Noodle Throwing Strategy

[TankerRed101]

It is called an atlatl. It is an ancient hunting weapon used for throwing spears. LINK (http://raysatlatls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/throwing-sequence.jpg) I checked the rules and could not see anything against as of second day of build season. I have not tested it on a noodle but seems like it could work just probably not as accurate as the historic equivalent.

[rich2202]

The robot can't throw the Litter to the other side of the field - Rule G24.

I will have to look into it, but I doubt it could be considered part of the driver's station, and thus available for a human player to use. Rule R83, and section 4.11 doesn't seem to prohibit it though.

[Tim Sharp]

I believe the noodles are too light and flexible. I've been trying to throw one across the shop for the past 5 minutes. I can't see any way to throw one more than 15-20 ft.

[cgmv123]

I checked the rules and could not see anything against as of second day of build season.

See T21.

[SkittlesCharge]

Our team tried multiple methods for throwing the noodle at kickoff. I used a technique where I loosely held the far end of the noodle in my left hand, then pushed the closer end (but with a kind of throwing motion involved too) with two fingers on my right hand. With that, I was able to reliably throw the noodle almost half the length of the field, and sometimes quite a bit farther. Our team's human player from last year tried this method as well, and he was able to throw it a bit farther than me. On one attempt he threw it almost the entire length of the field.

I don't know if that was a very good description of the technique, but I'll try to explain it further if anyone is interested.

[TankerRed101]

See T21.
I stand corrected this would not be allowed. I only looked in the game rules thinking it would be there.

[Tim Sharp]

Our team tried multiple methods for throwing the noodle at kickoff. I used a technique where I loosely held the far end of the noodle in my left hand, then pushed the closer end (but with a kind of throwing motion involved too) with two fingers on my right hand. With that, I was able to reliably throw the noodle almost half the length of the field, and sometimes quite a bit farther. Our team's human player from last year tried this method as well, and he was able to throw it a bit farther than me. On one attempt he threw it almost the entire length of the field.



We'll definitely have to schedule some practice time for this.

[KineticCougar]

Make sure the noodle is straight

[GaryVoshol]

Make sure the noodle is straight

I'm sure noodles at events will not all be straight. That's not one of the conditions to replace them.

[DemonicDucks]

It says in the rules your robot can't throw the noodles.

[JesusC]

Anything else, we tried the method previously stated, and could only manage to reach about the landfill area. Does anyone have any tips, or just practice practice practice? Thank you for the strategy though, its better than any of us had managed.

Sincerely,
Jesus, Team 4633

[ATannahill]

It says in the rules your robot can't throw the noodles.
Close. Robots may not cause LITTER to leave the field or transfer across the STEP. There is no rule about throwing them, such as to get it to land on a scored RECYCLING CONTAINER that is above the robot.

[JesusC]

Close. Robots may not cause LITTER to leave the field or transfer across the STEP. There is no rule about throwing them, such as to get it to land on a scored RECYCLING CONTAINER that is above the robot.

I do believe what he meant by this was that the robot could not throw the litter onto the other side of the field to get the unprocessed litter bonus.

[Bluejackets]

noodles that came with the kit of parts fly great as it is I got them to fly 40 feet

[JustbeingJFK]

A human player can throw the noodle but by doing that you may risk it landing on your side of the field and losing 4 points.

[cmrnpizzo14]

Our team tried multiple methods for throwing the noodle at kickoff. I used a technique where I loosely held the far end of the noodle in my left hand, then pushed the closer end (but with a kind of throwing motion involved too) with two fingers on my right hand. With that, I was able to reliably throw the noodle almost half the length of the field, and sometimes quite a bit farther. Our team's human player from last year tried this method as well, and he was able to throw it a bit farther than me. On one attempt he threw it almost the entire length of the field.

I don't know if that was a very good description of the technique, but I'll try to explain it further if anyone is interested.

One of our students tried this today with quite a bit of success. We didn't have a field setup to try it on but it traveled over half the field according to our measurements.

[g_sawchuk]

A human player can throw the noodle but by doing that you may risk it landing on your side of the field and losing 4 points.
Would you lose 4 points or would the other team gain 4 points?

[Huguebots]

Would you lose 4 points or would the other team gain 4 points?

The latter.

[tanogirl]

Our team tried multiple methods for throwing the noodle at kickoff. I used a technique where I loosely held the far end of the noodle in my left hand, then pushed the closer end (but with a kind of throwing motion involved too) with two fingers on my right hand. With that, I was able to reliably throw the noodle almost half the length of the field, and sometimes quite a bit farther. Our team's human player from last year tried this method as well, and he was able to throw it a bit farther than me. On one attempt he threw it almost the entire length of the field.

I don't know if that was a very good description of the technique, but I'll try to explain it further if anyone is interested.

Do you think you could post a video of it?
I've been trying but couldn't quite figure out the technique.
Thanks

[EricH]

Do you think you could post a video of it?
I've been trying but couldn't quite figure out the technique.
Thanks

Judging by your user title, you do archery. Imagine, if you will, that you've got an arrow ready to loose. Now, instead of an arrow, you have a pool noodle; instead of a bow in your hand, you're using your bow hand as a rest for the noodle; instead of a bowstring, your free hand is providing the push.

Experiment with that a few times.

We've gotten similar results in our experimentation--some throws short, some long enough, and one or two that are like "Do that again!" due to the length.

[tanogirl]

Judging by your user title, you do archery. Imagine, if you will, that you've got an arrow ready to loose. Now, instead of an arrow, you have a pool noodle; instead of a bow in your hand, you're using your bow hand as a rest for the noodle; instead of a bowstring, your free hand is providing the push.

Experiment with that a few times.

We've gotten similar results in our experimentation--some throws short, some long enough, and one or two that are like "Do that again!" due to the length.

That makes more sense- thanks

[Jacob Bendicksen]

While it's not difficult to get a fresh KOP noodle 15-20 feet with a few minutes of practice, keep in mind that noodles after Week 1 events will be anything but fresh. They'll be driven over, crushed in intakes, and take all sorts of other abuse, all of which make them not fly straight. Fresh noodles are reasonably rigid, which means that some sort of javelin-ish technique can be used to throw them, but once they start getting weak spots and bends they won't fly nearly as far.

[wolfgang42]

Imagine, if you will, that you've got an arrow ready to loose. Now, instead of an arrow, you have a pool noodle; instead of a bow in your hand, you're using your bow hand as a rest for the noodle; instead of a bowstring, your free hand is providing the push.

Here's a video of someone doing this: http://youtu.be/vyboSYt6J8I

[SkittlesCharge]

Judging by your user title, you do archery. Imagine, if you will, that you've got an arrow ready to loose. Now, instead of an arrow, you have a pool noodle; instead of a bow in your hand, you're using your bow hand as a rest for the noodle; instead of a bowstring, your free hand is providing the push.

Here's a video of someone doing this: http://youtu.be/vyboSYt6J8I

Yep, this is basically what I was talking about. I kept my hand around the noodle a bit longer into the throw, to keep it aimed straight, but the technique is basically the same either way. I think with a bit of practice, a human player could pretty reliably throw the noodles pretty far onto the opposing side, hopefully behind some stacks.

As far as damaged noodles go, I think as long as the noodles weren't permanently bent the technique would still hold up pretty well. Since it achieves its distance by having the noodle travel with very little air resistance, minor damage (cuts, chunks out, etc.) to the sides of the noodle won't affect its flight much. Less-rigid noodles will probably be more of a problem than damaged ones, but mostly during the throw itself, not the flight, a problem which can be helped by remaining loosely holding the noodle as it is thrown. While the distances achieved will certainly be greater with fresh noodles than noodles in actual competition, I still think that human players, with practice, will be able to throw them far enough to make it worthwhile.

[alexander.h]

See T21.

What does T21 have to do with all of this?

[cgmv123]

What does T21 have to do with all of this?

T21 restricts equipment that can be brought into the ALLIANCE STATION. An atlatl would be considered equipment.

[alexander.h]

T21 restricts equipment that can be brought into the ALLIANCE STATION. An atlatl would be considered equipment.

Oh. OK, thanks!

[nxtmonkeys]

But...

G24 ROBOTS may not cause TOTES, RECYCLING CONTAINERS, and/or LITTER to completely transfer from their side of the FIELD,
or from the STEP, onto the opposite side of the FIELD.
VIOLATION: FOUL. If egregious or strategic, RED CARD and offending ROBOT will be DISABLED.

So, no throwing noodles. UNLESS I am missing something here...

[cgmv123]

So, no throwing noodles. UNLESS I am missing something here...

A HUMAN PLAYER is not a ROBOT.

[alexander.h]

But...



So, no throwing noodles. UNLESS I am missing something here...

Yes, there is an UNLESS. There is no rule stopping the Human Player from throwing noodles over the Alliance Wall prior to the last 20 seconds. Let me find the rule number ...

[alexander.h]

Yes, there is an UNLESS. There is no rule stopping the Human Player from throwing noodles over the Alliance Wall prior to the last 20 seconds. Let me find the rule number ...

Rule G33 :

LITTER may be introduced onto the FIELD only during TELEOP and only in the following ways:
A. through the LITTER CHUTE, or
B. over the ALLIANCE WALL prior to the last twenty (20) seconds of the MATCH.
VIOLATION: FOUL per LITTER.

Oops, guess cgmv123 beat me to it!

[nxtmonkeys]

Ahh...



Note to self:
get a football player on my robotics team
must be able to throw noodles fifty feet.

[Mscoree]

Don't build a robot, just throw noodles.

[alexander.h]

Ahh...



Note to self:
get a football player on my robotics team
must be able to throw noodles fifty feet.

Or this guy :
Here's a video of someone doing this: http://youtu.be/vyboSYt6J8I

[alexander.h]

Don't build a robot, just throw noodles.

Hmmm ... I wonder how that strategy will work out :D

[Linkathon1986]

It is called an atlatl. It is an ancient hunting weapon used for throwing spears. LINK (http://raysatlatls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/throwing-sequence.jpg) I checked the rules and could not see anything against as of second day of build season. I have not tested it on a noodle but seems like it could work just probably not as accurate as the historic equivalent.

The rules may say that you can't use the atlatl, but it may be possible to match the atlatl's shape with your hand.

[lark95]

We just got in some more noodles that we ordered from andymark(i think) and they are a much stiffer and easier to throw noodle. We were able to throw them 30-35 feet no problem. It amazed me how direrent they are from the one that came in the kit of parts.

[Ozuru]

We just got in some more noodles that we ordered from andymark(i think) and they are a much stiffer and easier to throw noodle. We were able to throw them 30-35 feet no problem. It amazed me how direrent they are from the one that came in the kit of parts.

They may be stiff for the first few matches but anyone who has ever played with a pool noodle in a pool knows that they become warped very soon.

Noodles this year are going to be that thing that your alliance partner's human player is going to want to try and you're going to have to try to convince them that they're taking too large of a risk without coming off as being controlling.

[ttedrow]

We just got in some more noodles that we ordered from andymark(i think) and they are a much stiffer and easier to throw noodle. We were able to throw them 30-35 feet no problem. It amazed me how direrent they are from the one that came in the kit of parts.

Now take those noodles and run over then with your robot to test how it will handle all that litter you are going to create. Then try throwing them because that is the condition of the noodle after the first few matches. :(

[JacobD]

noodles that came with the kit of parts fly great as it is I got them to fly 40 feet

In the manual it says that the noodles vary in thickness and hardness.

[lark95]

They may be stiff for the first few matches but anyone who has ever played with a pool noodle in a pool knows that they become warped very soon.

Noodles this year are going to be that thing that your alliance partner's human player is going to want to try and you're going to have to try to convince them that they're taking too large of a risk without coming off as being controlling.

The new noodles are almost a different material. We ran over the origanal noodle with mecnum drive, we have yet to do it to the knew ones, but i think they will be much more durable.

[toastnbacon]

I've found that practice really matters. I was throwing around a pretty beat up one for fun for about an hour. It took me about half that time to actually throw one to the other side, but now I get about every other one over. I've been throwing it javelin style, but I can't wait to try these new techniques!

[2130driven]

I found that if you just leave it non streightened and put the curve facing up then it will be straight. then throw it but don't use full force:D

[LittleJoe]

The new noodles are almost a different material. We ran over the origanal noodle with mecnum drive, we have yet to do it to the knew ones, but i think they will be much more durable.

Actually, we didn't run over the original one, we just beat it up till it was barely legal :p

the result was the same however....

I was able to throw the beat up one 20-30+ feet pretty consistantly.

and the beat up ones actually straighten out petty well for pool noodles.