FIRST + MineCraft

[akoscielski3]

http://i.imgur.com/QdqtQ.jpg

One of our students built this in Minecraft :) thought It was something cool enough to share :D

[Andrew Lawrence]

As a person who has built their 2012 robot in Minecraft, all I have to say is: BEAUTIFUL.

Not as nice as yours, but....http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/37568

[Jay O'Donnell]

This is amazing. Now I know what I'm doing with my free time!

[Chris is me]

This is a really dangerous thing to put up on a Sunday night. You're going to tempt students with tons of studying to do to blow it off and build their team's robots in Minecraft. :P

[JVN]

Are you aware of the concept of Cognitive Surplus?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_Surplus

This is an interesting example. :)

[JesseK]

Is that a book you'd recommend John? Once I get done with the Boyd Biography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boyd_%28military_strategist%29) I don't have anything planned.

[JVN]

Is that a book you'd recommend John? Once I get done with the Boyd Biography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boyd_%28military_strategist%29) I don't have anything planned.

I enjoyed it. :)

[ebarker]

Thanks for all the good info.

John Boyd is someone whose work everyone should be familiar with.

I just learned of the Cognitive Surplus concept. The instant I saw Clay Shirky's name with that I figured it was worth listening to.
Shirky has a TED video here about it: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/clay_shirky_how_cognitive_surplus_will_change_the_ world.html

Shirky has an interesting talk on TED about how social media has help collaborative groups, like this group on Chief Delphi
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/clay_shirky_on_institutions_versus_collaboration.h tml

An important side lesson on the TED Shirky talk is the Parato Principal, or the 80/20 rule. Think about how the whole system of team performance follow's the Parato Principal, and how we can "flatten the curve" by encouraging and helping teams, sharing knowledge, and just by being super 'GP'.

I don't have the data to back it up but I'd bet only 20% of teams systemwide really pay attention to discussions, draw knowledge from or contribute to discussions on CD. I'm just guessing but I'd bet a box of donuts on it.

[Brandon Zalinsky]

This is amazing. Now I know what I'm doing with my free time!

I have a map floating around with our 2010, 2011, and 2012 robots on it. I'll take a screen of it and post it!

[Libby K]

In order to get me to play, some of the FIRST alumni and mentors at Clarkson made me a big FIRST logo in the sky on their server. Hopefully one of them has the screenshot.

[Camren]

I was tempted at the idea of building 3081"s 2012 robot "Fritz 4" but robotics got in my way lol. Also I was thinking about hosting a FIRST friendly server. But I didn't want to be the dog that ate everyone's homework, because all minecrafters know how hard it is to put down once you open it up lol.

[jwallace15]

Building a robot on creative mode in Minecraft is an astonishing feat. Why don't you make it more like a build season and build a robot using Hardcore Mode? ;)

[Andrew Lawrence]

Building a robot on creative mode in Minecraft is an astonishing feat. Why don't you make it more like a build season and build a robot using Hardcore Mode? ;)

And since the robot's already made, you have 6 days instead of 6 weeks to build.

[Walter Deitzler]

Some people use Autodesk, some SolidWorks, some Pro-E, but 772 rose to the call of an unconventional CAD language, Minecraft.

[akoscielski3]

Some people use Autodesk, some SolidWorks, some Pro-E, but 772 rose to the call of an unconventional CAD language, Minecraft.

Well if my team ever used Minecraft to design their robot (after i leave this year) I would come back and give them a giant back handed slap to the face. :)

We actually use solidoworks, and our robot is on FRC-Designs.com
If you would like the CAD ;)

[iPenguin]

Some people use Autodesk, some SolidWorks, some Pro-E, but 772 rose to the call of an unconventional CAD language, Minecraft.

Oh no no no no. We're not starting a caption contest around this! :ahh:

[jwallace15]

And since the robot's already made, you have 6 days instead of 6 weeks to build.

6 Minecraft days or 6 real days? 6 Minecraft days seem like a stretch.

[Ghost-422]

I was tempted at the idea of building 3081"s 2012 robot "Fritz 4" but robotics got in my way lol. Also I was thinking about hosting a FIRST friendly server. But I didn't want to be the dog that ate everyone's homework, because all minecrafters know how hard it is to put down once you open it up lol.
Hey that would be great! We could maybe have like a robotics marathon and see how many people joined in!

[Ghost-422]

6 Minecraft days or 6 real days? 6 Minecraft days seem like a stretch.
I think he means 6 real life days because 6 Minecraft days (roughly) equals 2 hours which is not much to get all the materials for the build.

[ace94x]

Thats awesome!

[MARS_James]

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/404017_471238252906670_663801831_n.jpg

I showed my team this and told them to make our robot and here is what they have thus far

[akoscielski3]

I showed my team this and told them to make our robot and here is what they have thus far

This is actually what I did. Team 399 Eagle Robotics, was the first team I saw do it, I posted the picture of there robot in our facebook group, and now we have our robot DROID! :D

[avanboekel]

I had done this a while back. Anybody else do theirs in XBOX 360 Edition?

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg524/avanboekel/2012-09-21214153_zps09c66afe.jpg

Compared to the real thing.
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg524/avanboekel/Photo173B_zpsdc5583bc.jpg

[Walter Deitzler]

Being relatively new to Minecraft, this is not the best, but here is 3397's 2012 robot.

http://i.imgur.com/apSAA.png

I might add an image of it with bumpers later, once I put them on.

And from the front:

http://i.imgur.com/Gvwfd.jpg

Questions? Comments? Advice?

[jwallace15]

Now someone add redstone and make it move!

[coalhot]

Heh, these are pretty cool. If I spent as much time building in creative as I do killing people, it would probably look pretty sweet. :D