Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Everyone missing dinner because of robots... Oh, the memories of build season. :)

On a more "related" note:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/09dadf4b4...11vmo1_500.png

"#nevergunnagiveyouup"
"#nevergunnaletyoudown"
Coincidence?

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

The separate item, size 4" x 1" x 1", is most likely the Allen-Bradley Signal Light. Last year, the kickoffs were sent those lights separately from everyone's KoP. The size matches the box well if I remember correctly.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

AndyMark didn't invest in molding and manufacturing these wheels just because they thought they could sell a few.

I can almost guarantee these are the KOP wheels which would lend credence to the smaller bot ideas. Also the FIRST Choice hold back suggests that FIRST is changing things up a bit and want teams to be able to get extra chassis parts and wheels.

BTW I have worked at AndyMark in the past but my current job makes that impossible and I have zero inside information on this.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Hmmm. I still think stacking, but with a variable weight to size ratio...

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

If that's the case, I'm wondering if the release of the wheel was one of the three "hints". Also, the picture of that wheel when it was released was the wheel on a sand dune, wonder if that has anything to do with anything as well...

EDIT: Frank's post of the kit frame being 6 wheel lends to this, since the wheels are smaller. I'm wondering what sort of overhaul the kitbot got. It could be nothing, but it really could be interesting. I think the biggest thing is the 30" andymark box. It's either a typo or a rule change...

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Does anyone else think that this would support the statement, "you will receive an AndyMark C-Base chassis system similar to the last few years. It will again be a six wheel drive robot, with similar wheels to 2012" Since the wheels look quite a bit like the wheels from last year?

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Andymark released Plaction wheels in 2008: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...light=plaction just before Lunacy game in 2009

Hundreds of teams use 4" wheels on 38x28" robots, and the 4" high traction wheels are just a smaller version of the 6" high traction wheels released last year.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

As a robot inspector, I am looking at the clue slightly differently. What if the clue was telling us more about the robot and less about the game? Every year lots of teams have “issues” with bumpers and understanding that what they call their robot’s “frame” and what FIRST calls the “FRAME PERIMETER” is not necessarily the same thing. Sometime back, I think in one of Bill’s blogs, teams were told that FIRST will be taking a hard look at the bumper rules this year to try to alleviate some of the confusion and frustration observed by both teams and inspectors. Maybe that was clue #1? Next we have also been told that the KitBot chassis will be a different this year. Couple that with the published box dimensions that (if you take as fact and not a typo) could lead one to conclude the KitBot chassis may be smaller this year. Let’s call that clue #2. Then the established clue #3 seems to refer to the singer Seal, missing something (i.e. “sliming down”), yet maintaining weight. This leads me to think that this year the bumpers must completely “seal” the robot (no gaps, no minimum bumper lengths, etc.). Also, I speculate that the robot must fit within the sizing box WITH bumpers attached. The sizing box may or may not be changed to accommodate a new robot dimension but the sizing box will include some sort of built in gauge or measurement system to check for bumper zone violations. The robot weight will remain at approximately 140 lbs (120 lbs + bumpers). I wouldn’t be surprised if the robots will still be sized 28”x38” but that will include the bumpers and the weight limit will be increased to 140 lbs but still won’t include the weight of the battery.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

From FRC blog comment section:

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Wow, I didn't see that. This is a rule change then?

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Mini bot's are coming back :D

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

But but but but but but...

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Every circle is similar to every other circle.

Rectangles with the same ratio of side lengths (38/28, 19/14, 28.5/21, etc.) are also similar.

Mathematically, there is no contradiction in Frank Merrick's statements. :)

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Sorry if I misread something, but all that Frank said is that there was no mistake made on the page. We assumed that the KOP frame dimensions may have been a mistake, since it was different from last year, and 8 isn't too far from 0 on the keyboard. That being said, it seems as if it's a rule change, unless the longer parts of the frame are hidden somewhere else. You can never rule out the sneaky GDC. ;)

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Has anyone else noticed that the new long AndyMark NanoTube rail is only 31" long? and the short is 20" long?

http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-0689.htm
http://www.andymark.com/NanoTube-p/am-0809.htm

Oh...and that's a 6 wheel drive in the "long" configuration and a 4 wheel drive in the "wide" configuration. I know this doesn't fit the kitbot box dimensions, but the kit bot design could be based off of these designs.

I can't say I've been all that attentive to AndyMark parts releases, but the documentation is dated June 2012. Please correct me if this part series has been out for longer than that.

If I'm not mistaken and these indeed were released in June 2012, then I guess we should have seen a smaller chassis coming a long time ago.