Importance of Human Loading?

[Kims Robot]

What do you think the importance of Human Loading is this year?

We started looking back at the 2006 year for comparison as it seems similar, but it almost seems like it may be more important this year as its going to be harder to "chase" balls around the field with robots slipping more, and the balls potentially slipping more.

We are thinking with all the balls being thrown onto the field/potentially dropped it is important to collect from the ground, but what do you think about being able to collect from the human as well? Is it important? not important?

[Gravitynerd]

it's only as important as you want it to be. what i thought was nice was a way to shoot the ball back into the robot. say, have an open top to where you shoot into your own loading basket or something. but then again you'd have to have your robot pretty darn close to do that with the skill of human shooters being as pathetic as i saw it to be. so in other words. don't worry about it but keep a thought in the back of your mind about an open top or a funnel that brings the ball you shoot directly to where you want it to be.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT IS HOW THE ROBOT CAN COLLECT AS MANY BALLS AS FAST AS IT CAN UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF A SLIPPERY FLOOR!

conveyer belts FTW!

[tjwoodin]

I think this year, out of the ones i have been in, is super important to include the human player aspect. When there are 6 bots on a floor that has a 0.6 friction coefficient it is going to be mayhem. I think the teams that are going to do well are the teams that are going to hve really good payload specialists and they are going to find some way of improving traction.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

It's one of the most important aspects this year. There are NO balls that start on the floor. They ALL start in a robot or with the Payload specialists.
The primary method of getting balls in the trailers or into robots is through those payloaders.

[=Martin=Taylor=]

Watch the vids of '06.

1114, 254/968, 27, 449/70, 25 they all used the HP to load. It was just faster. And they weren't driving on the moon!

Another advantage is that you can have a big hopper to catch missed balls from the opponent HP's. :D

[feilmeier]

The best teams are going to be the ones that are lucky enough to have some serious throwing talent. I was the Human Player in '06, and was actually not bad. These new balls are making it extremely difficult for me to throw. This game is quickly becoming not how to win, but how not to lose.

[smurfgirl]

Watch the vids of '06.

1114, 254/968, 27, 449/70, 25 they all used the HP to load. It was just faster. And they weren't driving on the moon!

Another advantage is that you can have a big hopper to catch missed balls from the opponent HP's. :D

Yes, but what if your payload specialist misses and it winds up in your trailer instead? Points for the opposing alliance... Plus, you have to keep your bot stationary (unless you've got like Chuck Norris as your payload specialist :D ), which makes you an easy target for the opposing alliance. It's my opinion that people are overestimating the importance of the payload specialist this year.

[=Martin=Taylor=]

Yes, but what if your payload specialist misses and it winds up in your trailer instead? Points for the opposing alliance... Plus, you have to keep your bot stationary (unless you've got like Chuck Norris as your payload specialist :D ), which makes you an easy target for the opposing alliance. It's my opinion that people are overestimating the importance of the payload specialist this year.

If you back your trailer into the "corner" on your side of the alliance station it should be very difficult for other robots or HPs to reach you.

[smurfgirl]

If you back your trailer into the "corner" on your side of the alliance station it should be very difficult for other robots or HPs to reach you.

Touche... very true. (:

[Travis Hoffman]

If you back your trailer into the "corner" on your side of the alliance station it should be very difficult for other robots or HPs to reach you.

And even if they did get near your trailer, they would be bringing their own trailers in range of YOUR payload specialists.

Sounds like a nice trap to me. Staying near your loading zones. Wait, I shouldn't call them that - memories of 2005 - where are my fluorescent zip ties? Migraine! Migraine!

[alex&lisa353]

I think the Human player will be very important especially in the first weeks. As much as we can practice driving on our own robots on the FTC, its going to be harder for the robots to score when you're getting pushed around. The other robot may skid away or if you stop to short to position your shot, you can get bumped around too. I don't see the Human player being a majority of the points but it may make or break a few matches.