[FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

CD Community!

Join us on Tuesday starting at 8:30PM Eastern for First Updates Now Recap! We will cover week 6, preview what's to come week 7 and run down the FRC Top 25!

Guest: Justin Ridley from FRC 118 Robonauts.
Got questions for Justin and 118? Ask them below or email firstupdatesnow@gmail.com !

There's still a little more time to vote! www.frctop25.com/vote

Watch Live: www.twitch.tv/firstupdatesnow
Archived Shows: www.youtube.com/firstupdates now or iTunes

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

Having witnessed the havoc this game can wreak on wiring and electrical connections, and having the chance to ask an experienced team like 118, I was just wondering if you had any tips for securing connections such as the PWM, DIO, etc. ports on the roboRio?

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

So what's the secret to 118's strategies for, what some would call, "outlandish" end game strategies? (Read: When do you decide to pursue ideas like hanging off the bridge, firing a grappling hook up to the bar...)

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

Do you regret the grappling hook?

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

Now that low bar 2 balls have been demonstrated in matches will teams take it further? Will Einstein have an alliance with a double 2ball auto? If so where will it be from?

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

I noticed you guys had your robot shooting from the lane 5 outerworks in practice at Lone Star. Did that have anything to do with gaining a positional advantage for defending opposing robots from entering their secret passage via crossing their own defenses?

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

Thank you to those who submitted questions on here or emailed them in. We will try to get to as many as possible tonight.

A couple of additions to subjects for tonight:

Soapbox Discussion on the District Flyers being handed out at the Minneapolis regionals.

Mini-Soapbox (break during FRC Top 25) Should district teams be allowed to play at traditional events? Should the structure of how these teams advance to district champs change if they do qualify at a traditional event?

Hope to see you all tonight starting at 8:30 eastern!

Live: www.twitch.tv/firstupdatesnow
Archived: www.youtube.com/c/firstupdatesnow

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

How do you train drivers to get used to game like conditions of multiple robots being on the field?

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

Were starting in a few minutes! Hope you can join us.

www.twitch.tv/firstupdatesnow

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

Why would they regret the best climber in the world?

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

What a great show tonight! Thanks To Justin Ridley for joining us, and to all of you who tuned in! You guys rock.

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

This is yet another example of why we love the Robonauts.
This is easily the most inspirational feat of the 2016 season.
Grappling hooks will become the norm in future robot lifting challenges.

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

The main reasons that the grappling hook method used by 118 is so effective, is that the whole system is light. But also that it is quick to activate. Being able to climb quickly is highly important as without a quick method of climbing, the robot may in fact be better off making more high-goals. But it’s not just the attachment method which is important; the thing which can make or break the effectiveness of a climbing mechanism is the speed at which the robot can be lifted off the ground to the desired height. The most effective method of doing this is by using a PTO (Power take-off) from one or both of the drive gearboxes, as it enables the use of the drive trains motor power to lift the robot, reducing motor count which reduces weight and making the climb extremely quick. With this in mind, and with the new off the shelf offerings from ANDYMARK and West Coast Products it is highly likely we will extensive use of PTO’s in future climbing/lifting challenges (Obviously a lot are being used already) Also consider that some recent climbing games such as 2010 and 2013, the utilisation of a grappling hook device would not have enabled the full climb to occur, or at least not without greater complexity.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that 118’s grappling hook is the most inspirational feat of the 2016 season as there are plenty of other highly effective climbers some with arguably with higher reliability. Many new unique climbers will no doubt be seen at championship, but 118's will definitely go down in the history books as one of the greatest.

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

#beardupdatesnow

Re: [FUN] Recap and FRCTop25 with FRC118 Justin Ridley 4/11
 

Did you analyze their design before making this statement?

You do know that no mechanism is used on their robots without first having passed a rigorous and thorough engineering analysis with a comparison with other design strategies (including testing of many prototypes)?

To quote JVN, "This is an engineering competition." 118 wins consistently because they do some of the best engineering.