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Re: pic: FTC3231 - Syzygy
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Student learning in FTC/FVC has always been about "which team(s) can do the most for a set of problems". Teams who actively seek thousands of dollars in sponsorship for the robot are, and will always be, at a clear advantage to those which accept whatever sponsorship comes their way, regardless of whether a strict set of materials are used instead of open-ended materials. Additionally, the open-ended materials will better encourage industry mentorship. (Anecdotal) I very much disliked mentoring VEX/FTC in '07/'08-'08/'09 due to the 'puzzle piece' nature of the competitions (yes I mentored both those years). The kids didn't know any better -- but I did, and having to learn ways to bang/cut/twist the puzzle pieces into submission was like pulling teeth when compared to the ability to design from scratch. The Syzygy Bot exemplifies it all, and with great success it seems. I love the passive grip mechanism; the consultations with my FTC students have been somewhat fruitless in this regard. Perhaps the pictures/videos will push them over the edge to do it (because their complex designs still aren't finished 2 weeks before competition...). |
Re: pic: FTC3231 - Syzygy
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Re: pic: FTC3231 - Syzygy
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The great thing is that an FTC team could probably buy a small inexpensive break and cut the sheet metal out themselves using a nice set of snips or a saw. This would arguably also better prepare your team's members for the FRC build season because you are forcing them to use a design methodology that can apply directly to the following FRC build season. I wish we could do more custom fabrication in the VEX competition. It would be a nice alternative to buying the high priced aluminum kits and would allow us to create some machines that stand out a little more. |
Re: pic: FTC3231 - Syzygy
By and large, I agree with Jesse as well. In my mind, the more flexible materials rules give FTC a chance to get out from beneath VRC's shadow. The Vex components have always been more flexible and well-considered than anything that Tetrix offers and I think that's evident in how successful each program has been. These new rules put FTC somewhere between VRC and FRC and make FTC more compelling for the subset of mentors (of which I am a member) that enjoy starting from nothing. There's certainly merit in the flexibility an Erector-like kit affords, though.
For what it's worth, a second of our three FTC teams - FTC4041 - built a robot that operates very similarly to the 3231 robot almost entirely from Tetrix components and is currently 2nd in the rankings for our league and just behind 3231. |
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