Re: aesthetic robots
 

2014 Was my favorite:


But 2015 looked good too:


I hated the number rules though!

Re: aesthetic robots
 

1717's robots look cool!

Re: aesthetic robots
 

Definitely one of my favorite robots too lookout for every year.

Re: aesthetic robots
 

speaking of them, their alliance partner at worlds is awesome: 971 unloading a stack is my aesthetic

Re: aesthetic robots
 

I'm just going to leave this here, this is what MKI:X looked like when we first built it throughout the build season we found the sponsor panels heavy, the underglow shorting into the frame, but it still looks kick butt...

Re: aesthetic robots
 

I'm surprised 1114 hasn't been mentioned more than they have. They have some of the most beautiful and elegant robots and the performance just adds that much more to the aesthetics. The small attention to detail is what gets me and how simple yet effective they can execute great designs.

Re: aesthetic robots
 

I agree! The Riot Crew has used wood for many years. It is a medium that we can work with in the shop and can design just about anything. Not only does wood look good but it takes a hit and keeps its shape. I have seen too many robots become pest bots after one or two matches because their aluminum frames were bent beyond repair and their manipulator/lift no longer functioned.

The Twins 1
The Twins 2

Re: aesthetic robots
 

1538 cleanest wiring in the world...

1986 MEANIEST LOOKING ROBOT WITH GREEN POWDER COATING AND DESIGN

Re: aesthetic robots
 

Here's a rendering of our 2015 robot.

Re: aesthetic robots
 

I could say ours was the best.



Not Really. We kind of just threw it all together without consideration for how it looked.

Re: aesthetic robots
 

can I just say that this doesn't quite do your robot justice? It looks even better in person

Re: aesthetic robots
 

I stopped by to admire your pit multiple times at champs, too bad I never caught a glimpse of the robot. Your team's imagery is amazing!

Re: aesthetic robots
 

There are many pretty robots but no list is complete without 118, 148, and 254. 118's robots are insane. I don't know how to describe them, but for some reason their robots remind me a little of the rolling ball sculptures you see in museums. When I look at a 148 robot I feel like I'm looking under the hood of a super car. 254 robots are just always so clean and elegant.

Re: aesthetic robots
 

Just to repeat what has already been said, 254, 118, 1114, and 148 always have amazing robots. One thing that my team has done for several years now is used a polycarb shell that we painted from the inside and we don't usually paint our metal. It is certainly not as good as the teams listed above but the shell always makes the bot look much better, and it serves to protect the stuff that is actually important. Something else that we have done to improve looks is made use of LEDs for underglow and headlights. One thing that has been mentioned on this thread multiple times is theme and that is certainly something that can help a robot look better and better catch the attention of scouters. Scouting teams are often drawn to a robot that looks good as well as functions because good looks tend to suggest more time left after the initial build to practice and perfect the design.

Re: aesthetic robots
 

Let me just say, Metal In Motion's lexan paint jobs are awesome. It would not be hard for a team to raid a hobby shop's paint section and make something like that happen (if perhaps with a little direction from someone with some experience doing R/C car bodies, or custom work with cars).

I wasn't in charge of 2815's 2009 robot's paint job, but it was done by the district's auto body class over a day or two. If your district has such a program, talk to them now and start making deals.

I have a history of some odd graphical touches borne out of no time or no money. Some of my favorites over the years:

Laminated paper velcroed on
Cut vinyl (under $100 if I recall), painted wood (at least on the outside...), black gaffer's tape covering the metal and rollers. Looked great on the white field in 2009.
More black gaffer's tape, garnet-ish "racing tape" (adds 10 horsepower!), and a little yellow gaffer tape for an accent. I think we were about $100 into that one too, but when you're out of time to paint...
Camo black rattle can paint job. At some point in Week 6, we stripped the robot down to the bare carcass, went outside, and bombed it with black. Painted the finer bits like the plinko board and the rollers, then reassembled.
[url=http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/39410]Paper printed off at Kinko's, spray-adhesived onto wood. Most of the black was a Sharpie Magnum marker (the really fat-tipped one), because we had absolutely zero budget on this one. (I donated the printing and the marker.)
Also rattle cans, with printed vinyl graphics done by our sponsor. The graphics were on pieces of corrugated plastic, but there's nothing stopping you from gluing paper or applying them some other way either.

If you're going to resort to tricks like these, the key is to take your time and work carefully. (That goes double with spray paint.) But if you do it right, your robot will look that much better on the field.

(Also, assuming that they return next year as we all hope and pray now that we've seen FIRST's idea of a year without them: Bumper Score is a real thing. Teams will judge the workmanship of the parts they can't see by the big bumper they can see, and a crappy-looking paint job on the numbers really does drag down an otherwise good robot!)