Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

We had a crazy thought this summer during one of our iR3 meetings, what if we built an FRC bot in 3 days and documented the whole thing online?

Well, we decided this was a challenge we could undertake. And in doing so we could help all of those teams out there who don't have experienced mentors to help quickly prototype parts and figure out the basics of an FRC bot. Compressing the entire build season into 3 days will give these teams an insight that they might not get until the season is over, thus making them more competitive. And its fun.

We might fail, we might succeed, but definitely will learn something, so you should follow along at www.robotin3days.com on YouTube or on Twitter @RobotIn3Days.

Check out this video as an introduction to robot in 3 days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=8NFRu9QtO5Y

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Is Bacon trying to do this or is IR3?

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

This is a separate thing from iR3 and Bacon. Its its own beast.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Oh so its not like Bacon's competition bot?

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Not at all. This is a way to show teams all over the world in a compressed format some ideas on a bot for this years game.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Do you have a schedule on how you are going to do the 3 days?

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Why three days and not a week or one day or something like that?

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Don't give FIRST ideas...we like our 45 day build season. They can make it shorter. Never underestimate the power of the GDC.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Fun fact: During the summer, the engineers for FRC and the GDC test out the game by building robots. Some of the robots are completed in as little as 24 man hours!

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Sounds like a great place to intern!

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Schedule is forthcoming, we will try to hit all the major tenets of a build season I.e. Strategize, Ideate, Build, Test and Adjust. Those four stages will most likely be truncated to 3 and supplanted with the more aptly named phased approach: "Don't Panic", "Consider Panicing" and "Why havent we been panicing?" We will be putting this schedule together and hope to have it released prior to kickoff.

Why 3 days? Well that's when most early prototyping and strategizing should take place, so we feel it'll offer the most bang for its buck. Plus, 6 weeks is just entirely too long and an awful lot of time to be spending mucking about machine shops and practice fields.

Why did we choose 3? As the good book doth say:

First shalt thou begin to create the Holy Robot, then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then posteth thou thy Holy YouTube Videos of Antioch towards thy viewers, who being inspired by sight, shall be challenged to do better.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Will you guys be working strait through the 72 hours (with shifts of people - half working, half sleeping) or will you be only working during the day?

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Sounds like a fun challenge. I'm looking forward to the results!!

Hahaha this made my night. :D

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

I don't think we will sleep much.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Yes... Just... Yes...

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

First shalt thou begin to create the Holy Robot, then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then posteth thou thy Holy YouTube Videos of Antioch towards thy viewers, who being inspired by sight, shall be challenged to do better.[/quote]

One, two, five!... I mean three!

As the coach of a team entirely based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, I truly appreciate that quote. I also appreciate what you guys are trying to do for the FIRST community. Good luck and thanks for being an inspiration. We will be watching.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Good luck and I look forward to seeing the results of your endeavor! On a side note, Why did you choose this particular sequence of colors for your logo? I'd usually expect to see either green-yellow-red or red-yellow-green.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

I just love this idea and I can't wait to see it realized.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

I'm wondering if the numerous threes in the game hints, this 3 day challenge, and this challenge's logo are connected in some way. It's difficult to imagine since this isn't an official FIRST post, but now whenever I see a three i start thinking about the upcoming game.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

I wish we knew what the game is, but no we are in the dark like everyone else. Although if somehow our logo is related we will all have a good laugh...then get back to work.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

Alphabetical Order, Green, Red, Yellow. Our logo is also kind of like a mood ring the colors change with how we are feeling.

You're probably right about the clue thing. The real announcement is that everyone will have just 3 days :-).

As far as the official clue goes, we love meatloaf, hate water, and don't mind pie.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

If the usual starting sequence red, yellow, green corresponds to ready, aim, fire ...

then this sequence corresponds to fire, ready, aim.

Typical of the build season sequence practiced by many team (including several of mine) --- build, think, plan.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

We've formed a committee and determined that we prefer this reasoning to all others.

Also, we'll be releasing a few videos about our approach to strategy, planning, build etc...

The first, is listed here

Let us know if there is something specific that you'd like to see before kickoff. We may just have the power to make it happen.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

If anybody can do this, it's got to be these guys. Remember, folks, these are the inventors of Modulox gearboxes. Modulox is going to give team iR3 a HUGE advantage in one of the most time-consuming parts of an FRC build season: prototyping and manufacturing of gearboxes.

Add to the fact that they're 3 long-time veterans of FIRST, both as students and mentors, and I bet they can do it without even altering their sleep schedule.

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

This'll be interesting. And I'm sure very inspirational! Looking forward to seeing the results. You guys should definitely be the first in the community to publish a robot teaser just for kicks :p

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

team 1396 built a robot in 1 day!

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/18269

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

We sure hope so! At least, one of the first! The actual robot will not compete in an official FRC competition, so it may be dqed for not really teasing anything :-)

In regards to the earlier questions about our build schedule. We've released a new vlog addressing our plans and some tips to develop a schedule.

Video here:

http://youtu.be/9fDgZR4OXIw

Blog and resources here:

http://www.robotin3days.com/gantt-ch...botics-season/

Re: Build a FRC bot in 3 days... Challenge Accepted.
 

I remember this, we were at the championship that year with teams and were very inspired by you guys.