Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

............

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

I think this would be good and the size makes since but wouldn't a sponsor that big get some sort of recognition prior to kickoff? I do think however that if it isn't a game specific thing that raw materials is a likely option.

Edit: So I read your signature just now...

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Hmm...
Large amounts of fabric plus large amounts of pool noodles can only mean one thing: GIANT BUMPERS, every robot must be completely covered by bumpers. If we get an arm game like some teams have been predicting, it will probably play out something like this.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Hmmm, this said by the Co-founder a company that sells extrusions???

I agree that raw building materials would be welcomed, particularly for rookie teams. At the partner conferences a couple of years ago I did talk with a member of the KOP team and they were looking into trying to include a voucher for Metal Supermarkets. I responded Pleeeease, Pleeeease, Pleeeeeeease!!!! Primarily because of those rookie teams that don't know what to do after the kit bot is assembled and many have spent all or the vast majority of their budget on the registration fee.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Glad I wasn't the only one thinking that....

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

"some sponsor"

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Full swing = monkey bars.
Vespas are wasps, who rarely touch the floor.

Inescapable, iron-clad conclusion: The 60" box is a sample of the monkey bars that all robots will have to swing on as they "pack up" things and "take [them] back" to score points. You don't need a Vespa because you're not allowed to touch the floor. :D

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Agreed. FIRST is all about cooperating with your alliance, why would they make it impossible to even talk to them during a match?

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

I kind of like the idea of ring toss. The box D has two, three, or four scoring pegs, and box C contains some large plastic donuts as well as standardized bases for the pegs.

My other thought was the game will be Pacman, and box D contains a segment of the barrier (which you can drive over but will get a penalty), and box C contains all the cheese. Robot-to-robot contact will be illegal across alliances with the exception of scoring cherries on the other robot.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

100 years ago the US Coast Guard was established.
50 years ago the first nuclear air craft carrier was launched.
40 years ago the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary was established as the first national marine sanctuary in the US.

Obviously the 3"x3"x60" box is a tube of sample water for the water game...

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
TAKE IT AWAY!!! TAKE IT AWAY!!!

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

If anything, the tweet from FIRST confirms that the game won't have Regolith because that's too obvious of a hint. I think they're just messing with us.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

What if the box/tube is the game piece? (like it literally is the game piece, not what ever is inside of it)

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Intriguing idea. Maybe there is nothing inside of it.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Maybe Amazon has gotten lazy and asked FIRST to create a game that would force students to develop ways of moving and stacking 3x3x60" packages. The championship teams get a contract with Amazon for their designs.




:yikes:

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

This doesn't quite add up...at least not for aluminum extrusions that Rev sells. A 3"x3"x60" package that weighs 6lb has an average density of 0.011 lb/in3. If that object is made of aluminum (nominal density 0.0975 lb/in3), then it would have to be about 90% air. Even 1"x1" square aluminum tubing with 1/16" wall would be about double that density. But, a large post with a thin wall could make those numbers work. Or even aluminum extrusion with a lot of packing material. Or wiffle balls, or wiffle bats, or any of a number of things that this thread has already mentioned.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

I didn't say the weight thing added up, just that it was interesting that the Co-Founder of a company that sells extrusions suggested that it could be building material, ie extrusion.

As I've said before I do not believe in any way shape or form that FIRST would put something in a box that will make it more difficult, expensive and damage prone to ship just to troll CD. Honestly they have better things to spend time and money on. What ever is in the box if it is indeed in a box is in that size of box because it won't fit in a box that is easier to ship.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

I agree, but it's just hard to think of what that could possibly be. To have a game piece with those dimensions...it would be incredibly difficult to manipulate.

I'm gonna guess it's part of the field structure in some way that's hard to build/replicate, but I wouldn't hold my breath over it.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Have been following the thread quite closely and just my two cents but from what I've read thus far, it won't be bumper materials (too easy for teams to get on their own) and I think it will be a game object. My best guesses would be either a decahedron made from some kind of tubing and special injection molded corners to assemble, or a pole and flag for capture the flag and box C or A contains a weighted base so it won't fall over easily.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

After following the thread for the 200+ posts so far, I best like the suggestion that it might be some donated extrusions.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Remember that the vex 2x1 is .100 wall, and the vex 1x1 is .04 wall. It wouldnt be too bad if they had donated some of that, and the densities work fairly well.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

See Andymark's website,

http://www.andymark.com/Field-p/am-2800.htm

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Are suggesting that there could be one member of each of three alliances on each side? I'm not really sure, you just highlighted a bunch of things...

My response is this: Don't you, I don't know, like being able to talk to your alliance partners? I do a lot during a match. I think FIRST shares those same ideals of cooperation, so that setup doesn't make much sense to me at all.

I mean, what would you do, wear headsets? Like those would last a few matches :P

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Yeah, that's why I think a setup with two sides will be the norm for next year. With the current perimeter and after years of experimentation, the best setup for a spectator sport seems to be a wide field, so I don't think there will be a large change in the number of teams or alliances - I'm gonna go off on a limb and say there will be 2 alliances with 3 teams each.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

That could be hazardous because teams would be unable to hear directions from referees and the FTA.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

As much as we (REV) would have love to give every team a few pieces of our extrusion, it is just too much for us right now as a start up. Hopefully in the future we can offer that kind of support to FIRST teams.

I still suspect that it is raw building materials and am happy that there are companies that can support FIRST in such a big way.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

what could that 3x3x6o be i highly doubt it would fit in the dimensions of the robot as a whole piece so i think it either something you can cut down and use or its a field element

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Not if you use the kind where one ear is uncovered. As a coach, I always thought it would be so cool to use headsets like they do at NFL games and have like a "box" with a better view of the field and all of that jazz, but that will never happen, nor does it need to. The game runs perfectly without all of those bells and whistles.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Bah. They don't listen anyway. :ahh:

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

I ran a Deaf team for two years. You figure it out pretty quick.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Is it that much different from dealing with regular high school boys :)

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Insulted.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Headsets at a robot competition can be fun.



ps. Water game!

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

At last I figured it out and it is what FIRST is so good at providing us;)

Of course it is another water game.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Yes: They pay attention when you wave your arms in a panicked manner!

I was, of course, kidding about robots not being allowed to touch the floor, but a student pointed out the phrase, "not sure if you heard" and replied, "everybody's heard that the bird is the word!" Birds don't touch the ground; hypothesis confirmed!

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

I highlighted this,

Which says he thinks the amount of alliances and teams on the field will stay the same

Then I highlighted this, from AndyMark

http://www.andymark.com/Field-p/am-2800.htm

Which makes me concur with the above statement, especially if you look at the product photo

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

I won't completely discount some other possible arrangement than the 3v3 we've had since forever, but it's unlikely. Very.

I still think the possibilities for the mystery box are, from most to least likely:

1) Bumper materials, due to standardization
2) Raw materials, such as a sample of VexPro's aluminum
3) Game piece

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

The video at the AndyMark field page clearly shows that the partitions between the alliance stations have elliptical holes cut in them. Is this for communication between drivers? Or to get all you guys talking, could there be some object that needs to be passed from station to station, such that only one alliance partner at a time is permitted to do something, perhaps? Or maybe, if there are three alliances of two bots each, and the holes are so that you can cooperate with your opponents ;)

Could this be related to the 'something different' that Frank alluded to a couple months back?

http://www.andymark.com/Field-p/am-2800.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C9rKZAxsu8#t=71

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

My interpretation was that it was to facilitate communication.

The current field has nothing there. My best guess is that it was added to help minimize noise between teams, allowing coaches to talk to their drivers with less shouting perhaps. The hole would allow the drivers to still talk to each other when needed.

Keep in mind that the not every event will be using the new fields. Last I heard, FIRST will be slowly rolling out the new field over the next few years to avoid dumping a metric boatload of cash on new fields all at once. I won't rule out the possibility of retrofitting existing fields with those pieces, but I wouldn't count on anything in the new field being a clue for the game.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

So far, the ideas I like are:
- poles of some sort, possibly for capture the flag or something we haven't even begun to imagine,
- golf clubs,
- hula hoops (bend into a circle and connect), Giant ring toss? Onto other robots or a field rack?

Not pool noodles or fabric. Probably not field surface. Not a sizing box. Maybe long poles for constructing something, though.

Just my thoughts.

What is in the kickoff kit?
 

As stated on the first webpage...


2015 Kickoff Kits will consist of the following items for all teams (sizes and weights are approximate):

A) One set of items, collectively, 27 in. x 17 in. x 17 in., 60 lbs.

B) One item, 8 in. x 3 in. x 7 in., 14 lbs.

C) One set of items, collectively, 29 in. x 22 in. x 22 in., 9 lbs.

D) One set of items, collectively 3 in. x 3 in. x 60 in., 6 lbs.

2015 Kickoff Kits will include the following additional items for Rookie teams only:

E) One item, 27 in. x 17 in. x 13 in., 26 lbs.

F) One item, 8 in. x 3 in. x 7 in., 14 lbs.

Teams who did not opt out of the Drive Base Kit will also receive the following item:

G) One item, 34 in. x 6 in. x 7 in., 24 lbs.


I know a previous thread said these confirm a hockey game, but if not a hockey game, what could the items be?

More specifically, is package D a new surface? If so are we going to see some new kind of exotic surface like we did in Lunacy? If so, what could it be?

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

pole vaulting

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

might be a box containing all the new controls system....more than just the roborio

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Box is too big to be just that. The new control system is tiny.

Re: What is in the kickoff kit?
 

Based on this schematic of the field FIRST approved for Andymark to sell (http://files.andymark.com/am-2800+FRC+Field+full.pdf) if box C contains a stack of 21"x21" plates to make some kind of alternate field surface it would take exactly 465 plates to cover the field. Perhaps box C contains a sample of this material for each team to practice on. I will admit though that such small plates are probably not the ideal way to cover the entire field with an alternate material.

Re: What is in the kickoff kit?
 

Package A appears to be a small, heavy tote. It would contain all of the motors pneumatics, controllers, and probably most of the new control system.

Package B looks about right for the roboRIO and perhaps a few accessories.

Package C appears to be a large, very light tote -- the average density is only 0.02 times that of water! Unless it has a lot of empty space (perhaps for "local sponsor items"), it must consist of some very lightweight items, such as, oh, foam rubber or styrene. Maybe bumpers won't use pool noodles this year, though why would we need 8 cubic feet / 60 gallons of it? Or maybe we need 250 to 300 nerf balls for practice?). Perhaps it is mostly just an empty box, which would suggest not the regolith, but the trailer cart of Lunacy into which we must dump, er, nerf balls.

Package D is the mystery rod. Assuming it's not deceptive packaging, it's something that can't be made much shorter than 60", so it consists of one or more straight, stiff pieces. It's too long for a baseball bat, too narrow for a cricket bat, and too straight for a hockey stick. It's way too small for a reasonable sample of an unusual "carpet" material, and way too wide for bumper material (A 15-inch wide strip rolled up would cover the bumpers we've used for the past few years with a few inches to staple to the wood.) Bumper filler does not make any sense, unless the bumpers would be about half as big as recent years, or the material is vacuum-packed. My best guess is a very long, straight game piece.

Rookie Teams:
Package E is another small, not quite-so-heavy tote
Package F looks like a "clamshell" mini-notebook driver station

And of course, package G is the 2015 KOP drive system. A few have noted it's the same dimensions as in 2014, but given the necessary items (c-channel or perhaps angle of the longest reasonable dimension, gearboxes, tires, misc. small hardware), the approximate size is pretty much going to be the same from year to year.

I'm planning to research some Lunacy strategies, focusing more on the "crossing the T" problem of putting balls in your opponent's trailer without allowing equal opportunity, rather than the regolith.

Re: What is in the kickoff kit?
 

The two small 14 pound packages are definitely batteries.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

ok so we know it said one SET of items, COLLECTIVELY [the said dimensions], so (and yeah I get this was probably already proposed a thousand times over) but I think it could very well be the game elements. Think about it. They could be a bunch of cubes, balls, or other shapes, and being game pieces, they would have to be built with sturdy material, so they would add up to 6 lbs. pretty quickly. I also thought it could be rods that would need to be transferred (again, these would be game pieces). The good thing is there's only 20 days until we know what's in the box :eek:

Re: What is in the kickoff kit?
 

Sorry, this is not nearly heavy enough for flooring that would stand up under FRC conditions. The AIR in a 29x22x22 box weighs nearly 10 oz, so this stuff is only about 14 times as heavy as air - including any packaging!

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

in the box 3x3x60 could be a hockey net in pieces that you have to put together? hockey game confirmed

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Yep, that is what is mentioned in post #22.

Re: [FRC Blog] Kit Hints?
 

Looking at the kit of parts list for 2015, it is apparent that the details for items (C) and (D) are the big mystery, but has anyone looked at the other items more in depth? Sometimes subtle things can be a big clue. I see some discrepancies when comparing them to the 2014 and 2013 kit of parts.

TOTES
The 2015 list dimensions for:
A) 27 in. x 17 in. x 17 in.
E) 27 in. x 17 in. x 13 in.

It's seams to be the general consensus that these are totes, however, something has changed that many may have missed.

2013 & 2014 dimensions of totes were: 27 in. x 18 in. x 13 in. Previous year's totes weighed somewhere around 8lbs empty, actual size was about 27x17.75x12.5.

So, we lost an inch in tote size (different manufacturer?), or they are rounding down instead of up. I see no reason why they would round down.

(A) & (E) are not the same height. (E) only goes to rookie teams. Is there another box on top of a tote to create item (A)?

Drive Base
Also the drive base kit (G) for 2015 is 34 in. x 6 in. x 7 in., 24 lbs. But the drive base kit for 2014 was 5.5" x 6.5" x 33", 22lbs. Either way you look at it, if FIRST was rounding down the totes, the the 2015 drive base kit is larger. If they are still rounding up, the the drive base kit is larger by 2in. and 2lb heavier. I know they made some subtle changes to the 2015 drive base (see: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr...m-opt-out-2015) The differences noted in that blog post do not warrant a 2 in. increase in size and 2in. increase in weight.

Happy speculating!