Event Predictions
 

Not quite a Car Knack thang but sorta.
Things I expect to see at the 8 event I go to this season:

I expect to see a half dozen to a dozen robot have their day ended from a topple from the third level to the floor. I am actually planning ahead for this and will have eight backups on standby to prepare for this. Last year I went through alot of robots (with Alamo having to go to five backups. Though to be fair a couple of them packed up and left) and the bridge wasn't nowhere as brutal as the pyramid can be.

Unfortunately I expect to see either a volunteer, member of a robot drives team or most likely a guest get severely injured by a game piece. I have seen several people get hit by game pieces over the years and mostly its pretty benign when it happens. Poof balls and inner tubes don't really hurt (and I've seen a ref take a point blank shot to the face with a soccer ball hard enough to knock his glasses off but he was relatively unhurt). In fact I think FIRST should give serious consideration to limiting VIP access to the field due to the amount of danger from the flying disc and how far too often the VIP are a little too loose with how aware they are when they are at the field (they should keep their kids strictly under control when they bring them out the field. We had one kid in DC make a run for the field during the elims right when a robot was coming right to where he was racing to and had to be grabbed by a volunteer. The mom just stood there and watched him go. Not cool). Can't have that this year or someone could end up needing stiches.

I expect to see a TON of G35 penalties. There are teams who don't read the rules in the first place and they certainly don't read up on the updates and many (far far too many) human players are poorly trained because teams underestimate how important a properly functioning human player is to the efficient operation of the drives team.

Re: Event Predictions
 

I share your concern for safety. These disk will be flying at high speeds and the rules have no direct limit on it. (I guess the inspectors can deem a robot unsafe.) I also wondered about the practice fields - do they all have netting and are people going to be kept back from them? Are belays required for getting robots down from the practice towers?

The high speed spinning wheels could pose a hazard as well - with maybe 1,500 or 2,000 robots having high speed spinning wheels will every one survive the season without a single wheel coming apart at some point. That's one of the main reasons our robot looks like it does. We do a lot of off-season demos with kids packed in near the robot rather closely.

Re: Event Predictions
 

The Practice fields are like saloons in the Wild West. I'm amazed there aren't fist fights breaking out. Teams crowd the field and overstay their time limit to make sure their robot is working to their satisfaction not caring one bit about the other teams at the event and certainly not heeding the poor overwhelmed volunteer any mind. It's like they left their GP back in the pit. This year I fear it will be a red zone for potential injures.

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This brings to light an important question - should I be watching out for any genius teams who think test firing discs in their pit is a great idea?

Re: Event Predictions
 

Most likely.

Re: Event Predictions
 

The backup Belay system will be on the practice field.
I actually wonder what will happen first on the practice field: someone having a robot fall on them or getting hit upside the head with a Firsbee at point blank range.

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You should be fine in the pits since safety glasses are mandatory. ::safety::

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I feel like this year the 772 hard-hats should be necessary. Practice fields will be similar to a war zone around the pyramids. And of course there'll be that human player throwing frisbees across the field that could seriously hurt someone.

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Safety glasses won't protect you from getting your head split open by an errant disc upside the head.

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It would not surprise me if FIRST mandates drive teams have to wear some sort of helmet on the field.
I am seriously thinking of purchasing one of these.

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I'll be a ref for the first time this year - I was thinking of going with one of these

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I laughed so hard my strained neck started hurting again...:D

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I'd just like for more safety features to be added before someone gets hurt, rather than after. That old saying applies here, "it's all fun and games til someone gets hurt". To your other prediction about robots falling from the pyramid, I feel like teams that know they have even the smallest chance of falling will not go past 10 points. A fall from the 30 point bar could be fatal.

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Maybe it'd be a good idea to park a Green shirt by the practice field to keep the peace.

Re: Event Predictions
 

Thanks for reminding me to pack our fishing net! It makes a great catcher right out of the robot. (We got it for the soccer balls I think?) Also may pack some hard hats. Our electronics desk is right next to our practice target. I've thwacked incoming frisbees with a frisbee. Household tip: use the frisbee to bang them straight down, not as a shield. That usually kills the spin.

After Nashua Week Zero, I'm wondering if there should be added field personnel to cry out "incoming!"

Has to be a strong-willed person for the practice field. If the area is big enough for multiple teams doing different things it can be chaotic but organized.