Chief Delphi - Canadian supremacy

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr8dragon (Post 1284052)

While it is evidently true that both 1114 and 2056 provide a great deal of motivation to teams and allow for them to aim for something much higher, I do not agree with some of the statements.

I have now been a part of teams 1241 and 188, as well as have seen the way other teams like 1310 function. I would like to point out that these teams don't design a robot to "beat" 1114 and 2056 as a personal vendetta. These teams from day one are concerned with winning the Championship, a regional win is really just the penultimate venture. 1114 and 2056 have the same idea, they also want to win on Einstein, but the fact that we are all trying to get there and have do it over each other on the same field makes it more difficult.

That being said, there have been a few regionals in the past where 1114 and 2056 have either not competed together or at all. That's not to say that the teams there will build less competitive robots just because they don't have to beat "powerhouses". In-fact team 610 this year won the BAE event and it was the first event they attended. They didn't build a less competitive robot to win BAE and then change it for when they had to play 1114 and 2056 at Waterloo.

I believe that sometimes people misunderstand how 1114 and 2056 inspire and motivate. There is always going to be the pride of beating them in Ontario for any team that finds a way to do it. However, the real motivation and inspiration is drawn from how well engineered and thought-out their robots truly are. That is why they make teams want to try to build better robots, they show every team that it can be done. Every teams tries to build the best robot they can (why wouldn't you) but these 2 very special teams build robots that just make you go "wow".

Don't get me wrong winning and Ontario regional (over 1114 and 2056) is top of my bucket list, and when it happens it will be something I will always remember.

EDIT:
I am aware that 610 changed their robot for waterloo by adding a floor pickup, and it was because they thought it would help them win waterloo. The reason though was to help them seed first, not to specifically beat 1114 and 2056. Seeding first would mean to break up 1114 and 2056 and possibly work with one of them.

I wasn't trying to suggest that the '2nd tier' sets out with 'beat 1114/2056' as their goal. That's definitely not true. I'm reasonably certain that for most teams, the goal is to build a machine that can inspire its students to careers in STEM fields, and hopefully win some events along the way. Its most definitely NOT a vendetta against 1114/2056. Its simply historically been a reality in Ontario, that if you want to win an event here (as alliance captain or 1st pick), you must build a machine that can outperform them on the field.

You're absolutely correct that a huge part of why the '2nd tier' has improved so much is not as much a direct result of striving to outperform 1114/2056, but rather a result of the '2nd tier' getting front row seats on a consistent basis to learn exactly what makes a Simbot or OPbot tick.

Over the years, I've watched numerous technologies in FRC robots make their first appearance in Ontario aboard a machine made by 1114 or 2056, followed by variations on the same concept by the '2nd tier' either later that year, or in future years with similar goals. This is true even of new parts, like the plastic air tanks, and Colson wheels.

EDIT: Mr Lim is also HUGELY correct. Mentors are what makes a powerhouse tick. 1114 has Karthik, 2056 has Tyler Holtzman, 217 has Paul Copioli, 148 has JVN, 188 has Roly Anderson, and countless others, 610 has Mr. Lim. 188 helped build many of these passionate mentors that have gone on to other teams like 1310, 2505, 2809. (Yes, I realize many of these teams have far more great mentors than just the immediately identifyable face)