Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

Looking at this from an eliminations standpoint, only two robots should need the feeder station at any given time with maybe one overlap. If you have one robot stacking stacks of three or four on the ramp, one robot collecting recycle containers and placing them on the three high stacks, and one robot stacking a three high with a container onto another three high. Your quickest stacker does the stacks of three, your best manipulator does the final stacking, and the last robot does as many containers as you can. Three unique roles. Although they are lifting just the same for the totes, it is different enough to that at any median level regional atleast two of the roles wouldn't be interchangable, of course this would change at champs, but for the most part there are three independent roles, and that's with ignoring the noodles.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

One thing that makes this game interesting is that you are going to have to approach the game a little differently each match, depending on the capabilities of your allies. The real trick is for alliances to figure out how to maximize points and not overlapping abilities.

It will be important to figure out which robot/s can quickly stack totes and bins at the feeder station so that the third can claim the recycling containers on the step. Or, better, if a single robot is able to make three stacks at the feeder station (with recycling containers, of course!), it would make sense to send both of the other two to the step immediately - even if they are able to, as individual bots, stack more quickly from the feeder.

How many points should the alliance try to score during autonomous? It might be worthwhile for an alliance to forfeit some autonomous points so as to get a jump on the recycling bins on the step... This might depend not just on your alliance, but on the capabilities of the opposing alliance..

Is the other alliance capable of participating in coopertition? If so, will it be worth the effort to do it? Etc.

I just see so many variables that I do not believe that any full strategy can be worked out before truly sitting down and assessing the capabilities of all the robots on the field... I also think we will see a lot of math being done as robots are waiting in line to get onto the field...

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

How are you going to get a litter onto the other side of the field or into the landfill with 5 seconds left in the match?

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

Throw it over the alliance wall.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

G33
LITTER may be introduced onto the FIELD only during TELEOP and only in the following ways:
A. through the LITTER CHUTE, or
B. over the ALLIANCE WALL prior to the last twenty (20) seconds of the MATCH.
VIOLATION: FOUL per LITTER.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

Good point. I forgot about the last 20 seconds.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

As did I xD
However getting a piece of litter into the landfill with 5 seconds remaining is slightly more legal.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

I believe that the strongest alliances will have two robots that can stack 6 totes tall. Of those two, one will get totes from the feeder station while the other collects from the field. The third robot will get as many recycling bins from the center as it can, fill them with litter, and then top off the already made stacks.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

The top of a stack of 6 totes on the scoring platform is just over 6'2" off the floor. The top of the manipulator is only allowed to reach 6'6" tall. Do you really think that we'll see robots that can securely grip a recycling bin using no more than the bottom 3" of it and then put it on top of these stacks without tipping?

It's physically possible, but seems unlikely to me, and the failure modes are bad. I think bottom-stacking* is the only way we're likely to see max height stacks with bins on top.

*EDIT: or stacking a stack-with-bin on top of a stack-without-bin.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

I'm pretty sure at this point that making it into eliminations will be done independent of alliance partners. The robots that have the highest average score (the "winners") will be those that can score totes and bins both, independently, and quickly. The winners of eliminations will be the team that gets the bins from the step the quickest.

This is a very challenging game. Well played, GDC.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

Kevin Sheridam is some troll trying to be like Kevin Sheridan.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

In reverse.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

That totally fooled me. Thanks for pointing that out.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

we have a mechanism that will securely grip a container in the last 4 inches and is not likely to let go.
We will see but the wooden prototype worked well, the aluminum one should work better.

Re: Stacking vs Capping vs ???
 

No one here is talking about a robot that can stack totes and deliver stacks to the scoring zone at the same time. The rules allow such a robot this year.