689: FIRST Design - Revision history

216.100.234.2: Added yet another rule violation that this bot would commit

2026-03-11T22:06:21Z

Added yet another rule violation that this bot would commit

198.86.68.116: Clarifying Water Game section and noting the reference to Dozer.

2026-03-10T22:03:20Z

Clarifying Water Game section and noting the reference to Dozer.

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2025-01-30T12:24:44Z

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2025-01-08T10:01:47Z

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2022-05-26T20:02:29Z

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2022-05-26T18:52:04Z

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Davidy22: Reverted edits by Explain xkcd server admin (talk) to last revision by Davidy22

2022-05-21T02:56:11Z

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Explain xkcd server admin at 21:37, 20 May 2022

2022-05-20T21:37:16Z

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@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 When the event starts, the robot moves off and deploys its umbrella. The trailer extends its arm, causing a lit match to set off the sprinkler, which causes the opposing robots to short out and malfunction. This allows the umbrella-protected robot to score goals without opposition.
-This may also be referencing how FIRST is famous for its bending of the rules, as loopholes are not only not against the rules, they are encouraged. This would be shown best by how Team 67 designed a robot that utilized a loophole, which allowed them to control a robot using an Xbox Kinect during the time where the robot is supposed to be autonomous. (This loophole has been removed in the rules for more recent competitions.) Note, however, that this would be simply illegal based of the [https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/frc/game-and-season-info/archive/2010/2010-breakaway-complete-manual.pdf 2010 FRC Breakaway rules], as rule S01 under section 7.3.1 Safety prevents dangerous robots from competing and R02 points E and F under section 8.3.1 Safety & Damage Prevention prevent "Flammable gases" and "Any devices intended to produce flames or pyrotechnics.". This rule could be bypassed if the sprinkler could also be triggered by smoke, which is the case in at least some venues, in which case a few capacitors in a circuit designed to destroy them could trigger the sprinkler system.
+This may also be referencing how FIRST is famous for its bending of the rules, as loopholes are not only not against the rules, they are encouraged. This would be shown best by how Team 67 designed a robot that utilized a loophole, which allowed them to control a robot using an Xbox Kinect during the time where the robot is supposed to be autonomous. (This loophole has been removed in the rules for more recent competitions.) Note, however, that this would be simply illegal based of the [https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/frc/game-and-season-info/archive/2010/2010-breakaway-complete-manual.pdf 2010 FRC Breakaway rules], as rule S01 under section 7.3.1 Safety prevents dangerous robots from competing and R02 points E and F under section 8.3.1 Safety & Damage Prevention prevent "Flammable gases" and "Any devices intended to produce flames or pyrotechnics.". This rule could be bypassed if the sprinkler could also be triggered by smoke, which is the case in at least some venues, in which case a few capacitors in a circuit designed to destroy them could trigger the sprinkler system. It would also violate rule G36 under section 7.3.5 Robot Operation, which specifies that "strategies aimed solely at the destruction, damage, tipping over, or entanglement of ROBOTS... are not allowed."
 In addition, this comic may references several memes in the FRC community. The sprinklers may be a reference to the "Water Game" joke, in which students in FIRST programs insist that next year's game "will be a water game for sure," which it never is. The robot shown in the comic is likely patterned after [https://blog.thebluealliance.com/2014/10/10/sa-dozer-does-it/ Dozer], a robot featured in some of FIRST's official media from 2010-2014 that is held to represent a loveable but ultimately ineffective design. Dozer is no longer featured in FRC game animations, but has become a meme in some corners of the community.

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 This may also be referencing how FIRST is famous for its bending of the rules, as loopholes are not only not against the rules, they are encouraged. This would be shown best by how Team 67 designed a robot that utilized a loophole, which allowed them to control a robot using an Xbox Kinect during the time where the robot is supposed to be autonomous. (This loophole has been removed in the rules for more recent competitions.) Note, however, that this would be simply illegal based of the [https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/frc/game-and-season-info/archive/2010/2010-breakaway-complete-manual.pdf 2010 FRC Breakaway rules], as rule S01 under section 7.3.1 Safety prevents dangerous robots from competing and R02 points E and F under section 8.3.1 Safety & Damage Prevention prevent "Flammable gases" and "Any devices intended to produce flames or pyrotechnics.". This rule could be bypassed if the sprinkler could also be triggered by smoke, which is the case in at least some venues, in which case a few capacitors in a circuit designed to destroy them could trigger the sprinkler system.
-In addition, this comic may be a reference to the water game meme in FRC, where most students really want a game to involve water, even though this is unlikely to ever happen due to the safety concerns about using electronics near water.
+In addition, this comic may references several memes in the FRC community. The sprinklers may be a reference to the "Water Game" joke, in which students in FIRST programs insist that next year's game "will be a water game for sure," which it never is. The robot shown in the comic is likely patterned after [https://blog.thebluealliance.com/2014/10/10/sa-dozer-does-it/ Dozer], a robot featured in some of FIRST's official media from 2010-2014 that is held to represent a loveable but ultimately ineffective design. Dozer is no longer featured in FRC game animations, but has become a meme in some corners of the community.
 The title text is an excuse presented by the umbrella robot team, presumably because they won but are facing disqualification. This excuse seems weak because none of the venues have a rooftop pool.{{Citation needed}} The comment "the pool on the roof must've sprung a leak" is a quote from the 1995 movie ''{{w|Hackers (film)|Hackers}}'', a film that would later be referenced in [[1247: The Mother of All Suspicious Files]] and [[1337: Hack]].

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 In addition, this comic may be a reference to the water game meme in FRC, where most students really want a game to involve water, even though this is unlikely to ever happen due to the safety concerns about using electronics near water.
-The title text is an excuse presented by the umbrella robot team, presumably because they won but are facing disqualification. This excuse seems weak because none of the venues have a rooftop pool.{{Citation needed}} The comment "the pool on the roof must've sprung a leak" is a quote from the 1995 movie {{w|Hackers (film)|''Hackers''}}, a film that would later be referenced in [[1247: The Mother of All Suspicious Files]] and [[1337: Hack]].
+The title text is an excuse presented by the umbrella robot team, presumably because they won but are facing disqualification. This excuse seems weak because none of the venues have a rooftop pool.{{Citation needed}} The comment "the pool on the roof must've sprung a leak" is a quote from the 1995 movie ''{{w|Hackers (film)|Hackers}}'', a film that would later be referenced in [[1247: The Mother of All Suspicious Files]] and [[1337: Hack]].
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 In addition, this comic may be a reference to the water game meme in FRC, where most students really want a game to involve water, even though this is unlikely to ever happen due to the safety concerns about using electronics near water.
-The title text is an excuse presented by the umbrella robot team, presumably because they won but are facing disqualification. This excuse seems weak because none of the venues have a rooftop pool.{{Citation needed}} The comment "the pool on the roof must've sprung a leak" is a quote from the 1995 movie "Hackers".
+The title text is an excuse presented by the umbrella robot team, presumably because they won but are facing disqualification. This excuse seems weak because none of the venues have a rooftop pool.{{Citation needed}} The comment "the pool on the roof must've sprung a leak" is a quote from the 1995 movie {{w|Hackers (film)|''Hackers''}}, a film that would later be referenced in [[1247: The Mother of All Suspicious Files]] and [[1337: Hack]].
 ==Transcript==