View Full Version : Storage Hunter Finds a FRC Robot
Clinton Bolinger
01-08-2011, 23:26
Can anyone identify who's robot this is?
I saw it on a preview of Storage Hunters. I guess the episode is suppose to air Tuesday @ 10:00 pm on TruTV.
You can definitely see both styles of IFI Radios, the 2011 12v-5v DC Converter, and the new 2"x12" Accumulator. Looks like it could have been a practicebot for the 2011 game.
http://i53.tinypic.com/10fdqg2.jpg
I wonder if this is one of FIRST marketing campaigns because this show is extremely fake and most stuff looks planted.
-Clinton-
BrendanB
01-08-2011, 23:33
I'd love to know what they did with this/what their first reaction was!
It looks like it has the radio from pre cRIO days, but also has the power converter from this year's radio. Not sure what the dark gray box on the upper arm near the cylinder is.
Also looks like someplace cold.
Garrett.d.w
02-08-2011, 01:59
its definitely a robot from this year, not only does it have the power converter from the KOP, in the bottom right hand corner you can clearly see the new larger air tanks. The claw on the arm could be used to lift inner tubes.
I'd like to know who's robot it is.
It looks like it has the radio from pre cRIO days, but also has the power converter from this year's radio. Not sure what the dark gray box on the upper arm near the cylinder is.
Also looks like someplace cold.
the radio on the mast is 2007/2008 radio, the box on the arm is a 2006 radio. rather strange with 2 radios....
jtdowney
02-08-2011, 06:10
There also appears to be one of the 12V/5V converters we used to power the D-Link bridge on the arm above the 2007/2008 IFI radio.
Al Skierkiewicz
02-08-2011, 07:51
Narrowing it down a little more, the people are all wearing coats, so it must be from someplace cold.
akoscielski3
02-08-2011, 08:05
just looked up the episode, its Called "Score of the century". :O I didnt know FRC Bots could be so valueable :P
Airs: Tue, August 2 at 10pm
The score of a lifetime is hidden in the back of what already appears to be a great locker, but when the bidding heats up, will our auction heroes have the cash to stay in this game? But first, Brandon and Lori face a shocking discovery when the contents of what look like an old retail store reveal their true identity. And, some rare antiques fetch a fair price but further exploration of a hidden whale tusk could mean a windfall for one lucky storage hunter.
You can definitely see both styles of IFI Radios, the 2011 12v-5v DC Converter, and the new 2"x12" Accumulator. Looks like it could have been a practicebot for the 2011 game.
It looks like it has the radio from pre cRIO days, but also has the power converter from this year's radio. Not sure what the dark gray box on the upper arm near the cylinder is.
not only does it have the power converter from the KOP, in the bottom right hand corner you can clearly see the new larger air tanks.
There also appears to be one of the 12V/5V converters we used to power the D-Link bridge on the arm above the 2007/2008 IFI radio.
...hey! Is that a converter from this year's radio I see?! :P
It doesn't seem like converter is really running to somewhere. One of the wires is blatantly hanging off, and the other two are running just behind the arm. The IFI radio along the top is missing the connector along the bottom of it. And I'm not sure where the yellow tube is running to on the robot...
It looks like the production crew just started taping parts to a robot.
BrendanB
02-08-2011, 10:08
My guess is Boston, they had a clip about "Beantown Brawlers". And it looks similar to 1277's 07 robot.
Al Skierkiewicz
02-08-2011, 10:25
I am going to guess that the people who built this needed a five volt regulator and found this one somewhere. I will bet the robot is several years old. Likely a Rack And Roll proto. That was the first year for the new IFI radio and teams would have mounted the old radio while prototyping. Note that only the new radio has a serial cable attached.
MrForbes
02-08-2011, 11:23
It looks like the production crew just started taping parts to a robot.
This is very likely....
My guess is Boston, they had a clip about "Beantown Brawlers". And it looks similar to 1277's 07 robot.
Brandon, i am 90% sure you absolutely correct.
I think it is Boston or nearby. I was watching a clip, and the storage they were "fighting" for was in Boston.
Furthermore, i believe 1277 is probably the robot.
Here's a picture of their competition robot:
http://team1277.org/2007Competition/images/2007Competition_40.jpg
Great sleuthing gumshoes!
Great sleuthing gumshoes!
:D
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/Gumshoebox.jpg
akoscielski3
02-08-2011, 12:14
Now I kinda believe that most of the stuff found in the storage places on these TV shows are planted there. Like why does a 2007 robot have 2011 parts on it? and some of the other stuff they find worth thousands of dollars, why would someone "forget to pay" for there storage room when they have extremely expensive things in it (they could even sell an item to get money to pay for it). Kinda seems wierd to find an FRC robot too, i could understand them storing it away, but im kinda thinking its a promotional thing for FIRST and the team.
Maybe it is real but thats just what I think. dont get me wrong i think its Extremely cool that a robot is on the show too( even though we dont have it in Canada) :P
I know what I'm watching at 10!
If the show is real, I find it sad that a team lost a robot and supplies. It would be interesting to hear from someone from their team to confirm if it actually is their 2007 bot and the circumstances in why it ended up on storage hunters.
FRC robot, 4 wheels (2 IFI back, 2 AM/Skyway type front), and a battlebot, and a unidentifiable robot, possibly a past FRC bot (yellow wheels)--and they say MIT built them, right off. If that's not a compliment, I don't know what it is!
Control system has an Axis camera on it, front end, if that helps ID it at all. No number--probably the number was on bumpers, or whatever had it was removed.
the robot was just on in the storage wars episode. It took place in boston as previously guessed. I couldnt identify whose it was still for sure, but it was a 6-wheel drive, and the camera was a 2011 one. two other robots that weren't FRC were inside as well; i couldn't identify them. Whole thing went for 1800 dollars.
As for FIRST recognition, absolutely nothing. One of the main characters in the show said (paraphrasing) she knew about it, and "its some robot MIT makes every year. " not quite. :P
Oh well, still cool
EDIT: Eric you sure it was 4? im pretty sure i saw chain and 6 wheels.
whytheheckme
02-08-2011, 22:25
Here it is!
http://i.imgur.com/iHS5I.jpg
A robot with cRio modules ziptied to the frame, an IFI controller and radio, compressor wires shoved through holes in the AndyMark chassis pieces, a horribly bent axle on the forward right wheel, and muffin fans seemingly glued everywhere!
Does anyone know what happened to this poor robot????
Cyberphil
02-08-2011, 22:29
Did anyone else notice the pneumatic tubing weaving through the upper parts of the arm, and also the upper part of the frame? It had to be put there, and I have to admit, it looks much better, but serves no real purpose. A fake setup if I have ever seen one....
It is really neat to see a FRC robot on a mainstream TV show, even if it is treated as some alien artifact! :D
Billfred
02-08-2011, 22:29
Looking closer, that's an IFI kitbot. It looks like this was a test mule meant to point the other direction (the camera is on a side rather than the front going by the motor orientation).
The theory floated earlier about the producers fiddling with it sounds plausible...
Drivetrain's Banebots... at 90* to the wheels. Looks like IFI KitBot. 2007 robot, rigged with some 2009 or later parts and a 2011 camera... That was somebody's practice robot that got disassembled, I bet. And then reassembled partly...that pneumatic tubing is very poorly routed.
EDIT: Eric you sure it was 4? im pretty sure i saw chain and 6 wheels.Durn sure. See the picture Jacob linked. 4 wheels, no chain, 2 CIMs through Banebots.
The 6WD was the battlebot with a scooping wedge and a flat top.
Durn sure. See the picture Jacob linked. 4 wheels, no chain, 2 CIMs through Banebots.
The 6WD was the battlebot with a scooping wedge and a flat top.
huh. mine eyes hath deceived me. :eek:
whytheheckme
02-08-2011, 22:43
Also note the '09 driverstation ziptied to the frame (behind the large muffin fan).
linuxboy
02-08-2011, 22:50
Also note the '09 driverstation ziptied to the frame (behind the large muffin fan).
Maybe that means it can drive it self! And I bet the cRIO modules communicate wirelessly and that is why they zipped it to the frame. Its actually a very advanced robot.
Here's another view...
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/3954/storagehuntersfrc.jpg
Maybe that means it can drive it self! And I bet the cRIO modules communicate wirelessly and that is why they zipped it to the frame. Its actually a very advanced robot.
And it seems that the Digital IO module commands the IFI processor with PWM inputs that are driven by the digital side car.
I haven't seen the episode yet (dvr recorded other "less important" stuff) but just looking at the pictures I would have to say someone definately staged the robot. There is NO way anyone would have setup a robot with all the devices all over the place. I suppose its possible for this to be pulled from a storage unit a team had and forgot about but highly doubtful. This could be one of the best cases of i don't know what this is but lets make it look fancy. Wasn't there a team that had a bunch of stuff stolen a while back?
Based on it being with other non FRC robots, I think it belonged to someone connected to a FIRST team and some other organizations who pillaged leftover parts and was working on some of their own projects.
BrendanB
03-08-2011, 00:23
I haven't seen the episode yet (dvr recorded other "less important" stuff) but just looking at the pictures I would have to say someone definately staged the robot. There is NO way anyone would have setup a robot with all the devices all over the place. I suppose its possible for this to be pulled from a storage unit a team had and forgot about but highly doubtful. This could be one of the best cases of i don't know what this is but lets make it look fancy. Wasn't there a team that had a bunch of stuff stolen a while back?
+1 this looks completely staged and I'm not surprised. Poor little guy! :(
http://www.rsisk.com/blt.jpg
s_forbes
03-08-2011, 01:11
Wait, does this mean TV isn't real? I'm shocked and appalled.
ratdude747
03-08-2011, 01:34
+1 this looks completely staged and I'm not surprised. Poor little guy! :(
based one the most recent picture, I'd agree. they fricking zip tied loose cRIO modules to the frame. also there is a random 2009 blue box of doom on there along side an IFI controller.I also note a 120A breaker with no wires going to it. to most laymen it looks like nothing but to us, it is obviously fake. last, I see two 120mm fans in honestly "random" places.
me thinks they are tossing "obscure" junk into storage bins and scripting the rest. lame.
Guess what show I'm not going to watch?
Garrett.d.w
03-08-2011, 02:42
me thinks they are tossing "obscure" junk into storage bins and scripting the rest. lame.
Hit it right on the head, it has STAGED written all over the bumpers. Its kind of sad.
ANYWAY.... since we all know that it is staged, they should have at least done a good job of it, like borrowing a FIRST team's actual robot. It would have probably made a good show if they had "found" a working robot. It would have also kept the facts straight as far as to who built it. Along that line, does anyone know who's it is?
ratdude747
03-08-2011, 03:02
Along that line, does anyone know who's it is?
it is speculated to be 1277's bot, circa 2007. see page one of the thread and the picture of their 2007 bot. you might notice a similarity.
+1 for staged. Anyone notice that the pneumatic tubing wrapped around the frame doesn't even go anywhere? It doesn't even attach to the air tank that also looks randomly strapped down.
However, if everything on that bot was competition legal and ready except for the IFI controller being right next to the "blue box of doom" (nice name!), I could still believe that it was a feasible practice bot. We did that with one of our old-competition-bot-turned-practice-bot because we were alltogether too lazy to take off the entire old control board.
Travis Hoffman
03-08-2011, 08:33
So uh where do I find the owners of this Frakensteinian monstrosity so I can buy it on the cheap, put it out of its misery, and gut it for parts? :cool:
So uh where do I find the owners of this Frakensteinian monstrosity so I can buy it on the cheap, put it out of its misery, and gut it for parts? :cool:
They live in Los Angeles, California :cool:
The 2011 axis camera that was on there is worth decent money, right?
Kyoshirin
03-08-2011, 09:28
I love the compressor that's connected to itself.
They didn't even use connectors. They just took a piece of tubing and looped it into the two exhaust ports. *shakes head*
avanboekel
03-08-2011, 13:34
Although it appears staged (and it probably is), is it possible that it was someone's side project and they had absolutely no clue what they were doing? Say this person got an old '07 bot that had already been gutted for parts, and tried to piece it back together into working condition year by year as they could.
The only things wrong with this theory are:
1) Why would someone spend money on trying to fix something that they obviously have no clue how to fix?
2) Why would they have that battle bot that looks as to be in good condition?
If it was staged, I just don't know why it would be staged this badly. As it was mentioned before, it would have been cool for them to have found a working FRC bot, and be able see them run it. Even a mention of FIRST would have been nice. Instead, they claimed that it was built by MIT.
Things just don't add up. There are too many unexplained details.
Has anybody emailed them and asked about this?
StashZabriski
03-08-2011, 18:15
Of course there's also the NI logos on a few of the pieces on the bot. That's something you REALLY have to look for, but they're there. I can't get a good screen capture of them though :-(
~Stash~
1) Why would someone spend money on trying to fix something that they obviously have no clue how to fix?
I suspect you could ask this of many people's hobbies. How many people have tried to fix a car in their garage? Lots of times it turns into a 20 year project with little or no progress.
Jason
ratdude747
03-08-2011, 19:24
Of course there's also the NI logos on a few of the pieces on the bot. That's something you REALLY have to look for, but they're there. I can't get a good screen capture of them though :-(
~Stash~
look at this (Cropped from 2nd picture posted, arrow added)
http://oi54.tinypic.com/mtoy0w.jpg
if you look behind the digital sidecar, there is a freescale "roc the bot" sticker... those were a cRIO era thing, as the cRIO had a freescale (power PC) cpu, while the IFI used a microchip cpu.
I even remember getting the anti static bag with the stickers at the championships in 2010. the one just like int he picture is still on my old netbook ammo box case:
http://oi55.tinypic.com/sol560.jpg
I don't know if they had this sticker in 2009 or 2011 but I know this one is a 2010.
BrendanB
03-08-2011, 20:21
Has anybody emailed them and asked about this?
These shows are filled and then processed so long in advanced. There are no leaves on the trees so you are looking at March/April.
artdutra04
03-08-2011, 21:26
What? A "reality" show that features enhanced drama courtesy of staged plot elements?
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you! :rolleyes:
Garrett.d.w
04-08-2011, 03:12
I'm very surprised that they claimed that it was from MIT, especially with all of the FIRST logos everywhere (look at the digital sidecar, and I'm sure that the cRIO modules and/ or the IFI radios have FIRST logos on them).
I'm very surprised that they claimed that it was from MIT, especially with all of the FIRST logos everywhere (look at the digital sidecar, and I'm sure that the cRIO modules and/ or the IFI radios have FIRST logos on them).
FIRST...I think I've heard of them before. Don't they have something to do with NASA? They must have been a major sponsor for the group at MIT.
Seriously though, I would bet this is the sort of thing that passed through their minds if any. If you don't know what FIRST is, it would simply look like another sponsor. Afterall, isn't that what it means when you put a logo on something most of the time? Try to consider it from the viewpoint of someone who has never heard of FIRST and you'd probably come to a similar conclusion.
Jason
Al Skierkiewicz
04-08-2011, 08:01
I'm very surprised that they claimed that it was from MIT, especially with all of the FIRST logos everywhere (look at the digital sidecar, and I'm sure that the cRIO modules and/ or the IFI radios have FIRST logos on them).
Garret,
MIT students mentored at least one high school team in the Boston area. They built in one of the basement labs as I remember. One of my former students and boy scouts was a mentor while there.
Akash Rastogi
04-08-2011, 08:40
Garret,
MIT students mentored at least one high school team in the Boston area. They built in one of the basement labs as I remember. One of my former students and boy scouts was a mentor while there.
The MIT team I recall from Boston 2010 is 97.
Brandon Holley
04-08-2011, 08:59
I'm kind of surprised so many of you are jumping to the conclusion that there is no way a team could've put a robot together to look like that. With our team located in the heart of Boston, we work with almost every team in the area in some fashion. There are many teams where I could see something like this being assembled.
Quite a few teams in the area are severely under-resourced when it comes to engineering support and FIRST experience.
If someone was using their 2007 bot, or practice bot and wanted to try some new code with the new control system it could easily explain why both systems are there.
I've seen quite a few bored students from time to time, and weaving pneumatic tubing through the frame seems like an extremely plausible thing for them to do.
I dunno, just seems like theres nothing so outrageous there that a team couldn't have done it.
-Brando
Narrowing it down a little more, the people are all wearing coats, so it must be from someplace cold.
Or it could be 65 F in Florida ::safety::
Garrett.d.w
04-08-2011, 13:19
I dunno, just seems like theres nothing so outrageous there that a team couldn't have done it.
-Brando
You do have a point. However, with all of the resources available to FIRST students, I would expect that at least some systems would be assembled semi correctly. You also mentioned boredom, it could be that this was built as a joke.
I guess its just too fun to speculate. :)
I recall an individual (http://xkcd.com/689/) with ties to MIT with more than a passing interest in FRC, who also enjoys puzzles and teasers.
Another thought: Has anybody found "IHTFP" on the robot or in the shed? We may be the recipients of a very obscure hack.
BrendanRadabaug
04-08-2011, 22:05
so after watching the episode and other than the worst acting i have ever seen. the robot is so very fake. the wheels are just shoved on, (its 4 wheeled) and one of the back tredded wheels has the sprocket on the outside while the wheel on the front does not even have a sprocket. :mad: stupid show why did i look it up. rage quit. i laugh at the guy who bought the unit for $1900
i laugh at the guy who bought the unit for $1900
I don't. Have you looked at the prices of all the components "faked" onto that bot? They're not cheap. And if there was more than just that bot there's plenty of room for money making if they can move the products.
I don't. Have you looked at the prices of all the components "faked" onto that bot? They're not cheap. And if there was more than just that bot there's plenty of room for money making if they can move the products.
Ditto.
I once tried to figure out the materials+labor cost of an FRC robot. It's not cheap--and that was with the IFI control system! Materials about $5K (control system, metal, that sort of thing), labor, well, assume every student gets minimum wage and puts in 20 hours per week for 6 weeks, then figure the mentors as whatever someone in their field can get and putting in about the same hours as the students. I'll let you do the math...
Then, you throw in the battlebot, which looked pretty nice, and the third robot, which looked in the glimpses I got to be something like an FRC practice robot.
BrendanRadabaug
05-08-2011, 01:12
I don't. Have you looked at the prices of all the components "faked" onto that bot? They're not cheap. And if there was more than just that bot there's plenty of room for money making if they can move the products.
yes but by only going on what we saw and with such a huge market, yes the robot is worth about $1,449 of parts not including IFI electronics, the blue box or metal. there is a very wide market of mixed up parts that would not sell well unless to a first team. i cant go off of the battelbot because we did not see the insides or the other one because all i saw was what looked like a Arduino. and he can probably make money back from the rest of the unit.
yes but by only going on what we saw and with such a huge market, yes the robot is worth about $1,449 of parts not including IFI electronics, the blue box or metal. there is a very wide market of mixed up parts that would not sell well unless to a first team. i cant go off of the battelbot because we did not see the insides or the other one because all i saw was what looked like a Arduino. and he can probably make money back from the rest of the unit.
Thats kind of my point. This one item from a unit has the potential to make back most of his money, making the rest mostly profit. I wouldn't underestimate the use of the more generic components like motor controllers to average robot builders as the ones used in FIRST are very versatile compared to what most hobbyists use.
Garrett.d.w
05-08-2011, 02:55
I have recently priced out these parts because I am building a robot on my own time and THEY ARE NOT CHEAP. I got a price of at least $500, (two motors, simple drive train, victor speed controllers, etc) and this was to be controlled using an arduino.
Now lets consider an FRC robot. Lets factor in the cRIO modules instead of an arduino. Correct me if i'm wrong, but a new cRIO module goes for around $649, and there are three. So we are talking AT LEAST $2447 (drive train plus cRIO). Two IFI radios (Probably $150 a pop new), bringing the total to $2,747.
If he knows what he is doing, he'll turn a profit easy.
On the flip side, if he doesn't know what he is dealing with, some team will get a real bargain.
**Please keep into consideration that this is a rough estimate that is probably high, as the price of the modules varies considerably.
MrForbes
05-08-2011, 11:11
Judging by what was done to the robot, no one involved has a clue what any of the parts are, so they'd be hard pressed to get much money for them.
My question is how did a team (1277 IIRC) lose possession of all these parts? Unless they were temporarily donated for use in the show, why would they be abandoned? I for one would gladly take some parts like that off their hands if they don't want them...
My question is how did a team (1277 IIRC) lose possession of all these parts? Unless they were temporarily donated for use in the show, why would they be abandoned? I for one would gladly take some parts like that off their hands if they don't want them...
Usually when an organization abandons a storage unit its due to an oversight. Whoever was in charge of paying the bills probably forgot to pass it off to the next person when they left, or assumed someone else had it covered. If the leadership isn't paying enough attention to what's being done its very easy to overlook something like this, especially if few on the team even knew the storage unit existed.
Lil' Lavery
05-08-2011, 15:59
Most elaborate game hint ever. ;)
I have recently priced out these parts because I am building a robot on my own time and THEY ARE NOT CHEAP. I got a price of at least $500, (two motors, simple drive train, victor speed controllers, etc) and this was to be controlled using an arduino.
Now lets consider an FRC robot. Lets factor in the cRIO modules instead of an arduino. Correct me if i'm wrong, but a new cRIO module goes for around $649, and there are three. So we are talking AT LEAST $2447 (drive train plus cRIO). Two IFI radios (Probably $150 a pop new), bringing the total to $2,747.
If he knows what he is doing, he'll turn a profit easy.
On the flip side, if he doesn't know what he is dealing with, some team will get a real bargain.
**Please keep into consideration that this is a rough estimate that is probably high, as the price of the modules varies considerably.
Whoever bought this stuff isn't going to make MSRP off of it. I would never buy components off some random robot that have probably been abused and have no guarantee of working properly.
The guy would be lucky to make half of MSRP and it's going to take quite a bit of work. There isn't a big market on Craigslist or Ebay for FRC robot parts. I certainly would not want to hang my hat on making money via selling used robot components.
Garrett.d.w
05-08-2011, 16:33
The guy would be lucky to make half of MSRP and it's going to take quite a bit of work. There isn't a big market on Craigslist or Ebay for FRC robot parts. I certainly would not want to hang my hat on making money via selling used robot components.
Very true. Though I have to disagree on the size of the market. There are a lot of teams out there who would be itching to get their hands on some components to build a second robot.
Lil' Lavery
05-08-2011, 16:51
Very true. Though I have to disagree on the size of the market. There are a lot of teams out there who would be itching to get their hands on some components to build a second robot.
This is very much a case of having to seek out the market, rather than the market finding you. If you just posted this type of stuff on ebay or craigslist, you'd be likely to get low-balled, if any serious offers at all. You have to know what these components are and who to sell them to in order to find a serious buyer. I doubt this is the case.
I win!:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WQ1xg-5n4Q
ratdude747
06-08-2011, 02:48
I win!:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WQ1xg-5n4Q
I get 2nd place. look at 10:13 for the bots
looked scripted to me...
DonRotolo
06-08-2011, 10:29
Has anybody emailed them and asked about this?I'm not going to waste my time, as that would imply that I find their show worthwhile.Seriously though, I would bet this is the sort of thing that passed through their minds if any. Remember we're talking about TV here. The vast majority of the writing staff is technologically illiterate. They wouldn't know a robot from a cow, and they sincerely believe that the entire country is as ignorant as they are.I'm kind of surprised so many of you are jumping to the conclusion that there is no way a team could've put a robot together to look like that.What the photos show is not even close to a robot, it's just a pile of parts zip-tied together. There is no control system, no drivetrain, no power system...nothing. See my comment above.Judging by what was done to the robot, no one involved has a clue what any of the parts are, so they'd be hard pressed to get much money for them.Exactly. Not knowing the market, they won't get a dime for them.
Seriously, you can watch them cut the lock off the unit, throw open the door and !behold! - pretty robots perfectly staged for the cameras. If you believe that isn't fake, PM me because I have a bridge here in Fort Lee I don't need any more and I can sell it cheap.
Sorry to be a curmudgeon, but fake reality really gets my goat. Especially when the producers of this pap expect us to buy it. How stupid are we really?
JaneYoung
06-08-2011, 11:02
Sorry to be a curmudgeon, but fake reality really gets my goat. Especially when the producers of this pap expect us to buy it. How stupid are we really?
It isn't directed at the FRC community - particularly, the mentors. It is directed at the general public. Now you make ask: how stupid are we really? Uninformed, ignorant, and curious goes along with this.
The robot is a prop used to capture the uninformed, ignorant, and curious and you've been caught in the net, as well.
Jane
DonRotolo
07-08-2011, 10:21
Jane,
I meant "we" in the broad sense, not the FIRST community but the other 300 million residents. I know they weren't aiming at us, since they don't know we exist. Yet.
JaneYoung
07-08-2011, 11:12
Jane,
I meant "we" in the broad sense, not the FIRST community but the other 300 million residents. I know they weren't aiming at us, since they don't know we exist. Yet.
Don,
I understand that. Perhaps, as FRC moves more mainstream in the current culture, we should all put on our hard hats and weather the impact. With the good is going to come a lot silliness and poor use of robots that will test mentors' patience and humor.
Sadly, there - was - a thread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96658) this week that was deserving of thoughtful discussion and it received very little. Now, there is a second (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96694) one. The mentors highlighted in these threads who put their time into helping teams and communities, not only shift the culture but change it in astounding ways. There will always be those who focus on the importance of the robot but, the opportunity to focus on making true inroads into our society's current mindsets and attitudes is there for the taking. And those true inroads reflect well of the mentors' time (and how they use it) and their vision.
When was the last time we had a valuable discussion in CD about FRC mentors and their vision for their team and community, the FIRST program, the STEM initiative, and our world's future?
Jane
Alan Anderson
07-08-2011, 11:25
Sadly, there - was - a thread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96658) this week that was deserving of thoughtful discussion and it received very little.
Storage Hunters is available to pretty much everyone in North America with cable TV. Planet Green is still a "boutique" channel that isn't carried on many cable systems, and its exclusive shows are rarely available online. That's a problem for anyone who wants to see FIRST get wide, good exposure.
JaneYoung
07-08-2011, 11:37
Storage Hunters is available to pretty much everyone in North America with cable TV. Planet Green is still a "boutique" channel that isn't carried on many cable systems, and its exclusive shows are rarely available online. That's a problem for anyone who wants to see FIRST get wide, good exposure.
This would make a great post for that thread, Alan.
Is the NASA channel also a "boutique" channel?
Jane
P.S. Detroit In Overdrive should be seen by everyone. What happened in Detroit with the auto industry made a huge impact on the U.S., not just because of the implications and impact of the economy but because of why it happened and what Detroit is doing about that. It's a page in our history that we should be studying and learning from. The FRC story included in that particular episode is a good one and is a part of that history.
I don't have the evidence to back this up but my guess is that NASA TV is well established. Planet Green has been around only a year or two and doesn't yet have the market penetration / support by cable providers that NASA has.
Even then I don't think NASA is boutique but it doesn't have quite the mass market coverage other channels have.
Billfred
07-08-2011, 12:39
Is the NASA channel also a "boutique" channel?
I would venture yes, Jane--in my 23 years of living with Time Warner Cable's standard analog cable, NASA was never on offer. AT&T U-Verse only includes it as part of the upper-level U300 package (one shy of the top-tier U450). USC broadcasts it on campus, including in the residence halls, but Gamecock Cable is a special case given that it also goes to classroom buildings.
Andrew Remmers
07-08-2011, 13:41
Who stores a couch with a robot anyway?
I know our unit is packed to the brim, If they found that they would have a ball I bet.
Alan Anderson
07-08-2011, 19:18
Is the NASA channel also a "boutique" channel?
No, it's just "underdemanded" according to both my previous and current cable providers. Fortunately, it is available as streaming video on the internet.
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