Yes.
Yes, provided no part of the system is in contact with the balls at the start.
Yes.
Yes. However, the "things" must be easily and completely removed within a reasonable amount of time (within a minute) after the run. Also, if significant damage (e.g., from screws or large tacks or nails) or significant residue (e.g., from glue or gummy adhesive) is evident after removal, the run will be disqualified.
Yes, provided the platform is placed back in its original location. The platform is open on the bottom.
You will not be allowed to have anything (e.g., a wire) between the platform box edges and the plywood surface. The platform box must lie completely flat and flush on the plywood. (Note - Update 1, Q&A # 10 still holds).
They can be shifted provided items 4, 5 and 8 in the Design Problem statement remain satisfied.
Yes. Everything except the board, platform, box, and balls is considered to be part of your system.
No. Tools used to help assemble your system are not considered to be part of your system as long as they are removed from the board area when the assembly is completed.
Yes.
It can be placed by you during assembly.
No. See item 2 in the problem statement. Also see Q&A #28.
No.
No.
No. See Q&A # 7, Update 1.
There is nothing to prohibit "practice runs" during the allotted assembly time. ASME will only provide a single fresh battery for each official run. You may use your own batteries for the "practice runs."
Yes.
No. Fresh batteries will be provided and distributed at random. Because battery quality control is not perfect, batteries vary from one batch to the next and even within a batch. Your design must be robust enough to deal with this.
Yes.
Your system is allowed to pick them up and throw them.
The contest will be held in typical indoor conditions.
After transport, the balls should not differ significantly in appearance or in function (bounciness). For example, the golf ball should not have any significant scratches, and the ping-pong balls should not have any dents or cracks.
No.
No. All surfaces are untreated.
Yes.
Typical indoor ceiling height (at least 8 ft).
A maximum of four.
Required.
No. The transport time used in the scoring refers only to the time interval between the post-assembly start signal and the instant when the balls come to rest.
No.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
No. The transport time used in the scoring refers only to the time interval between the post-assembly start signal and the instant when the balls come to rest.
Yes.
Yes.
The time stops "when the balls come to rest." If the balls are still vibrating, they have not "come to rest." The transfer time stops when the balls stop moving completely.
The run is over when the transport is completed (i.e., when the balls come to rest in the box). No post-transport energy storage reset time will be allowed.
The mass of every system component will not be considered a potential energy storage device independent of function. However, if potential energy of any system component is used to supply power to the transport process (e.g., using a large mass falling over a distance to provide energy to a delivery mechanism) the run will be disqualified. If, on the other hand, some side effect in your system causes the CG of a component to be lower at the end of the transport but the change in potential energy was obviously not used to power the transport process, (e.g., a piece of your system falls onto the board or onto a tripping mechanism without imparting significant energy to the system or to the transport process), then the attempt will not be disqualified.
The energy storage requirements apply to each system component individually. Therefore, the answer to the 2nd question is NO.
No. A remote control device will be considered to be part of the system, and the system can be powered only by the single AA battery.
Yes. See Q&A #'s 16, 17 and 18, Update 2.
Yes.
Yes, provided Q&A # 39 holds.
It depends on how they are being used. If there is a significant net change in magnetic potential energy (for any individual magnet), the design will be disqualified. See item 4 in the problem statement and Q&A #'s 16, 17 and 18, Update 2.
No. A run will be disqualified only if there is a net loss of potential energy of a system component, and if the lost potential energy was used to power the transport process.
No. All net energy used in the transport process must come from the battery.
Yes, provided the balls are below the top surface of the box.
No. See Q&A # 8, Update 1. Everything but the balls, platform and box are considered to be part of your "system."
No.
Yes.
Parts of your system may hang over provided they are not in contact with anything off the board. See Item # 4, problem statement.