Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Team 384 SPARKY registering NOW!

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I can't speak for Virginia First , but from what i understand there isn't going to be a Robot Rumble in Richmond this year, hence part of the reason that Rumble in the Roads is being held. The group is looking for at least 24 teams and may be opened to the so called "B" teams if needed. (some teams have a practice robot and students to drive them.)

They are also looking for volunteers to help run this too. From what i understand a official 2014 First field has already been reserved....some of the other people who are more involved with this can answer questions better than i can.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We are planning on having judged awards along with a people's choice award with some fun awards thrown in there.

There is also discussion of some Mentor matches at the end of the day. That way us mentors can show the kids how it's done, or completely embarrass ourselves, one of the two.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Currently Registered Teams:

384 Sparky
1086 Blue Cheese
1610 Builders of Tomorrow
1793 The Pilots
2363 Triple Helix

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We are excited to have added the following teams to the list of attending teams:

384 Sparky - Virginia winners and Galileo EI winners
1086 Blue Cheese - Queen City Chairman's winners

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Don't forget: 2363 - Chesapeake Winner, Galileo Winner & Einstein Semi Finalist
Not sure but I think this is the first VA team to make it to Einstein.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

122 made the big stage back in 2001 but it's been a while.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Well then you also can't forget
1610 - Chesapeake Finalists and back to back Virginia Winners

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We are happy to announce that 422 Mech Tech Dragons, the Virginia Chairman's winners, and 339 Kilroy, QF at both DC and NC, have been added to the list and that 3168 Warriors have agreed to "come out to playay!" Virginia EI winners Talon 540 have also decided to join in the fun.

Our complete list is now:

339 Kilroy - Stafford, VA
384 Sparky - Richmond, VA
422 Mech Tech Dragons - Richmond, VA
540 Talon 540 - Henrico, VA
1086 Blue Cheese - Glen Allen, VA
1610 BOT - Builders of Tomorrow - Franklin, VA
1793 The Pilots - Norfolk, VA
2363 Triple Helix - Newport News, VA
3168 Warriors - Suffolk, VA

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

TALON 540 is extremely excited to come to Menchville for the Rumble In The Roads! We can't wait to see you guys and play Aerial Assist once again!

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Sorry, but my OCD wanted me to point that out...

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Not quite sure how I ended up typing Henrich...

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We are excited up update our team list to include the VA Quarter Finalists and Deans List Finalist, Team 1137 Rocket Sauce!

339 Kilroy - Stafford, VA
384 Sparky - Richmond, VA
422 Mech Tech Dragons - Richmond, VA
540 Talon 540 - Henrico, VA
1086 Blue Cheese - Glen Allen, VA
1137 Rocket Sauce - Matthews, VA
1610 BOT - Builders of Tomorrow - Franklin, VA
1793 The Pilots - Norfolk, VA
2363 Triple Helix - Newport News, VA
3168 Warriors - Suffolk, VA

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

For those who don't know....Menchville is close to Christopher Newport, the Mariners Museum and just south of Williamsburg.
There are about 14 teams not yet registered with in a hour/ hour 1/2 of Menchville high (heck Franklin is like a hour 1/2 away...so whats your excuse?) and thats not counting teams North of Richmond.....They would really like to fill this up so come on and register when you can. I don't know if we have any new pre 2015 rookies out there...but maybe if someone knows they could be contacted.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Virginia QF 1262 the STAGS have decided to make the long drive out to join us for the competition.

339 Kilroy - Stafford, VA
384 Sparky - Richmond, VA
422 Mech Tech Dragons - Richmond, VA
540 Talon 540 - Henrico, VA
1086 Blue Cheese - Glen Allen, VA
1137 Rocket Sauce - Matthews, VA
1262 the STAGS - Martinsville, VA
1610 BOT - Builders of Tomorrow - Franklin, VA
1793 The Pilots - Norfolk, VA
2363 Triple Helix - Newport News, VA
3168 Warriors - Suffolk, VA

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We are very excited to add our first out of state team to our list of competitors. Virginia finalists Team 435 The Robodogs out of NC are going to be making their way north to have some fun along with Team 1829 Carbonauts from Onancock, VA.

339 Kilroy - Stafford, VA
384 Sparky - Richmond, VA
422 Mech Tech Dragons - Richmond, VA
435 The Robodogs - Raleigh, NC
540 Talon 540 - Henrico, VA
1086 Blue Cheese - Glen Allen, VA
1137 Rocket Sauce - Matthews, VA
1262 the STAGS - Martinsville, VA
1610 BOT - Builders of Tomorrow - Franklin, VA
1793 The Pilots - Norfolk, VA
1829 Carbonauts - Onancock, VA
2363 Triple Helix - Newport News, VA
3168 Warriors - Suffolk, VA

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Call for Volunteers
Volunteering is a great way for parents and siblings to experience the competition, and we would greatly appreciate their help to put on a great event. One of the goals of the event is to grow the local volunteer base in preparation for the future move to districts, so the more new people we can get involved the better! Interested volunteers may register on the website or may contact me for more information.

Pre-rookies
“Pre-rookie” FRC teams that will compete in the 2015 season are welcome to register at a reduced cost and can borrow a veteran team's robot! If you're interested in registering a pre-rookie team, please contact me for more information.

"B" Teams
If your team is interested in registering a second robot at the event, please let me know. "B" teams will be invited to register on a first-come, first-served basis until all of the competition’s remaining slots are filled.

Boxed Lunches
There are several lunch options, including a grocery store, within 10 driving minutes of the venue. In addition to these options, we plan to pre-sell boxed lunches at the event. Stay tuned to the website for ordering instructions and more information. All proceeds from the boxed lunch sales will go towards offsetting the cost of hosting the event.

Spaces are filling up, so make sure to get those registrations in quickly.

If you have any questions email me at lythgoe.matthew@gmail.com.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Here is the currently proposed schedule folks. We plan on having a load in Friday night for local teams and those teams that travel over on Friday. We also plan on running first come first served practice matches once the field is up and running Friday evening.

Friday, October 3
7:00 PM Early team load-in
7:00 PM Unscheduled practice matches (if possible)
9:00 PM Pits close

Saturday, October 4
7:30 AM Team load-in & doors open
8:30 AM Drivers meeting
9:00 AM Opening ceremonies
9:15 AM Start of qualification matches
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Resume qualification matches
2:00 PM Alliance selection
2:30 PM Elimination tournament
4:30 PM Awards ceremony

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

So, would it make sense for Richmond teams to wake up early and arrive Saturday morning?

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

That's what we usually do for events in Richmond.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

excellent! The whole Friday thing sort of freaked me out for a sec. beating the bushes for more teams.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We went to Battlefield last year and are going to Baltimore and Rumble this year as one day events. Nothing like rolling out of downtown Richmond at 5am.
zzzz

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I'll relabel the schedule to say early load-in instead. Probably a bit confusing.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We are excited to announce that over the past week we've had 2 more teams register. VA QF and Palmetto QF Team 346 RoboHawks and VA SF Team 3939 Robotic Knights. Here is the updated list of competitors.

339 Kilroy - Stafford, VA
346 RoboHawks, Chesterfield, VA
384 Sparky - Richmond, VA
422 Mech Tech Dragons - Richmond, VA
435 The Robodogs - Raleigh, NC
540 Talon 540 - Henrico, VA
1086 Blue Cheese - Glen Allen, VA
1137 Rocket Sauce - Matthews, VA
1262 the STAGS - Martinsville, VA
1610 BOT - Builders of Tomorrow - Franklin, VA
1793 The Pilots - Norfolk, VA
1829 Carbonauts - Onancock, VA
2363 Triple Helix - Newport News, VA
3168 Warriors - Suffolk, VA
3939 Robotics Knights - Buchanan, VA

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

16 teams now...and if you count the three "B" teams...thats 19...that leaves
either 5 or 7 slots for a 24 teams event.....If your teams hasn't registered yet...you still have just under 60 days left. Lets hear from some of the Hampton Roads teams that haven't registered yet....I'm hearing that were supposed to have a excellent MC for this event that a lot of Va. teams know well. grin

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Less than 7 weeks away!

Here is a lodging, dining, and shopping guide for the area around the venue. If you need assistance with your travel arrangements please let us know.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

1 month to go! :)

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

That's right, and we've added a couple more teams to the mix! Our friends in Newport News Team 4538 Enginuity have decided to join us along with the Titans Team 539 from Richmond VA.

We are also very excited to have a pre-rookie team from the Appomattox Regional Governor's School joining us for the event. Their registration fee and a robot have been generously donated by one of the veteran teams attending the event.

We look forward to seeing everyone in a month!

339 Kilroy - Stafford, VA
346 RoboHawks, Chesterfield, VA
384 Sparky - Richmond, VA
422 Mech Tech Dragons - Richmond, VA
435 The Robodogs - Raleigh, NC
539 Titans - Richmond, VA
540 Talon 540 - Henrico, VA
1086 Blue Cheese - Glen Allen, VA
1137 Rocket Sauce - Matthews, VA
1262 the STAGS - Martinsville, VA
1610 BOT - Builders of Tomorrow - Franklin, VA
1829 Carbonauts - Onancock, VA
2363 Triple Helix - Newport News, VA
3168 Warriors - Suffolk, VA
3939 Robotics Knights - Buchanan, VA
4538 Enginuity, Newport News, VA
Pre-Rookie, Petersburg, VA

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

In the past couple of days we have added 4 more teams! NC Regional Winners Team 900 Zebracorns from Durham NC, Team 1908 ShoreBots from Exmore VA, Rookie All Stars Team 4969 Iron FeNix from Virginia Beach VA, and Team 2028 Phantom Mentalists from Hampton VA.

With 3 teams interested in running "B" teams, this means we have a full field! However, registration is still open for any teams interested in attending!

339 Kilroy - Stafford, VA
346 RoboHawks - Chesterfield, VA
384 Sparky - Richmond, VA
422 Mech Tech Dragons - Richmond, VA
435 The Robodogs - Raleigh, NC
539 Titans - Richmond, VA
540 Talon 540 - Henrico, VA
900 Zebracorns - Durham, NC
1086 Blue Cheese - Glen Allen, VA
1137 Rocket Sauce - Matthews, VA
1262 the STAGS - Martinsville, VA
1610 BOT - Builders of Tomorrow - Franklin, VA
1829 Carbonauts - Onancock, VA
1908 ShoreBots - Exmore, VA
2028 Phantom Mentalists - Hampton, VA
2363 Triple Helix - Newport News, VA
3168 Warriors - Suffolk, VA
3939 Robotics Knights - Buchanan, VA
4538 Enginuity - Newport News, VA
4969 Iron FeNix - Virginia Beach, VA
Pre-Rookie ARGS Dragons - Petersburg, VA

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Are you running IRI rules, standard rules, or a different non-standard set of rules?

Do we get to know who the B-teams are?

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Standard rules are being run.

The 3 teams that have requested B team slots are 422, 1086, and 1610.

I'm planning on sending out an email to each of the teams that have requested B teams letting them know if they are in or not. As of now all teams that have requested one have a slot. With that said, we'd like to be able to include as many teams as possible. We are asking for some understanding if we have a registration come in after this week we may ask a B team to drop. 1610 has already offered to be the first B team replaced if more registrations come in.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

The first-annual Rumble in the Roads is now less than a month away and we have 24 robots!

Schedule
The current schedule is available on the event website:

Friday, October 3
7:00 PM Optional early load-in
7:00 PM Unscheduled practice matches (if possible)
9:00 PM Pits close

Saturday, October 4
7:30 AM Doors open
8:30 AM Drivers meeting
9:00 AM Opening ceremonies
9:15 AM Start of qualification matches
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Rumble in the Roads Expo
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Resume qualification matches
2:00 PM Alliance selection
2:30 PM Elimination tournament
4:30 PM Awards ceremony

Rumble in the Roads Expo
At the event, make sure to meet our wonderful exhibitors:
2015 FRC control system beta test teams, Team 384 Sparky and Team 900 Zebracorns
VirginiaFIRST
SeaPerch Tidewater
Old Dominion University
Christopher Newport University
Jefferson Lab
and more!

Lunch Options
There are several lunch choices, including a grocery store, within 10 driving minutes of the venue. Outside food and drink may be brought into the venue and enjoyed in the cafeteria.

In addition to this, at least one of Hampton Road’s renowned food trucks will be on site selling delicious local food! This is in lieu of an earlier plan to sell boxed lunches.

Contact information
Please ensure that we have at least one cell phone number for your team so we can check in with you if you're running late.

Pre-rookies & “B” Teams
“Pre-rookie” FRC teams that will compete in the 2015 season are welcome to register at a reduced cost and can borrow a veteran team's robot! If you're interested in registering a pre-rookie team, please contact me for more information.

Many teams have expressed interest in registering second robots, those teams will be receiving a confirmation of their “B” team registration shortly.

Registration Checks
Thank you to the teams who have already paid-- your early payment will help us run a better event! Please send in your registration check if you have not done so already. You will receive an email stating that we have received your check when it arrives. If you have not yet sent in your payment, please give me an idea of when you expect to get that to us.

Local Area Information
On the website is a lodging and , dining guide for the area around the venue. If you have any questions or need help with your travel arrangements, please let us know.

Match Schedule
Teams will get a preliminary qualification match schedule during the week leading up to the event. Once all teams are accounted for on Saturday morning, we will finalize the qualification match schedule and notify teams if there are any changes.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Who will be crowned champion?

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

The Rumble is coming...

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

nice!

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Attached is the preliminary match schedule for the 2014 Rumble in the Roads. The schedule will be finalized on the day of the event once the teams arrive. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!

Notes:
610 = 1610 B
363 = 2363 B (Pre -rookie team ARGS)
8422 = 422 B
9801 = 1086 B

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I'm gonna have to wear my 610 shirt for at least half the day....lol
I really have one...but its the other 610

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I guess it is ironic the first year we need 9801 bumpers is also the the first year in a while that we had bumpers that can't be mounted upside down.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We're going to have 3 different number styles on the 8422 bumpers since they're being cut from 2010 bumpers with 2013 slipcovers. None of the numbers match team branding standards.

It shows character.

Really excited the Coyotes could make the trip down from Toronto. Thanks for the prelim schedule and see ya'll bright and early Saturday.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Attached is a map of the building and the pit layout for the event this weekend.

We are also pleased to announce that we will be giving the following awards at the 2014 Rumble in the Roads:

Event Winners (3x)

Captain Award
The Captain Award sponsored by Christopher Newport University is presented to a team whose members gain the pride and respect of not only their school and sponsors, but also their co-competitors. This team truly inspires others with their teamwork, leadership, and gracious professionalism on and off the field. This award is voted on by each team competing in the event.

People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award sponsored by VirginiaFIRST is presented to a team whose efforts, performance, and dynamic spirit merit special recognition. This team’s unbridled enthusiasm is contagious as they share their passion for advancing appreciation and respect for engineering by spreading the ideals of FIRST robotics. This award is voted on by the event attendants.

Ironclad Award
Celebrating machine robustness in concept and fabrication, the Ironclad Award is presented to a team whose robot has shown true resilience in combat. While their robot may come away from this event with battle scars, this team has built their robot to stay afloat.

Shipbuilder Award
The Shipbuilder Award celebrates form and function in an efficiently designed machine that effectively achieves the game challenge. This team demonstrates a clear understanding of the rules of the game and their robot has been designed to effectively complete tasks with consistency and accuracy.

USS Monitor Award
The USS Monitor presented a new concept in ship design and
employed a variety of new innovations in ship building that caught the
attention of the world. The USS Monitor Award celebrates innovation in robot components, design, or strategy of play. This team’s unique ideas stretch beyond the norm and reflect creative thinking to effectively achieve their goals on the field of battle.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Thanks for putting the A and B teams together. It's going to make the day that much easier.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We all know the real winner is the guy on the left holding the banner

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

AND there's a practice field.

That's fancy.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Are there any teams going who have a spare robot cart that 900 could borrow? We're trying to pack light for the weekend and our cart is rather large. If there is a chance we could borrow one then we would be grateful. Thanks!

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I'd say you could use ours...but since we have a A and B team we're probably gonna need both of ours. Our New one is huge and heavy. The old one is a modified wagon we used until 2012. It used the former team 616's cart. We've taken the uprights for holding the robot off of it and haven't put them back on yet. When we need it for this years robot we just simply put in on it and use it like that. You might be able to do the same thing with another cart or wagon. Hopefully one of the other teams might have one.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Hey Marshall - just an idea, but we've had great success using a four caster movers dolly for times when we don't want to drag the entire cart. Just lift the entire bot onto the dolly...make sure there is sufficient friction when you push to keep it from sliding off, and you're good. In the regular season they're great for moving around stacks of Kickoff Bins.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

If you haven't found anything by Saturday we can probably come up with something the day of the event for you.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Thanks for the responses folks! I think the dolly is our likely plan if we can't find anything else. I'm sure we'll make it all work out one way or another. I'm excited and can't wait to see how the new beta hardware holds up in matches. Should be a lot of fun.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

A map of the parking lots can be found on our Facebook page.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Are you going to be taking home one of the 2014 Rumble in the Roads trophies?

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Marshall
We might have something not sure it will work (the foot print might be to small) but come by team 384 pit and take a look.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

A fantastic event! Although we lost in the quarterfinals, our whole team had a great event! Personally, I thought it was a fantastic event for all, and myself as a senior I was especially appreciative. Thank you to all the judges, teams, and volunteers who made today possible!

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Greetings,

Blue Cheese had a great day at the Rumble. It was the best off season event I have been to in my 11 years associated with FIRST in Virginia.

We would like to thank 2363, 1610 and 1793 for hosting the event. You were all generous hosts. We had a wicked close set of matches with 2363,1610 and 1610B (610). It was a great semi finals!

Another thanks to our alliance partners: 346 and 4969, you all were great alliance partners. I just wish we could have finished the journey.

Congrats to the winners: 384,900 and 3168. The power of 900's truss and 384's finishing with the D of 3160 was a great combo.

The play in VA is really improving. We look forward to the Virginia regional in the Spring.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I would personally like to thank all of the teams that came out to the event. Nate and I honestly could not have asked for the event to go any better and a lot of that has to do with the teams that were there. Thank you to the field crew and the volunteers who worked very hard to make sure the event ran smoothly. We look forward to seeing you all again next year.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

USS Monitor Award
The USS Monitor presented a new concept in ship design and employed a variety of new innovations in ship building that caught the attention of the world. The USS Monitor Award celebrates innovation in robot components, design, or strategy of play. This team’s unique ideas stretch beyond the norm and reflect creative thinking to effectively achieve their goals on the field of battle.

By having a very specific design based on a defined strategy, which they executed to perfection every time, this team truly showed their stripes. The USS Monitor Award goes to Team 900 - Zebracorns.

Shipbuilder Award
The Shipbuilder Award celebrates form and function in an efficiently designed machine that effectively achieves the game challenge. This team demonstrates a clear understanding of the rules of the game and their robot has been designed to effectively complete tasks with consistency and accuracy.

This robot's ability to efficiently pick up the ball, its modular design, and its use of sonar to measure distance made it a scoring machine. The Shipbuilder Award goes to Team 339 - Kilroy.

Ironclad Award
Celebrating machine robustness in concept and fabrication, the Ironclad Award is presented to a team whose robot has shown true resilience in combat. While their robot may come away from this event with battle scars, this team has built their robot to stay afloat.

This team's robot is small, compact, fast, and robust. It continued to function well regardless of what was thrown in its way. The Ironclad Award goes to Team 1610 - Builders of Tomorrow.

People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award sponsored by VirginiaFIRST is presented to a team whose efforts, performance, and dynamic spirit merit special recognition. This team’s unbridled enthusiasm is contagious as they share their passion for advancing appreciation and respect for engineering by spreading the ideals of FIRST robotics.

This team's school is well known as a football powerhouse, but they have proven that they know more than just football by sharing their passion for engineering, machinery, and robotics. The people have spoken, and this award goes to Team 2028 - Phantom Mentalists.

Captain Award
The Captain Award sponsored by Christopher Newport University is presented to a team whose members gain the pride and respect of not only their school and sponsors, but also their competitors. This team truly inspires others with their teamwork, leadership, and gracious professionalism on and off the field.

In spite of their insistence that they should not win an award, their peers have selected, with the consent of the judges, Team 2363 - Triple Helix.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We can't thank you and the other organizers nearly enough for such a spectacular event. We really enjoyed it. We were not expecting to do nearly as well as we did given that we were running the new control system but I guess our testing has gone much better than expected.

Thank you to all of the teams who competed and especially to our alliance partners on 384 who not only were superb to work with but also were gracious enough to loan us a great robot cart for the weekend. What an amazing event!

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

did anyone happen to record the matches by chance? We would like to see if we can notice what was causing the robot to reboot at the end of the day.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

For what it's worth, I heard one of your students mention something about the router dropping out after the event had ended. If the router was rebooting then my bet is on the power to the router or the router cable coming unplugged. We use anderson power poles on the cable coming out of the router and we tape the power plug for the router in place and use zip ties for strain relief. I'm not saying it was the problem but it might help. We've been bitten by router issues a lot in the past so we go for the overkill approach when dealing with it now.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Y'all were taking some significant hits in the later elimination rounds. I know we had a hit hard enough at the end of the day to jiggle loose our bridge and cRIO ethernet ports.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

dang it! I forgot something. Thanks to 422 for making a second robot so we could have a full field of 24. You guys rock!

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Like eating a KFC Double Down or driving a car for hundreds of miles after the check engine light comes on, it was a learning experience in that we learned we will never do that again :D

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I can't speak for the whole team but i think those who attended from 1610 had a great time. It was like being at a regional but with half the teams and a smaller venue. Many of the field crew members from Va. First were there along with Lisa and some of her folks and Jeff, Patrict and Justin added to it to give it the feel of a regional event.

Congratulations are in order for 2363 for not only being awarded the "Captains Award" which they deserve...but for pulling this off and doing it so well. They have a lot of support and it showed. It wouldn't surprise me if they end up being
"Chairman's Award" winners someplace in the future. They are that good of a team. Va. First may already have some places in mind for when they go to districts...but i think Menchville could hold a district event in the Hampton Roads area if they could.

With this being the first time it had been done i was surprised at how well it went. There were a couple of things though that i though could be improved upon (cuing areas being one) but over all it was very well run.

I think our team came away from this learning a few things. For one this year we built a practice robot which benefitted us greatly during build season. If your team can afford to build one i recommend it. But entering a second robot in an off season event is not for the feint hearted. It was like being in the finals of a regional with the matches coming fast and often with almost no time to recover.

Now 1610 has a very small team...We have very few students to draw from for robotics but small teams can run two robots, but unless you have the student support to cover them its very hard to do. We actually had to put two of our newest rookies in there to drive "610" almost not knowing anything about driving and competing. They did well considering.

I think we'd do it again next year...but i don't think you'll see another "610" again.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Sparky 384 had a really fun time at the Rumble in the Roads on Saturday. We would like to thank teams 2363, 1610, 1793 and all of the volunteers for running one of the smoothest and most well planned off-season events we have participated in to date!

While there were a ton of quality teams there, we decided that team 900's truss pass to the human player from the inbound station was the perfect compliment to our robot, and 3168 played some great defense.

We are happy we got to play against some of the local Richmond area teams in 346 and 1086 in the finals, even though 1086 had some bad luck with connection issues. Along with 4969, you all played some great matches in the eliminations.

We are already excited to attend the 2nd Rumble in the Roads next year!

EDIT:
It looks like 2363 is uploading match videos to their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TripleHelix2363

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Do you realize, you have the first win with the new control system on board.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I don't believe that. There must be another team testing who has won an off-season event before now with the new controller. If that's true though then that's quite a feather in our zebra-striped caps. It would not have been possible without some great alliance partners and the hard work of our students heading up our beta testing program.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

There were actually 2 Beta systems on the winning alliance. Both 900 and 384 were running the new control system, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

We [384] weren't running the new control system on our bot, but had the electrical board laid out on plywood in our pit for teams to come check it out. :)

Thanks

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Yep, 384 weren't running theirs. We talked with their mentors for a while about it. They were fantastic alliance partners even with the older control system though.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Yeah. Sadly, we ran into some issues with the C++ development support about two weeks before IROC, and by the time we resolved them we haven't had enough time between any events to comfortably swap the two out.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Yeah, connection issues can really put a damper on finals. We only ever had connection issues last year in the finals of rumble and it wasn't a lot of fun.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

2363's video playlist covers all of the qualification rounds and QF1 - QF3. Does anyone else have match videos of the Semis or Final rounds?

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I just chatted with the mentors for 2363. They assured me they would be up soon.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

For anybody interested in getting notifications when the 2015 registration opens up for teams and volunteers please sign up for our email blasts.

Anybody that attended the event that would like to leave feedback please do, it will help us run an even better event next year!

We look forward to seeing everybody during the upcoming season and we hope to see you next year at the 2015 Rumble in the Roads!

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I have good news and bad news.

The good news:
All of the match video 2363 has through the finals is now on our teams youtube account.

The bad news:
The card that the semifinals was recorded on died, so we have no video of the semifinals.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Lessons learned document published here!

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

I'm reading through it, and now I'm wondering how many offseasons have ever provided driver buttons. You call the whole event something as "a sort of practice," but you consider buttons to be a huge need. I honestly can't remember an offseason I've participated in that has supplied driver buttons. Someone who has gone to IRI might be able to answer if even they have them. The only one I can think has them is MKM.

I also don't know of any actual offseason (not counting the offseason state championships) that provide inspectors, but providing it as an optional process could be good. Could result in some negative effects by having an inspector stress rules at the offseason that undergo heavy changes or be de-emphasized/deleted for the next year's game (read as: bumpers).

On the point of adding a queuer, I think the one thing Virginia always does well is queuing. I don't know how much of the VARI queuing staff was at RitR, but it felt like zero. Cycling in and out of the field went from typical-offseason quirkiness to downright nightmarish depending on who interacted with who (new student on the drive team + guy I have never seen before doing queuing=disaster). If better routes could be established and pointed out in the future with taped arrows, it would go a long way to fix that issue.

I have more but I'll put it in another email later.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Will,

A lot of the comments in the document were direct feedback from the attendants of the event. We didn't think drive team buttons were a big deal at all, which is why we didn't provide them. But, you'd be surprised how many times Pit Admin was asked about the buttons.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

The reason I asked was that the head reff(/reff in training) said we needed them during the driver's meeting.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

That would explain it. Either way its a simple request that can be planned in the future to give it that much more of a real event feel.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

All,

When reading through Nate's lessons learned document if there is anything that you think we missed that could improve the event for future years please leave your comments here. We appreciate any feedback that will make the event better for all those volunteering, competing, and attending.

Thanks.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

There was a lack of corndogs at the event. Is this something you will address next year? ;)

Seriously, you guys had one of the best run off season events. It was well done. I'm sure there are a ton of improvements you want to make and you will and I'm hoping we'll be back next year when you do it again. Thank you for hosting it.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

please, please, please, keep the corndog thing on the west coast where it belongs...

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Fine then... event needed more BBQ then. :)

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

That's entirely unsurprising. At least it simulated the emotional distress one gets from a driver's meeting at the Virginia Regional.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Why do you call this unsurprising? We recruited experienced referees for our event and they were asked to officiate the event just as if they were at a real regional. Our goal is to hold a district event at Menchville in the future. By making our off-season as much like a real event as possible we help to prepare everyone involved: the teams, the volunteers, the school system, etc.

Real regionals have driver buttons and it was our fault for not communicating to the referees that buttons were not provided. Our lessons learned document includes a statement about the buttons mainly because of the miscommunication. We either need buttons or we need to communicate better that there are no buttons.

On a different note since you felt the need to blend your text color in with the background color, can you elaborate on why you feel the driver's meeting at the regional is stressful? In my opinion, the only thing stressful about it is the utter lack of attention from the teams and the questions they ask that are clearly answered in the rules. Properly prepared teams have no reason to be stressed.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

To be fair to the reff, I think the reason he/she brought it up was because there were a few teams at the drivers meeting that were wearing their driver buttons from other events. So it isn't unreasonable to for him/her (to be honest I can't remember if it was the head reff or the reff in training) to assume the event had buttons.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

BBQ = 1.90
SAUCE = 0.80 :)

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Regional driver meetings are stressful when you have to relay team updates to referees before they tell the teams they will be enforcing rules that are no longer in effect and/or following an invalid interpretation of the rules. It creates a situation where if a drive team can't trust a referee to be aware of and/or communicate rules available from a public resource, the drive team may think the referee might be susceptible to other issues that shouldn't be issues.

The headaches I have had with referee crews aren't exclusive to Rumble in the Roads. There are a number of issues that are constant presences at the Virginia/DC Regional year in and year out that are not issues at other events I have attended in the past (2014 Champs, 2014 Alamo, 2013 Champs, 2012 NC, 2011 MD, 2010 NJ, 2009 NJ, a half dozen Mid-Atlantic offseasons, other event's I'm forgetting). This is not the first and only place I have discussed this issue and there are people with far more influence than those who post in this forum who are aware of the issue.

I don't think I called out RitR here for saying mean things about my mom or claimed it would always be picked last in kickball, so I'm not really sure what made you think this now-ludicrous discourse on driver buttons at an offseason event made me think Menchville couldn't hold a district. In fact, I called out teams for thinking it's weird to expect driver buttons. IRI doesn't give out driver buttons. Communicating a lack of driver buttons in advance wasn't an option listed on the lessons learned paper, but it's good to see that's an option.
-----------
Why do I blur out some things on Chief Delphi?

Because sometimes people go off the reserve when you express an opinion they don't like.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

You're right, it is not the team's responsibility to inform the referees of the rules, but I think you're bringing up points that aren't applicable to the off season thread you're posting in. If you have issues with anything that happened at RitR specific to volunteers that we haven't already covered in our lessons learned document please PM myself or notmattlythgoe to discuss privately.

I think you must have misunderstood something. Nowhere did I say that you thought Menchville couldn't hold a district. I provided clear explanation for some of the problems we had at the event (driver buttons included) and asked why you said what you said because I was genuinely curious what you meant.

I did call you out on this because healthy conversation is wonderful but hiding things in posts doesn't mean someone doesn't object to your opinion just because they can't see it. If you're worried about what someone will say maybe it is better to keep that opinion to yourself. You've been around CD long enough to know that the people here aren't scared to argue.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

If there's a ref who calls the only G11 of the season, there's a reason to ask the stupid questions. Our human player couldn't catch a trussed ball three times in a regional quarterfinal match, and we were fouled for it.

On Einstein, 469 trussed over 254's human player repeatedly because their arc was high and their shot was powerful. Had their repeated ejection of the game piece caused a couple fouls to be called against them, Finals may have turned out in favor of the Red Alliance.

One could say that that call shouldn't have been made because of the rules, "Passing a BALL to a HUMAN PLAYER is within gameplay and not considered a violation of G11." One could say that that call shouldn't have been made because nobody at any other regionals (or CMP) was calling it. But whether you think the call should've been made or not, it affected an elimination match of a team that had come "properly prepared" with all their students having taken a test of the rules before being allowed to attend competition.

If anything, preparedness in terms of rules knowledge makes some of the regionals all the more difficult when refs, volunteers, and coaches don't know what they're talking about. Driver meetings become stressful when you're trying to understand an event staff's take on the rules, rather than being able to rely on what's available here.

Re: Rumble in the Roads - 2014
 

Competition was awesome. End of Story. Any other issues regarding other previous competitions should be brought to the attention of those who put it together.