KOP Speculation

[ThirteenOfTwo]

This year's KOP is a little different from previous years.

Originally Posted by FRC KitOfParts Blast

KOP Dimensions: Here’s what you can expect when you pick up your Kit of Parts…
Veterans will receive the following packages:
1 tote
- 49 lbs

- 27” L x 18” W x 13” H

1 box
- 25lbs

- 36” L x 8 ½” W x 4 ½” H

1 battery
- 14lbs each

- 7” x 3” x 7” each

4 separate items, each weighing less than 5 pounds and smaller than a paperback book.

For one thing, why is that one tote so big? What's in there? For another, what are the mysterious paperback-sized items? Might we have specialized wheels in this game? They said that the veteran kits will weigh 95 pounds, so if you subtract out the weights of the totes and divide by four, each of the mysterious items is 1.75 pounds... so probably closer to 2 pound items than 5. This seems a little heavy for wheels, but they also sound far too heavy and small for game pieces.

Any thoughts on what they could be? Does this have anything to do with speculation of tethered robots or a train-related game? Community, what do you think?

[keehun]

Special wheels/mechanisms for rails? like roller coasters? haha just... speculating

[EricH]

Deflated game objects, miniature motors, the FedEx donation, or some such small item. The Mabuchi motors were loose outside in at least one year, for example. Depending on the game object, it might be possible to get one under paperback size.

The tote seems like the standard size, but it's likely to be better filled this year (and some of the past ones were packed tight, some were very loose).

The long box is the Kitbot, if tradition holds.

[Jon Stratis]

probably not the fed ex donation... that's called out specifically further down in the e-mail:

Teams attending bag and tag events will receive 1 box:

- 6lbs
- 14” x 14” x 6”


Teams attending traditional events (non-bag & tag) will receive aFedEx Envelope (goes to teams attending standard events)

- <1lb
- About the size of a big envelope

[davidthefat]

Servos? Jaguars?

[h1n1is4pigs]

Originally Posted by davidthefat

Servos? Jaguars?

jaguars are like half a pound each so i doubt it. may be they contain a flux capacitor and plutonium
or maybe they contain lead weights

[Andrew Schreiber]

I'll give you my prediction in just over 35 hours.

[GaryVoshol]

Isn't that the standard tote size? With the Choice program, probably all standard KoP items fit in one tote this year; it might be a little heavier than when all the previously-supplied items would be divided between 2 totes. Motors are probably the majority of the weight. (Remember, past rules specified that except for any additional CIM's allowed, motors used on the robot had to be from the current KoP.)

Separately packaged items are usually those that arrived too late to put into the tote. Probably the size and weight is that of the largest one. I wouldn't read too much into this.

[thefro526]

Perhaps the smaller boxes are CIM motors donated in their own packaging? Maybe some new Electronics gear that FIRST didn't want to package in with the rest of the KOP? Those are the only things that come to mind that are that small but also that heavy.

Or, OMG, what if they give us one of each (if there are multiple) or more than one game piece? That'd be something right there. (For those of you that weren't around in 2009, finding replacement game pieces was nearly impossible unless you were adventurous enough to go through every Walmart in the surrounding area and search through the clearance Aisle, and in 2010, we realized that not all size 5 soccer balls were created equal...)

[pandamonium]

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...LAID=603713622

[dag0620]

Originally Posted by h1n1is4pigs

jaguars are like half a pound each so i doubt it. may be they contain a flux capacitor and plutonium
or maybe they contain lead weights

Maybe we'll be receiving a Mr.Fusion this year .

But Sirusly,

I'm surprised were going down to 1 bin for Veterans...

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by dag0620

But Sirusly,

I'm surprised were going down to 1 bin for Veterans...

They've been talking about reducing the kit size for Veterans for the last year or two. I can't remember if we got two bins last year or not, but I know whatever it was - it wasn't much. Some vendors are reducing what they're putting in the KOP or making it available to those teams that request it to keep the cost down. You've also got to figure that a New Control System takes up nearly a tote in itself between the CRio, Assorted Modules, PDB, Digital Side Car, etc.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by thefro526

They've been talking about reducing the kit size for Veterans for the last year or two. I can't remember if we got two bins last year or not, but I know whatever it was - it wasn't much. Some vendors are reducing what they're putting in the KOP or making it available to those teams that request it to keep the cost down. You've also got to figure that a New Control System takes up nearly a tote in itself between the CRio, Assorted Modules, PDB, Digital Side Car, etc.

Last year was two totes for the veterans.

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

Last year was two totes for the veterans.

Last year was two just-over-halfway-filled totes for the veterans.

[Jon Stratis]

Lets also keep in mind that most years we've gotten small/delicate parts in their own packaging or envelops. One great example is the accelerometer and Gyro. small padded envelop, smaller than a book and less than 5 lbs. Remember, we have an upper limit on weight, not a lower limit - so don't discount the jaguar theory, h1n1is4pigs. Half a pound is still less than 5 lbs.