 15:00 "Prior to launching" is rather vague. Does it mean right before launch or when it hasn't been set up for launch?

Prior to launch means immediately before the trigger releases the projectile.

To me this means the device cannot be outside the box.

[bhinaus]

I guess the national site has clarified the issue of of "prior to all launces" as qutoed in the previous post. Immediately before the lauch, the device has to fit inside the cube, so this would not allow any "unfolding" of devices after being measured. So ignore my previous post about this subject.