Predictions by Car Knack & Jr.
 

The almighty Car Knack has allowed me to post our predictions on this year's game:

1) This year's championship alliance will be at least two king of the hill machines. Bins will not decide the outcome and stacking machines will be toast. Again, FIRST has biased the game scoring too heavily in one direction.

2) Of the division winners, at least one team, probably two teams on each alliance will have a spare machine to tweak their autonomous software during the competition season. Gone are the days of building one machine and hoping to be competitive.

3) The autonomous period will be the most fun part of the competition, best ever of FIRST. The last 30 seconds will be battlebots.

4) The person selling concessions near the block long line at the practice/debug field will be one sure winner at the competition.

5) The national final's attendance will be the best ever and the media coverage will be outstanding. It will be very loud, and many student drivers will not be prepared. Indoor stadium, what a concept. Moving from Disney was a GOOD move.

6) At least one driver will trip and fall in the race for the controls after the autonomous period. Also, at least one human player, ref, or yes even fan will come in contact with a robot/part during competition. The FIRST guy on the shutdown switch will have the toughest job. Please be safe everyone.

7) Like last year's prediction, at least 25% of the machines in the finals will experience damage and will not be at full strength or not even answer the bell.

8) No rookies in the finals. This thing is just too competitive.

Car Knack may have a few more, but that is all for now. Let's have some fun.

Sincerely,

Car Knack Jr.

"8) No rookies in the finals. This thing is just too competitive."

I might have to disagree with that one there, almighty Car Knack and Car Knack, Jr. ;)

Seriously though, I think this will be a great year and fun for everyone. I certainly can't wait for the Championship, and I hope my team can find a way to make it.

Good luck everyone,

Kev

Edit- changed "team" to "year."

1) Possibly, but one would have to function as an attacker.

2) I don't think this will ever happen.

3-7) Sounds good.

8) If a team was all students I'd say yes, but the "help from professional engineers" aspect makes this prediction too risky.

I think I'll add a 9:

9) At least one box will leave the field at high velocity.

Ummm...

I think ur wrong about stacking. It will matter, although not as much as it should.

Ur definantly right about 2 KOH bots in the finals(beaty anyone?).

As for the rookies. I expect that the higher seeding teams will end up being stacking type bots, which will pick KOH bots for their first alliance member, and then a complementary robot as their second(this second bot could quite possible be a rookie bot that only does ONE thing but does it VERY well).

Moving from disney was definantly a good move, the crazy heat from last year made our breakers go crazy!

10) At least two teams that were a regional winner in the last week of regionals won't make Nationals due to last minute logistics and/or cost.

11) At least one alliance in the national finals will have a limbo bot as part of their alliance, likely the 2nd draft pick.

KA-108 :cool:

1) Stacking bots will be pickers, thus you can bet to see them all the way through elims. Simple math, win or lose they're gonna up the score in that match (unless you're going to be simply evil and just remove every bin from the field and then sit on the ramp...). I think all you stacker critics will be surprised how well they will be able to control the score.

2) I thought that age passed already, not only for perfecting the autonomous code. A second bot allows your drivers to know the machine near perfectly. A good set of drivers can make a mediocre machine perform like some of the best.

addition to 9) FIRST will realize allowing box projectiles is a major to safety hazard and start disabling bots who can fling more than a short distance.

Overall, build to endure may be the biggest understatement of the year. Bring spare parts... lots of spare parts.

Re: Predictions by Car Knack & Jr.
 

4a) The person selling concessions near the Beatty pit will be the other sure winner. Can't wait to see what surprises you have in store for us this year.

It seems that Car Knack Jr. and I think a lot alike. I can't wait to see how it really turns out. I also can't wait to see what Car Knack Sr. has to say. I'll be seing you guys at the competitions.

Brian

I have to chuckle when ever I read your predictions.

I couldn't agree with you more.

We would like to see some pictures of our robot.

Ditto.

I totally agree with the fact that you all think alike. In 2001, your--60, 71, 308--robot designs were essentially the same: balance two goals while not needing to be on the ramp. In 2002 60 and 308's design were essentially the same: grab two goals and lift them up.. its amazing really.

Re: Predictions by Car Knack & Jr.
 

Well, it's good to know you have faith in us. :rolleyes:

One More
 

I predict at least two human players will be injured during the elimination rounds at Nationals.

-Nobody will be injured
-King of the Hill will win it
-We will want Disney back after the first day at Houston.

Form fallows Function.
How about those Pic???????

Predictions of EvilInside
 

Well, in response to the Car Knack & Jr. predictions, I will make my own.

1) The winning alliance that will win will consist of a KOTH robot and a fast robot with minor stacking ability.

2) The division winners will all have at least one team with a pre-planned strategy and good strategy on the field, which will overcome all the other aspects of the game.

3) Autonomous period will be just a setup phase for the teams, and will be relatively boring to the people who watch NASCAR for racing, not crashes. If the people like crashes, they are in for a treat. If the robots do not break in autonomous mode, they will within the last 30 seconds. Pit crews beware.

4) Anyone selling concessions is extremely greedy :P

5) Nationals will be huge and loud, but the more vacation-oriented teams will want Disney back.

6) The shutdown switch guy needs to be fast enough to prevent terminal damage to robots.

7) Finals will consist of the best robots, with vacancies filled in by the most complete robots.

8) If rookies build a drivetrain with a lot of armor, they may survive long enough to get in the finals.

These are my predictions, and everyone please make sure their robots have everything bolted down tight with zipties around everything, I expect a lot of destruction. . . .

6) If the autonomous

Re: Predictions of EvilInside
 

Id expect that any serious team would have a preplanned strategy. If you dont, you wont be making it to the finals, and if you do, youll be screwed.

Autonomous mode will more than likely predict the outcome of the match during finals. Whoever can get the majority of the boxes on their side will have a much better chance at winning, even with inferior robots.

Finals are always filled with the best robots. It doesnt matter what the competition is. The most complete robots will be the best robots.

Why cant a rookie make a great stacker, or a very very manueverable bot. If they can stack very well, they will be very valuable. It doesnt matter what aspect of the game they can fill, as long as they can do it reasonably well, they will make it to finals. Why does this year make it any different? Rookies have always been in the finals, and they will always be in the finals.

If veteran teams can make robots that are not armored drivetrains, why cant rookie teams do it. Already, I have seen many rookie bots that are not driving tanks, but look to be very competitive. My other point is if a bot can move under the bar and is very manueverable, they can block the opponents very effectively. Remember 64 last year? they were very manueverable, and could block their opponents.

Just my thoughts, back to clas now :mad:

Cory

First, The Great Car Knack, and his son, The Great Car Knack Jr., have spoken. Rarely are they ever wrong.

However, I do believe that some rookies might be in the playoffs. I was taught to do my homework on other machines, and while it looks like familiar names from previous years will be there, I suspect a rookie will come along with a design that will blow all of the veterans away. Autonomous mode will definately be the early determiner of strategy and possibly even the winner, and there's always a kid out there who you least expect to really blow you away with their programming/design/electrical/etc. work.

It will indeed be interesting to see the robots that will defy all previous designs. Much like 2001, there are several types of robots to be built - under the bar, on the bridge, etc.

The 'Elite Eight' teams will be an alliance of several different types of machines - undoubtedly 3 Bin Stackers will not win the game, nor will more than one King of the Hill. However, for the final alliance, I'm betting on a King of the Hill, Bin Stackers (just for safe measure), and an Under the Bar bot that will aid in the final pushing match.

But those are only second year FIRST predictions... and I've learned never to second guess the Great Car Knack.

Amanda

I'm betting on a few unusual bots to show up too, with skills not demonstrated by other teams. Thats always been my favorite thing in FIRST, the unusual bots :D eg. last year with our pneumatic bot lifter ;) :)

I-80/90 Road Kill...
 

As to the Great Car Knack, & Car Knack Jr., I can only say that I both shutter and smile as I read their predictions each year. As to how I would judge their correctness, I will keep that to myself.

But... ...I will say that betting against the Beatty's is typically not a winning strategy.

They have a share in 1/4th of all Grand Championships (and this with sitting out the first 1/3rd of all championships -- they joined in year 5).


Heaven help those who have not considered "the Beatty Maneuver" when planning their machines.

I saw it coming the minute I saw that FIRST parked a big fat 50 points at the top of the ramp.

Can the Beatty Maneuver be parried?

If you can't beat them should you join them?

If you can't beat them, should you BEAT them? ;-)

Stay tuned for another exciting edition of I-80/90 Road Kill...


Joe J.

P.S. A hint from Dr Joe as the design of CD8 -- When I was pitching the concept that became CD8 to our team, I described it with words like "one machine riot" and "imagine the scene from Terminator II where the liquid metal guy takes a bullet in the face, shutters a bit, and them keeps moving forward." If Car Knack is right, all I can say is, "Bring it on..."