Building two bots
 

Our team (308) is building two identical robots this year. We are going to use the second bot to practice, develop a 30 point climb (Potentially), and develop code and autonomous code. We're aiming to be done ~week 5 and perfecting everything week 6.

What other teams are doing the same? Any veterans have tips and tricks on keeping them the same?

Re: Building two bots
 

Since 2005 we have been building two bots. We first build the prototype'practice bot first (we aim to have it done by week two but often it's finished by week four) and we take everything we learned building the prototype (and learn from our mistakes)to build the competition bot .

Re: Building two bots
 

We are also building two bots; one is shooter/10 point climber, the other a dedicated 30 point climber with potential TBD to score the 5 point discs. It is a lot of fun, and when they are completed (hopefully by the end of week 3) we will test scoring options to determine which one to take to competition.

Re: Building two bots
 

Team 73 is building two bots as well this year for similar reasons that Ed mentioned.

My only worry is that you guys are aiming for week 5. To get two useful bots done (an oops bot and a competition bot) done, I would aim for week 3. That way you can practice with one bot and start building your competition bot simultaneously. Week 5 is just too late in my book, it leaves no time to order parts (a lot of things are out of stock by then) or fix any problems that will come up.

Re: Building two bots
 

One of the main problems is that we only meet 3-4 times a week for 4-5 hours each time. The team leaders want the entire robot in CAD but we don't have that nailed down yet. We need to kick it into overdrive I think. Personally, i'm on the programming team and we have very little completed. Drive train code is finished (Reused 2011 code) and dashboard is nearly functional. We're looking to get vision done by next Saturday but finals are this week so...

Re: Building two bots
 

Next year when you have the practice bot in your possession you will be able to make the process more efficient.

Re: Building two bots
 

Hmm...You are right. You guys need to kick it into overdrive. Coding is typically not the most time consuming part since you don't need to code when the whole team meets. But you need to talk with your team's leader and remind him/her that time's ticking.

If you guys aren't a very focused group, you may need to just do one robot and get students "behind the wheel". If my choices were two robots and no practice time or one robot with practice time, I'd pick the latter.

Re: Building two bots
 

My team is building 2 robots for the first time this year, but we are taking a different approach than usual. Instead of having 2 identical robots, we are building 2 slightly different robots, and choosing the better of the 2 to go to competition with. We will then use the 2nd one to practice between bag-day and competition. We are planning to be able to shoot 3 point shots, as well as climb to the third level.

Re: Building two bots
 

Our team is aiming to build 2 robots this year. While this is my first time attempting to do so, one of our other mentors has years of experience building two robots and scheduling time appropriately so. We've already started cutting out enough parts for 2 chassis. One of the chassis will be going to the programmers for refining drive code and the vision targeting. The other robot will be the practice robot, and will have the first iteration of designed parts on it. We'll produce a 2nd iteration of parts that fix any problems with the first iteration, and this will go on the final robot, which the programmers will have been working on until that point. We aim to have both done by week 6, and have the practice bot be used for constant practice and refining for our week 1 and week 3 events.

We are planning 2 bots as well. Withholding design specifics, I can say that our goal is to build our first and improve it, rebuilding as we go. Once we know what works, we will finalize 1 and then build an exact copy to practice with. Additionally, we will most likely practice asking the second one as well as our older bots.

Re: Building two bots
 

Why stop at two?

Re: Building two bots
 

Mostly for my team this year, money was the limiting factor. We have nearly 80 kids on the team now (I think this may include the FTC kids too though), so we have subteams on drivetrain, 2 subteams on frisbee manipulators, and 2 subteams on climbing manipulators. Each manipulator group will prototype a different type of mechanism, (linear vs circular shooter and 1st tier vs 3rd tier climber) and when they finish, they will decide which work best and redesign and build for version 2. This is the first year where we have had teams competing against each other for the design, so I'm not sure how it will work out. I think their original goal was to have 3 robots, but we just didn't have the budget.

Re: Building two bots
 

We are planning on building 2 bots. The practice bot comes first and any mistakes in the design get fixed and the 2nd bot is created with the fixes for competition. We are looking at completing of bot 1 by week 4 and the 2nd one will come easier.

Re: Building two bots
 

Please don't tell me 973 will have 2+ robots this year. :eek:

Re: Building two bots
 

3476 code orange is making 2 robots, so that we can practice with one before competition and in between competitions :yikes:

Re: Building two bots
 

I seem to remember 1114 having at least 6 robots on display in their pits in 2011 at the Greater Toronto Regional.

Re: Building two bots
 

At the SCRRF Fall Classic they had two that were built just during the summer by all students - I can only guess how many of the gorgeous competition bot were also built :P

This will be 3309's second year building two robots - like we did last year they'll be largely the same, the competition bot being neater/better tuned and powder coated, time permitting.

Re: Building two bots
 

We just started building a practice bot.

Dont ask about the mortality though, thats a WHOLE nother thread.

Re: Building two bots
 

I'm guessing you meant morality? Mortality would indeed be yet another thread.

Re: Building two bots
 

Well with a level 3 fall, teams would need as many replacement robots as they can get! :rolleyes:

Re: Building two bots
 

Ah, yes. I love my spelling at this time of night. I can make jokes without even realizing it...

Re: Building two bots
 

973 has been building practice bots for at least the last 4 years. One little detail that will save you time and frustration is be sure your electronics are identical. We started using a chart (borrowed from this video (lengthy but very good, Thank you Al Skierkiewicz and others)) for our electronics that organizes our system by "system, function, motor/cylinder name, controller type (victor, jaguar, talon, spike, solenoid), PWM #, Breaker size, and system color code", etc. With this you can maintain consistency between robots which allows you to run the same code without changing I/O's. This is also very helpful in competition when diagnosing issues if they arise.

Re: Building two bots
 

When a robot falls to the ground and shatters into a thousand pieces the audience can his in unison "Fatality!" (or chirp "Toastiieee" if they so choose).

Re: Building two bots
 

If we're going to resurrect a beatdown on that long dead horse may I suggest we just add to this thread instead of making a new one. You may just find your point has already been made and there's no need to bring the subject up at all.

Re: Building two bots
 

We typically build two competition grade robots and have our prototype still operational too. Last year we didn't have time or money to build 2 comp. bots so we just retrofitted the prototype for testing purposes

Re: Building two bots
 

Yes yes yes. PLEASE dont start a new thread :P

Re: Building two bots
 

1511 is also making 2 robots for our second year, and our largest advice is build them simultaneously. Going into build season week 7 and 8 is not fun at all. Other than that, don't be overly surprised if they don't operate as identically as you expected, its hard to perfectly recreate a robot.