Profile
 

In edit profile, there's a lot of various choices for what role you take on your respective team, yet although there is "driver" and "human player", why isn't there a "controller" category?

What does a controller do?

i always thought of a controller as one of the drivers.

Since there wasn't a controller choice, I picked driver... but I've always saw them seperately because the driver is driving... and well, the controller is the one who coordinates to make the grabs, lifts, etc.

Our team also makes this distinction, but we call it the "button box operator."

Lol! I think both positions are of equal merit. Being a controller still requires training for speed and timing as does a driver. Though I don't understand why the forum does not make that distinction.

Does it really matter that much?

we mainly call the 2 students operators or drivers, or driver and arm man. whichever comes first. don't thinks it matter though. and really shouldn't. both positions are of equal merit and responsibility. the key to have a successful drive team is to have 2 people who can talk telepathically to one another, and who can coordinate the entire squad at the booth with know arguments. everyones got an assigned job and within those 2 minutes that job must be done without fail.

well said! that was my position for the past 2 seasons (joysticks driver) and i think you hit every point on the head. it's got to be the most stressful yet most exciting job on the team. :cool:

Stressful? I think drivers are lying when they say that..

There could be 1000 different categories.

I could always put it back to 'Student, Engineer, Coach, & Other'.. :)

You have completely spoke my mind.
Also, I think there is a LOT of stress as a driver. If you have ever seen me in competition I have a tendancy to literally destroy stress relievers.
I have always wondered why there isn't an operator option, but after thinking about it, I have been called a driver a lot more than an operator.

Haha. Did you even bother to take that red bendy thing home? It kinda became unbendy after breaking the metal in about 20 different spots.

no, I think I left it at the comp. on our table. I need to start shopping for more. maybe we should buy in bulk. :)

hmm, driving can be stressful, but not always. i liked it when i went out, and just had fun. i would go out as main driver, dan (Super Dan to you guys ;)) as the "Button Boy", Michael Krass as the operator, and whoever else as the human player, and instead of being amazingly stressed, i would go out, and pretty much just drive around, and just have as much fun as possible. that's really what FIRST is about. not going and become so stressed you break a stress toy, but going out, trying to win, but having fun no matter what you do. :p

Very true, and I hope to be able to work towards an equally wonderful mentality for the upcoming year. However, lets just say during my now 17 months of driving, we have had much luck. As a driver I have seen six placements of the number 2 as either seeding or finals placement. Your probably saying, "How does that cause stress?" Well, in our entire team history (since 1997) we have yet to win finals. After driving in five competitions, you tend to stress over wanting to improve on that # 2 issue and actually win one for once. It's hard to see yourself continually in the finals, and then watch your dream flash by.

Instead of driver, controller, human player, or anything like that why don't you just use the term Operator. but i just think that driver is an all incompassing term that describes the people on the drive team that do the operating of the robot








thats all I'v got to say about that

oh!
 

duh. i have an idea.

this will satisfy some of you :)

go change your role now:cool:

:) SWEET! Thanks!