Inspection Rules

• Subsystem 1: Mobile robotic base including wheels, tracks, legs, or any other mechanism that allows the Robot to navigate the majority of the flat playing field surface. For a stationary Robot, the robotic base without wheels would be considered Subsystem 1.
• Subsystem 2: Power and control system that includes a legal VEX battery, a legal VEX control system, and associated motors for the mobile robotic base.
• Subsystem 3: Additional mechanisms (and associated motors) that allow manipulation of Rings, Field Elements, or Climbing the Ladder.

Given the above definitions, a minimum Robot for use in any VEX V5 Robotics Competition event (including Skills Challenges) must consist of subsystems 1 and 2 above. Thus, if you are swapping out an entire subsystem 1 or 2, you have now created a second Robot and have Violated this rule.

1. Teams may not compete with one Robot while a second is being modified or assembled at a competition.
2. Teams may not have an assembled second Robot on-hand at a competition that is used to repair or swap parts with the first Robot.
3. Teams may not switch back and forth between multiple Robots during a competition. This includes using different Robots for Skills Challenges, Qualification Matches, and/or Elimination Matches.
4. Multiple Teams may not use the same Robot. Once a Robot has competed under a given Team number at an event, it is “their” Robot; no other Teams may compete with it.

<R2> Robots must represent the Team’s skill level. The Robot must be designed, built, and programmed by members of the Team. Adults are expected to mentor and teach design, building, and Programming Skills to the Students on the Team, but may not design, build, or program that Team’s Robot. See rules <G2> and <G4>.

<R3> Robots must pass inspection. Every Robot will be required to pass a full inspection before being cleared to compete. This inspection will ensure that all Robot rules and regulations are met. Initial inspections will take place during team registration/practice time. Noncompliance with any Robot design or construction rule will result in removal from Matches or Disqualification of the Robot at an event until the Robot is brought back into compliance, as described in the following subclauses.

1. Significant changes to a Robot, such as a partial or full swap of Subsystem 3, must be re-inspected before the Robot may compete again.
2. All possible functional Robot configurations must be inspected before being used in competition. This especially pertains to modular or swappable mechanisms (per <R1>) and Match starting configurations/sizes (per <R4>).
3. Teams may be requested to submit to spot inspections by Head Referees. Refusal to submit will result in Disqualification.
   1. If a Robot is determined to be in Violation of a Robot rule before a Match begins, the Robot will be removed from the Field. A Drive Team Member may remain at the Field so that the Team does not get assessed a “no-show” (per <T5>).
4. Robots which have not passed inspection (i.e., that may be in Violation of one or more Robot rules) will not be permitted to play in any Matches until they have done so. <T5> will apply to any Matches that occur until the Robot has passed inspection.
5. If a Robot has passed inspection, but is later confirmed to be in Violation of a Robot rule during or immediately following a Match by a Head Referee, they will be Disqualified from that Match. This is the only Match that will be affected; any prior Matches that have already been completed will not be revisited. <R3d> will apply until the Violation is remedied and the Team is re-inspected.
6. All Inspection Rules are to be enforced within the discretion of the Head Referee within a given event. Robot legality at one event does not automatically imply legality at future events. Robots which rely on “edge-case” interpretations of subjective rules, such as whether a decoration is “non-functional” or not, should expect additional scrutiny during inspection.

<R4> Robots must fit within an 18” x 18” x 18” volume.

1. Compliance with this rule must be checked using the official VEX Robotics On-Field Robot Expansion Sizing Tool.
2. Any restraints used to maintain starting size (i.e., zip ties, rubber bands, etc.) must remain attached to the Robot for the duration of the Match, per <G6>.
3. For the purposes of this rule, it can be assumed that Robots will be inspected and begin each Match on a flat standard foam field tile.
   

   The official sizing tool is intentionally manufactured with a slightly oversized tolerance. Therefore, any contact with the sizing tool (i.e., a “paper test”) while being measured should be considered a clear indication that a Robot is outside of the permitted size. This tolerance also provides a slight “leeway” for minor protrusions, such as screw heads or zip ties.

   Other tools, such as custom sizing boxes or the legacy non-expanding VEX Sizing Tool (276-2086), may be used for informal checks. However, in the event of a conflict or “close call,” a check with the official On-Field Robot Expansion Sizing Tool takes precedence.

<R5> Robots may only expand horizontally in one direction. Robots who choose to expand horizontally must demonstrably meet all criteria listed in rule <SG2>. The configuration / “expansion direction” that is measured during inspection must also be the direction used during Match play.

<R6> Robots must be safe. following types of mechanisms and components are NOT allowed:

1. Those that could potentially damage Field Elements or Scoring Objects.
2. Those that could potentially damage other competing Robots.
3. Those that pose an unnecessary risk of Entanglement with other Robots or Field Elements.
4. Those that could pose a potential safety hazard to Drive Team Members, event staff, or other humans.

<R7> Robots are built from the VEX V5 system. Robots may be built ONLY using official VEX V5 components, unless otherwise specifically noted within these rules. Product pages on the VEX Robotics website should be used as the official definitive source for determining if a product is a “V5 component.”

1. Products from the VEXpro, VEX EXP, VEX IQ, VEX GO, VEX 123, VEX CTE, VEX AIM, VEX AIR, or VEX Robotics by HEXBUG* product lines cannot be used for Robot construction, unless specifically allowed by a clause of <R7> or “cross-listed” as part of the VEX V5 Product lines. For example, Flex Wheels and VersaHubs are VEXpro components that can be found on the VEX “Flex Wheels” page, and specific sizes are thus legal.

   * The HEXBUG brand is a registered trademark belonging to Spin Master Corp

2. The following electronics from the VEX Cortex control system are not permitted:

   SKU	Description
   276-2192	VEXnet Joystick
   276-1891	VEXnet Partner Joystick
   276-2194	VEX ARM® Cortex-based Microcontroller
   276-2245 / 276-3245	VEXnet Key 1.0 / 2.0
   276-2177	2-Wire Motor 393
   276-2162	3-Wire Servo
   276-2210	VEX Flashlight
   276-2193	Motor Controller 29

3. The following electronics from the VEX Cortex control system are permitted:

   SKU	Description
   276-2174 / 276-4859	Limit Switch V1 / V2
   276-2159	Bumper Switch
   276-2156	Optical Shaft Encoder
   276-2216	Potentiometer
   276-2155	Ultrasonic Range Finder
   276-2176	LED Indicator
   276-2333	Yaw Rate Gyroscope
   276-2332	Analog Accelerometer V1.0
   276-2154	Line Tracker
   276-1380	Jumper
   276-2158	Light Sensor

4. Components that are unique to the V5 Workcell / CTE product line are not permitted. This includes the following:

   SKU	Description
   276-7151	Robot Arm Metal
   276-7152	Robot Brain Mount
   276-7153	Input Output Conveyor
   276-7720	Disc Feeder
   276-7047	V5 Electromagnet

5. VEX IQ pins are permitted.
6. Components obtained from the V5 beta program, including V5 beta firmware, are not legal for competition use.
   1. All V5 beta hardware can be identified by its lighter gray pre-production color. Robot Brains, Robot Batteries, Controllers, and Vision Sensors from the V5 beta have a “BETA TEST” stamp on them. Smart Motors and Radios do not have this stamp, but can still be identified by color.
7. Components from the VEXplorer kit that are not found in modern VEX V5 kits are not permitted. These include (but may not be limited to) electronics, wheels, non-standard gears, and plastic connectors.
8. Legacy / discontinued products are only permitted if they are explicitly listed in this game manual, or still listed as V5RC or VRC legal on the VEX Robotics website.

<R8> Certain non-VEX components are allowed. Robots are allowed the following additional “non-VEX” components:

1. Any material strictly used as a color filter or a color marker for a legal sensor, such as the VEX Light Sensor or the VEX V5 Vision Sensor.
2. Any non-aerosol-based grease or lubricating compound, when used in extreme moderation on surfaces and locations that do NOT contact the playing field walls, foam field surface, Scoring Objects, or other Robots. Grease or lubricant applied directly to V5 Smart Motors or Smart Motor cartridges is prohibited.
3. Anti-static compound, when used in extreme moderation (i.e., such that it does not leave residue on Field Elements, Scoring Objects, or other Robots).
4. Hot glue when used to secure cable connections.
5. An unlimited amount of rope/string, no thicker than 1/4” (6.35 mm).
6. Commercially available items used solely for bundling or wrapping of 2-wire, 3-wire, 4-wire, or V5 Smart Cables, and/or pneumatic tubing are allowed. These items must solely be used for the purposes of cable/tubing protection, organization, or management. This includes but is not limited to electrical tape, cable carrier, cable track, etc. It is up to inspectors to determine whether a component is serving a function beyond protecting and managing cables and tubing.
7. Non-functional 3D printed license plates, per <R9> and <R10>, are permitted. This includes any supporting structures whose sole purpose is to hold, mount, or display an official license plate.
8. Rubber bands that are identical in length and thickness to those included in the VEX V5 product line (#32, #64, and 117B).
9. Pneumatic components with identical SMC manufacturer part numbers to those listed on the VEX website. For more detail regarding legal pneumatic components, see the Legal VEX Pneumatics Summary document.
10. Zip ties with identical dimensions as those included in the VEX V5 product line.
11. A Micro SD card installed in the V5 Robot Brain.

See this REC Library article for more information.

<R9> Decorations are allowed. Teams may add non-functional decorations, provided that they do not affect Robot performance in any significant way or affect the outcome of the Match. These decorations must be in the spirit of the competition. Inspectors and Head Referees will have final say in what is considered “non-functional.” Unless otherwise specified below, non-functional decorations are governed by all standard Robot rules.

To be considered “non-functional,” any guards, decals, or other decorations must be backed by legal materials that provide the same functionality. For example, if a Robot has a giant decal that prevents Scoring Objects from falling out of the Robot, the decal must be backed by VEX material that would also prevent the Scoring Objects from falling out. A simple way to check this is to determine if removing the decoration would impact the performance of the Robot in any way.

1. Anodizing and painting of parts is considered a legal nonfunctional decoration. Note: As of October 1, 2024, anodizing or color changing of parts (such as painting, etc., which changes the original appearance of parts) is no longer allowed in events in mainland China.
2. Small cameras are permitted as non-functional decorations, provided that any transmitting functions or wireless communications are disabled. Unusually large cameras being used as ballast are not permitted.
3. VEX electronics may not be used as non-functional decorations.
4. Decorations that visually mimic Field Elements or Scoring Objects, or that could otherwise interfere with an opponent’s Vision Sensor, are considered functional and are not permitted. The Inspector and Head Referee will make the final decision on whether a given decoration or mechanism violates this rule.
5. Internal power sources (e.g., for a small blinking light) are permitted, provided that no other rules are violated and this source only provides power to the non-functional decoration (i.e., does not directly or indirectly influence any functional portions of the Robot).
6. Decorations which provide feedback to the Robot (e.g., by influencing legal sensors) would be considered “functional,” and are not permitted.
7. Decorations which provide visual feedback to Drive Team Members (e.g., decorative lighting) are permitted, provided that they do not violate any other rules and serve no other function (e.g., structural support).

<R10> Officially registered Team numbers must be displayed on Robot license plates. To participate in an official VEX V5 Robotics Competition event, a Team must first register on robotevents.com and receive a V5RC Team number. This Team number must be displayed on the Robot using license plates. Teams may choose to use the official V5RC License Plate Kit, or may create their own.

1. License plates must be placed on a minimum of two (2) horizontally opposing sides of the Robot (i.e., the top of a Robot is not considered a “side”), and must remain visible and attached for the entirety of the Match.
2. Robots must use plates that match their Alliance color for each Match (i.e., red Alliance Robots must have their red plates on for the Match). It must be abundantly clear which color Alliance the Robot belongs to.
   1. If both colors of license plates are mounted on a Robot, then the incorrect color must be covered, taped over, or otherwise obscured. Since license plates are considered non-functional decorations, this is a legal non-functional use of tape.
3. License plates are considered non-functional decorations (per <R9>), and must fulfill all relevant Robot rules (e.g., they must fit within the 18” cube, cannot functionally change the stability or rigidity of the Robot, cause Entanglement, etc.).
4. Team numbers must be in white font, and clearly legible.
5. License plates must be at least 2.48 inches (63 mm) tall and 4.48 inches (114 mm) wide, i.e., at least the height/width dimensions of the plates in the V5RC License Plate Kit.

Fig R10-1: An example of a license plate made from the V5RC License Plate Kit.

Fig R10-2: An example of a legal custom license plate.

<R11> Let go of Scoring Objects after the Match. Robots must be designed to permit easy removal of Scoring Objects from any mechanism without requiring the Robot to have power after a Match.

<R12> Robots have one Brain. Robots must ONLY use one (1) VEX V5 Robot Brain (276-4810). Any other microcontrollers or processing devices are not allowed, even as non-functional decorations.

This includes microcontrollers that are part of other VEX product lines, such as VEX Cortex, VEX EXP, VEXpro, VEX CTE, VEX RCR, VEX IQ, VEX GO, or VEX Robotics by HEXBUG. This also includes devices that are unrelated to VEX, such as Raspberry Pi or Arduino devices.

<R13> Motors are limited. Robots may use any combination of VEX V5 Smart Motors (11W) (276-4840) and EXP Smart Motors (5.5W) (276-4842), within the following criteria:

1. The combined power of all motors (11W & 5.5W) must not exceed 88W. This limit applies to all motors on the Robot, even those which are not plugged in.

2. V5 Smart Motors, and EXP Smart Motors connected to Smart Ports, are the only motors that may be used with a V5 Robot Brain. The 3-wire ports may not be used to control motors of any kind.

   Example	A	B	C	D	E
   Qty of 11W Motors	8	7	6	5	0
   Qty of 5.5 Motors	0	2	4	6	16

<R14> Electrical power comes from VEX batteries only. Robots may use one (1) V5 Robot Battery (276-4811) to power the V5 Robot Brain.

1. No other sources of electrical power are permitted, unless used as part of a non-functional decoration per <R9e>.
2. There are no legal power expanders for the V5 Robot Battery.
3. V5 Robot Batteries may only be charged by a V5 Robot Battery Charger (276-4812 or 276-4841).
4. V5 Wireless Controllers may only be powered by their internal rechargeable battery.
   1. Teams are permitted to have an external power source (such as a rechargeable battery pack) plugged into their V5 Controller during a Match, provided that this power source is connected safely and does not violate any other rules, such as <G10> or <R16>.
   2. Some events may choose to provide field power for V5 Wireless Controllers. If this is provided for all Teams at the event, then this is a legal power source for the wireless remotes.

<R15> No modifications to electronic or pneumatic components are allowed. Motors (including the V5 Smart Motor firmware), microcontrollers (including V5 Robot Brain firmware), cables, sensors, controllers, battery packs, reservoirs, solenoids, pneumatic cylinders, and any other electrical or pneumatics component of the VEX platform may NOT be altered from their original state in ANY way.

1. External wires on VEX 2-wire or 3-wire electrical components may be repaired by soldering or using twist/crimp connectors, electrical tape, or shrink tubing such that the original functionality and length are not modified in any way.
   1. Wire used in repairs must be identical to VEX wire.
   2. Teams make these repairs at their own risk; incorrect wiring may have undesired results.
2. Teams must use VEXos version 1.1.3 or newer, found at https://link.vex.com/firmware. Custom firmware modifications are not permitted.
   1. The minimum version requirement is subject to change over the course of the season.
   2. When the minimum version is updated, Teams have a two week (14 calendar day) grace period from the time the minimum version is changed to update their firmware to the latest minimum version.
   3. VEX reserves the right to deem any firmware update critical, and remove the allowable grace period.
3. Teams may make the following modifications to the V5 / EXP Smart Motor’s user-serviceable features. This list is all-inclusive; no other modifications are permitted. Where applicable, the components listed below (in the specific applications listed below) are permissible exceptions to <R21> Clauses c.ii.-c.iv. also apply to EXP Smart Motors (5.5W).
   1. Replacing the gear cartridge with other official cartridges.
   2. Removing or replacing the screws from the V5 Smart Motor Cap (276-6780).
   3. Removing or replacing the threaded mounting inserts (276-6781).
   4. Aesthetic/non-functional labeling (e.g., markers, stickers, paint, etc.).
4. V5 Smart Motors (11W) must use an official VEX V5 gear cartridge. For the purposes of this rule, the gear cartridges found within the V5 Smart Motor are considered “part of the motor.” Therefore, any physical or functional modifications to official gear cartridges is not permitted. 11w V5 Smart Motors may only use official VEX motor cartridges.
5. For the purposes of this rule, the V5 Smart Motor Cap is not considered “part of the motor.” Therefore, <R16> applies.

<R16> Most modifications to non-electrical components are allowed. Physical modifications, such as bending or cutting, of legal metal structure or plastic components are permitted.

1. Internal or external mechanical repairs of VEX Limit and Bumper switches are permitted.
   1. Modifying the metal arm on the Limit Switch is permitted.
   2. Using components from these devices in other applications is prohibited.
2. Metallurgical modifications that change fundamental material properties, such as heat treating or melting, are not permitted.
3. Pneumatic tubing may be cut to desired lengths.
4. Fusing/melting the end of legal nylon rope/string (see <R8e>) to prevent fraying is permitted.
5. Welding, soldering, brazing, gluing, or attaching parts to each other in any way that is not provided within the VEX platform is not permitted. Rule <R8> clause D is an exception to this rule.
6. Mechanical fasteners may be secured using Loctite or a similar thread-locking product. This may ONLY be used for securing hardware, such as screws and nuts.

<R17> Robots use VEXnet. Robots must ONLY utilize the VEXnet system for all wireless Robot communication.

1. Electronics from the Cortex, VEX EXP, VEX CTE. VEXpro, VEX RCR, VEXplorer, VEX IQ, VEX GO, or VEX Robotics by HEXBUG product line are prohibited unless otherwise noted in <R7c> or <R13>.
2. V5 Controllers may only be used in conjunction with a V5 Robot Brain.
3. Teams are permitted to use the Bluetooth® capabilities of the V5 Robot Brain and/or V5 Controller in Team pits, practice fields, and Robot Skills Matches. However, VEXnet must be used for wireless communication during head-to-head Matches.
4. Teams are permitted to use the Wi-Fi capabilities of the Vision Sensor in Team pits or outside of Matches. However, the Vision Sensor must have its wireless transmitting functionality disabled during Matches.

<R18> Give the radio some space. The V5 Radio must be mounted such that no metal surrounds the radio symbol on the V5 Radio.