View Full Version : FRC Blog- Frank Answers Friday: Pool Noodles
Owen Busler
18-09-2015, 10:48
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/blog-Frank-Answers-Friday-Pool-Noodles
Today’s good question comes from Billfred (not his real name, but we’re rolling with it) Leverette, a mentor on FRC Team 4901, Garnet Squadron, from Columbia, South Carolina, USA:
Question:
Should we buy pool noodles this fall?
--Billfred Leverette
Head Bot Coach and Eternal Optimist
FRC 4901 (Garnet Squadron)
Answer:
Hi Billfred,
Yes, you should buy pool noodles. For your bumpers, this time.
Frank
Yes.
Thad House
18-09-2015, 10:50
Best news to come out of FIRST in a while.
Never thought I'd be this excited about bumpers...
I had a dream last night that it was a water game. Maybe the drivers will use pool noodles to float.
Best game hint ever.
Owen Busler
18-09-2015, 10:54
I had a dream last night that it was a water game. Maybe the drivers will use pool noodles to float.
Best game hint ever.
Really. Only three replies and its already at a water game.
Darkseer54
18-09-2015, 10:54
This calls for a celebration! Though I never thought the CD community would be so happy to see more defense.
marshall
18-09-2015, 10:54
Thankfully we have some green ones left over from last year. I hope. Unless someone had a pool party with them.
Useful link for new teams:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015S6C9E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
carpedav000
18-09-2015, 10:58
Ah, yes. Defense means gearboxes and eight wheel tank drive and all things wanderful.
Matthew2468
18-09-2015, 11:04
Best post I have ever read by far🎉
Nathan Streeter
18-09-2015, 11:08
Now that is a clear game hint!
jvriezen
18-09-2015, 11:12
I predict the 2016 game field will not be divided into two halves by an impassible barrier.
Alpha Beta
18-09-2015, 11:15
Ah, yes. Defense means gearboxes and eight wheel tank drive and all things wanderful.
It also means opportunity for higher current draws in pushing matches between high powered drive-trains. Good time to look over the brownout specs (page 7 (http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/374474a.pdf)) on the roboRIO.
carpedav000
18-09-2015, 11:45
It also means opportunity for higher current draws in pushing matches between high powered drive-trains. Good time to look over the brownout specs (page 7 (http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/374474a.pdf)) on the roboRIO.
Yeah, as a mechanical monkey I frequently forget about these things...
Jon Stratis
18-09-2015, 11:49
I challenge everyone celebrating this news (including myself!) to go out there and make an effort to teach another team how to make good looking bumpers that attach easily and securely. It's always been a headache at an event, and will be doubly so this year, as we'll have two years worth of rookie teams who have never made bumpers... Not to mention the team's that have forgotten how to make them, or had the key person who made them graduate last year without passing on the knowledge!
I challenge everyone celebrating this news (including myself!) to go out there and make an effort to teach another team how to make good looking bumpers that attach easily and securely. It's always been a headache at an event, and will be doubly so this year, as we'll have two years worth of rookie teams who have never made bumpers... Not to mention the team's that have forgotten how to make them, or had the key person who made them graduate last year without passing on the knowledge!
Better yet, teach them about easy, powerful drivetrains.
Really. Only three replies and its already at a water game.
This is something similar to Goodwin's law. If a thread goes on long enough, water game will be mentioned. Now we just need to think of a name for it.
carpedav000
18-09-2015, 12:05
Better yet, teach them about easy, powerful drivetrains.
Yes. Just a quick question for everyone. What is your favorite drivetrain for a defense-heavy game (please dont link the thread from 2011 [you know which one])? My personal favorite is butterfly.
DesignComp
18-09-2015, 12:08
Yes. Just a quick question for everyone. What is your favorite drivetrain for a defense-heavy game (please dont link the thread from 2011 [you know which one])? My personal favorite is butterfly.
http://i.imgur.com/CHa36aR.gif
AdamHeard
18-09-2015, 12:08
http://i.imgur.com/CHa36aR.gif
Stop it Andrew.
Katie_UPS
18-09-2015, 12:14
Wait, Billfred's name isn't actually Billfred? What next? No one is JVN?
Based on the reaction, I'm now convinced that the entire 2015 season was an elaborate ploy by FIRST to get teams to stop complaining about bumpers.
Abhishek R
18-09-2015, 12:19
Ah yes, time for more contact sports.
Yes. Just a quick question for everyone. What is your favorite drivetrain for a defense-heavy game (please dont link the thread from 2011 [you know which one])? My personal favorite is butterfly.
Butterfly +1
My favorite Frank's Blog post ever! Now we can recycle the green noodle discards from 2015.
Zebra_Fact_Man
18-09-2015, 12:23
But I wanted defense AND no bumpers 8(
Surely the RoboRIO is as sturdy as the IFI Robot Controllers.
Yes. Just a quick question for everyone. What is your favorite drivetrain for a defense-heavy game (please dont link the thread from 2011 [you know which one])? My personal favorite is butterfly.
One speed...FAST. Don't waste time in a pushing match that will limit your offensive potential.
-Ronnie
cadandcookies
18-09-2015, 12:52
Yes. Just a quick question for everyone. What is your favorite drivetrain for a defense-heavy game (please dont link the thread from 2011 [you know which one])? My personal favorite is butterfly.
Kitbot drive train. For 90+% of teams spending time on a fancy custom drive train isn't worth the resources.
tindleroot
18-09-2015, 12:53
Wait, Billfred's name isn't actually Billfred? What next? No one is JVN?
Maybe Karthik's last name isn't actually Kanagasabapathy;)
This is something similar to Goodwin's law. If a thread goes on long enough, water game will be mentioned. Now we just need to think of a name for it.
Durstig's Law.
'Durstig' is German for thirsty. And we're "thirsty" for a water game.
D.Allred
18-09-2015, 13:07
I predict the 2016 game field will not be divided into two halves by an impassible barrier.
Hmm... I predict the field will be divided into sections that are impassable by some.
marshall
18-09-2015, 13:13
Durstig's Law.
'Durstig' is German for thirsty. And we're "thirsty" for a water game.
I think Frank's Law might be more appropriate.
Who's Frank?
Take your pick. That's the good thing about calling it Frank's Law.
MoistRobot
18-09-2015, 13:47
This is something similar to Goodwin's law. If a thread goes on long enough, water game will be mentioned. Now we just need to think of a name for it.
My unbiased vote is for Moist's law.
Brian Maher
18-09-2015, 13:53
This is something similar to Goodwin's law. If a thread goes on long enough, water game will be mentioned. Now we just need to think of a name for it.
I say Frank's law, in honor of the law's originator, and also Frank Merrick.
This is something similar to Goodwin's law. If a thread goes on long enough, water game will be mentioned. Now we just need to think of a name for it.
It's not a law, it's a malady. Perhaps Delphi Hydrophilitis?
Hello All. For those of you who remember the "simulated" low gravity of LUNACY via regolith, consider a water game "simulated" viscosity via ball pit. Bazinga!!
Oh, but how do you set-up? Wade through the simulated water? Does the robot float on top? Is there a "dry" area for set-up and then it's flooded at the start of the game? What about autonomous? Etc. . . . Etc. . . Etc. . . .
Richard Wallace
18-09-2015, 14:20
Bazinga!!
:D
Maybe Karthik's last name isn't actually Kanagasabapathy;)
I thought it was Smith? :rolleyes:
dudefise
18-09-2015, 15:59
wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooo
I'm excited to see me some real defense again.
jvriezen
18-09-2015, 16:41
Hmm.. what if the 2016 game has a separated field, (3v0) with heavy bumper-ed field elements that need to be 'rammed' to accomplish the task?
dtengineering
18-09-2015, 17:16
Great question, we're hoping to have several rookie teams in BC this year, and finding pool noodles in Canada in February (even in soggy Vancouver) is exactly as challenging as you'd expect it to be. Time to hit the fall clear-out at Canadian Tire.
Jason
ATannahill
18-09-2015, 17:19
Just for the record, if you asked this question at this time last year the answer would have been:
"Yes."
Pool noodles != Bumper
Great question, we're hoping to have several rookie teams in BC this year, and finding pool noodles in Canada in February (even in soggy Vancouver) is exactly as challenging as you'd expect it to be. Time to hit the fall clear-out at Canadian Tire.
Jason
While you are correct, Frank did state that the pool noodles were for bumpers. I highly doubt Frank would be advising teams to make a purchase for bumper building material for bumpers if he did not expect teams to have bumpers.
Edit: I see your edit.
Hmm.. what if the 2016 game has a separated field, (3v0) with heavy bumper-ed field elements that need to be 'rammed' to accomplish the task?
Then it would rank right up there with 2009 and 2015 as one of the top 3 worst FRC games.
Anupam Goli
18-09-2015, 17:31
Hmm... I predict the field will be divided into sections that are impassable by some.
I mean, some teams can't even move past arbitrary lines on the field.
Hello All. For those of you who remember the "simulated" low gravity of LUNACY via regolith, consider a water game "simulated" viscosity via ball pit. Bazinga!!
Oh, but how do you set-up? Wade through the simulated water? Does the robot float on top? Is there a "dry" area for set-up and then it's flooded at the start of the game? What about autonomous? Etc. . . . Etc. . . Etc. . . .
I think corn kernels would be a better idea than a ball pit. Smaller particles more closely resemble the viscosity of water. I can't remember where I got the idea from...
Bumpers are going back on robot so excited
Darkseer54
18-09-2015, 21:29
Yes. Just a quick question for everyone. What is your favorite drivetrain for a defense-heavy game (please dont link the thread from 2011 [you know which one])? My personal favorite is butterfly.
Completely unbiased, octocanum is definitely the best. ;)
Electronica1
18-09-2015, 21:34
Completely unbiased, octocanum is definitely the best. ;)
Bro please, the best is obviously what ever 469 used in 2011 :P
AdamHeard
19-09-2015, 01:18
Bro please, the best is obviously what ever 469 used in 2011 :P
Really?
cadandcookies
19-09-2015, 01:21
Really?
Adam would not like to toot his team's own horn, but... (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1190669&postcount=9)
AdamHeard
19-09-2015, 01:56
Adam would not like to toot his team's own horn, but... (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1190669&postcount=9)
Toot toot
Bro please, the best is obviously what ever 469 used in 2011 :P
If you really want to drop nearly 50lbs on a drivetrain. Also, that was powered by servo-shifted Dewalts (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/1592), had to program a stutter-step to shift.
nuclearnerd
19-09-2015, 02:17
One speed...FAST. Don't waste time in a pushing match that will limit your offensive potential.
-Ronnie
Shifters are super useful! There are times on offense when you just have to plow through to get to where you need to be (Our killer feature in 2014 was that we could score over top of a defender if we could push them into the key in front of the low goal.) Also, if we go back to a single game piece (pretty please?) you'll need to spend some time on defense :)
ShotgunNinja
22-09-2015, 13:47
Then it would rank right up there with 2009 and 2015 as one of the top 3 worst FRC games.
Hey, I liked Lunacy... it helped that my 'bot went to Atlanta, though.
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