Confirmed Game Information
 

Everyone, I figured here's some information that you all might be VERY VERY interested in!

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Jim-

I figured that you'd want the low down on this year's game. I'll give you some heads up though- there are TONS of changes. Prof. Flowers and all of us in his 2.973 independent study class realized that the last few games were too complicated for the general spectator to understand, so we broke tons of rules and went back to basics, literally- basketball! (With some neat twists!)

For some reason on the CD forums, everyone is thinking football… which wasn't even really considered. Anyway, I'll just to run by some of the info.

4 robots on the field, 2 on each team, same size playing field (taller, see below), same robot dimensions, weight increased to 140 lbs., Due to change over to 24 volt batteries which are considerably heavier than the batteries used in the past. This is probably going to be a permanent change. Carpeting is the same, but there is no longer metal-carpet interaction allowed for drive systems (such as, but not limited to, using file cards for traction like a few teams did last year.)

Player's stations start with 8 foam volleyballs of their color, (either blue or red)

8 foam volleyballs of each color are on the field, and 1 white / red soccerball, and 1 white / blue soccerball.

In the center is one goal with a 10" wide opening, hexagon shape, 4' tall. 7 points for your color ball on the bottom, 6 points if your color is 2nd from bottom, etc. If the double colored (white-red, white-blue) ball is on top of any of the color below, you get all of the potential points from the balls below. Most bottom part of the ball wins. (Hint: They can be squished inside this goal, because of the material of the ball!) Email me if that isn't clear.

There are two large basketball hoops over the players stations with a 24" inch hoops, and a 4ft by 3ft inwardly curved backboard, TEN FOOT RIM (Rim and backboard will be shipped and supplied to each team free as part of the kit). There are Plexiglas shields 16' tall across the far ends of the playing field, (we're not sure if this is going to be enough to block all the wild shots.) You get 3 points for each ball that you score on the close half of the playing field, (one point for hitting the backboard) and 8 points for each basket you score when your robot is COMPLETELY over the halfway line (2 points for hitting the backboard).

That's basically it. LMK if you want any other info. See you Saturday.

Seth
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I don't know how much of this to believe since it is in the rumor mill forum. However, it is fun to discuss.

24 V battery would be awesome since this would likely reduce the current draw problems, and if the battery is heavier as you indicate, it also would likey have a much longer life.

The scoring scheme you mentioned that is dependent on position of the robot when they shoot is too diificult to track accurately if it is happening simultaneously by multiple robots. So, I doubt this is the case.

We had better get building I guess! Can you get me a copy of the rule book? We need to know if they are going to allow tape measures this year...

That's less complicated?

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Can the Robot Controller handle 24V?

You can allways step down 24v yah know?

From the IF RC Manual:

The +12V and GND connectors on the Robot Controller are intended to accept power from a +12V
battery. The current draw for the Robot Controller is typically between 0.75A to 1.5A. The maximum
voltage allowable is +15.0V. Exceeding the +15.0V limit may damage internal voltage regulators and
will void the warranty. The minimum required voltage is +8.0V.

Somethings to think about...
 

Surprisingly enough, if you look here:

http://www-me.mit.edu/CourseListings/CourseListings.htm

You'll see that 2.973 is actually an independent study class at MIT.


http://www.pooftoys.com/toys/catalog...=catv&catid=42

The socerballs are multi-colored while the vollyballs are not....

A 24" DIA rim is quite generous, especially with 7 1/2" DIA balls.

4' tall goals = 48 inches. (7.5" Ball DIA) * (7 point max) is greater than 48 inches... so you would need to squish them in to get all of the points.

Just some things to think about.

Somebody at the very least spent a descent amount of time on this. It's been rumored that the changed to 24 Volts was coming, as well at the metal-carpet interaction.

It's also been rumored that there's going to be changes in the controller controlers anyway, so the 24 volt switch isn't nearly as dramatic as all you electrical guys are making it seem. If they are switching to 24 volts, they'll be making that hardware switch anyway.

It wouldn't be too hard to track the robots if you had 4 judges (we had 3 in the past?).

Very very interesting post.

First this is considerably more complex than last year's game because I can already imagine numerous rule tweaks that will have to be dealth with.(FIRST kinda has a problem with overlooking obvious problems)

Second...we're gona shoot(throw) foam balls through the air? Umm, I just dont see this happening because not only will the go a minimal distance and not be remotly accurate, but they will get torn to shreds very easily.

Thrid...If this was real, why would u post it in the rumor mill?

Fourth...Previous years a really really good robot could have a dead partner and beat 2 other robots, but this game will be so complex that I just dont see that as a posibility.

I dunno man, just dosent seem like this is true at all....

This is simpler? I cant remember anythng in recent years more complex. How gullible do you think we are? I hope you arent serious and you meant this as a joke. Like FIRST is really going to ship us a 10ft rim. Also how reliable do you think this is coming fro someone who joined CD today? I wouldnt even bother reading this thread personally.

(/me is not convinced)


Cory

More things to think about.
 

First off, I'm posting for the sake of arguement only....

Originally posted by Gope
First this is considerably more complex than last year's game because I can already imagine numerous rule tweaks that will have to be dealth with.(FIRST kinda has a problem with overlooking obvious problems)

This is a casual email, not a rulebook. Rule tweaks, of course. This doesn't seem too complex- you're either halfway across or not, you hit the backboard or you don't, you score or you don't. One competent judge per robot makes this pretty simple.


Second...we're gona shoot(throw) foam balls through the air? Umm, I just dont see this happening because not only will the go a minimal distance and not be remotly accurate, but they will get torn to shreds very easily.

I think that Woodie's game hint pretty well suggested some sort of launching...



Thrid...If this was real, why would u post it in the rumor mill?


Because there's no "Confirmed Rumors Mill" ;)



Fourth...Previous years a really really good robot could have a dead partner and beat 2 other robots, but this game will be so complex that I just dont see that as a posibility.


If your robot can shoot 3 or 4 balls into the basket from halfway across the field... you can easily beat two robots that can't.

10 points for a shot off the backboard and into the hoop.

As for Cory's post.. it says they're be shipping the backboard and rim.. and you'd hang it in the air I assume.

Rule tweaks will be your balls in oponents goals, and how that is scored. Blockage of opponents goals. Destruction of balls. Things like that.

Yes, there probably will be things launched. But those things wont be foam. Anyone knows that to throw something it has to have some weight to it to, otherwise it goes nowhere, and as far as I know, foam(of any kind) is very light, so we will obviously not be throwing foam.

If it were "COFIRMED" then it should have been put into the general discussion board, because something "CONFIRMED" is no longer a rumor.

I suspose you are right on the 2v1 thing, but it still seems very unlikely to me, and it previous years it was rather common.

The 24v thing is what's making me not beleave this.

I know (well, actually i just highly dought) that we will be using a 24v battery. This would make it so that all teams would need to buy new batterys as back-up. That also means new chargers. This is all to mention that i don't think that the computer can handle 24v besides can the pwm and spikes handel it?

However, if first does go with a 'throwing' type thing, i'll tell you a few things. I'm sure it would be a lot more like basket ball and not football.

Also, if they do stay with the carpet, i'd think it would be cool if they didn't allow metal 'moving devices' (That would really screw the track teams).

Lastly, I'm sure first will try to make the game easier to understand. The easier the game is to understand, the more people will watch it. (Not to mention that it would make robot demos 200% easier :))

Remember all:

This is the Rumor Forum. :)

Some of it I can believe, but some of it I cannot.

If all this is true, methinks JAlbertz will be banished from FIRST by Woodie :p Would he risk that? lol

And yes, those electrical problems look real. InnovationFIRST can always make new models though...

everything on the bots is 12v, the only place your going to find the 24v is in industrial areas on large machinary. FIRST will be shipping each team a rim.....hmm, i believe everything was supposed to be cutting costs this year, foam is out. too destroyable and costly in the end, and you can't make anything to acurately launch them, so why would woodie have given us the formula. in all, a nice try at making a game confirmation, but not good enough


and did anyone notice that the person who started this is in Cali? woodie teaches at MIT in mass.