A play ground would show a wide variety of robots and ways to play the game. That sounds like alot fun actually.

Hmm....robots swimming not a bad idea for a water field, but anyway I still feel like a new SOLID surface is what FIRST needs. This is because we have to remember that anything loose like rubber mulch would have to be raked after each match or you end up with inconsistent pits (which can lead to tipping) and what team would like to lose a match due to what happened in the round before it.

*shiver* /me feels too happy *shiver*

I can see FIRST doing 3 different things to keep us from damaging the carpet:

1. Make another game like 2001, where contact and traction issues were minimal and incedental.

2. Make us use only Skyway wheels to move our robots around.

3. Or, like many are saying in this thread... change the playing surface.

I've been thinking the same thing. Here are some websites that have a few good alternatives to carpet. I am trying to get some sample of a few of these and have them ready for the upcoming FIRST Forum as suggestions.

Here is a start.

Vynil Tile & flooring
VPI Flooring
http://www.vpiflooring.com/alldata_specifications.html

PVC Interlocking Tile Flooring:
Lock-Tile
500mmx500mm
http://www.lock-tile.com/en/default.html

Plasti-Floor
http://www.plasti-flor.com/index2.htm

Rubber tile flooring
ACTiVA Rubber Flooring Tile (19.6"x19.6")
http://www.rubberflooring.ca/hp/hp.htm

DuKap
http://www.dukap.com.tr/en/default.htm

Synthetic Ice
KwikRink Original - synthetic ice floor
$9.99 per square foot (4' x 8' x 1/2" thick)
http://www.kwikrink.com/pricing.htm

Rubber runway-type
12mm #6035 - 12mm Instant Plyorobic Runway & Flooring
http://www.performbetter.com/catalog...22B3NG9DTK21PF

Some of these are foreign suppliers that may have difficulty getting product to the US quickly... there has got to be more varieties out there.

Andy B.

I like the idea of having a loose surface that rubber mulch would be good. But i think that for the sake of consistancy we really do need a solid floor, i would like to see some variations in the surface though that could be interesting. Maybe like thoes tracks we see dean testing his segway on. Wooden ramp into water out of water into rocks...

ok, how about a solid surface with one of the following...

1) a raised surface that contains a different, non-solid surface, and has completely different objectives for scoring than the normal, solid field, or

2) a section that contains a large amount of points but much be accessed by going through a pit filled with some non-solid surface.


this would make the game interesting and different, and show us many new drive trains. a combo field would be interesting too. any thoughts on something like that?

Just remember the discussion and examples on this thread.

Heh heh heh heh ....

But then, what do I know .....


-dave

-------------------------------------

Duck season! Rabbit season!
Duck season!! Rabbit season!!...

Ya know those bear skin rugs? How about using several of those for the floor? It would result in hours of furry fun!

I just happen to have a 30 foot by 60 foot "Sport Court" in my back yard. This is a plastic interlocking tile (10" by 10" each). At $1 - $2 per tile, you can see that you would have a pretty expensive practice field that you better be able to LOCK UP in the off season!

If anyone in the Manchester, NH area wants to try their robot on it, give a yell. I have found that it is much more "slippery" for a robot.

By the way Dean has a very large surface of this stuff at his house.

Various surfaces
 

Another thought -

Consider a field with multiple surfaces. If this thought was applied to this year's field, it could be like this:

Robot Starting Zone: PVC plastic interlocking tiles
Goal Scoring zones: 1/4" thick aluminum sheet (or that fake ice material)
Middle zone: Rubber sheet (or "Sport Court" - like stuff)

That would definitely be interesting. The name of the game could be "Traction Action".

Andy B.

Heck with skyway wheels....Synthetic Ice Floors would be awesome for a playing field surface....its like a hockey rink but not as slippery...make some stationary goals out there and I think you would have a winner there....I remember skating on those for when I started learning how to Ice Skate...Plus after nationals is over we could get in a good game of Ice Hockey :D

Re: Various surfaces
 

I think this is an outstanding idea.

A playing field with more then on surface would be fun to play on. Hopefully it would be made so you won't have too much trouble getting the robot on and off the field in a short time.

Re: Various surfaces
 

On that note...y not recycle? For example I’m sure many teams have seen in the past how much saw dust is left over after or during the season, so why not make a part of the playing field out of sawdust (this is only an idea, please do not use this.... picture robots and saw dust)

With that said picture the possibilities for the field, and there would be no need to spend extra money on playing field hazards because they would be a bi product of the playing pieces.

Re: Re: Various surfaces
 

if the whole field was saw dust then we could throw out the too much grease rules. Because everyone knows how to clean a grease spill....:D