Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

im not sure if anyones noticed but this post was wrong
the model number is 511-5375854 which is the same thing _without_ the brake
you can double check me on that but i believe im correct

Re: Ricksta Is Back
 

Yeah I thought about that, but in my idea there are 2 flat-topped "pyramids", one made of stairs and one made of ramps. The stairs one is obviously worth more, but the ramp one also provides extra points.

I mean, the same thing can be said about rookie teams and stacking. Some pulled it off, but it was still really difficult for a rookie team (let alone a vet team) to build a stacker. But they could still do just fine by knocking over stacks and parking themselves on the top. In my idea, they could knock enemy goals off of the stairs, while simply pushing their goal to the top of the ramp.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

A lot of good ideas here.. however, remember what has to happen for this game to be possible..

Setup- *young* kids have to manuever around this field to reset materials..

The game- the field can't be so high that robots will fall off.. i don't see anything significantly higher than last year's game

Cleanup- here is where most of the ideas seem unfeasible.. if theres a staircase, there has to be a ramp that can also access that place.. i mean, do you think FIRST will really allow pumped-up high school kids to walk backwards down stairs with 130 pound metal robots.. there has to be some easy way to cleanup, easy meaning safe, fast, and effective...

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

It sounds like theyre building an outhouse.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

What you say makes sense. They could use the smaller *young* kids to climb into the enclosed maze and retrieve the robots that are stuck there at the end of the match (just kidding, they wouldn't be able to drag out a 130# robot)

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Yes ... I just double checked ... and you are correct ... NOW. :ahh:

I might regret this but I'm getting back on my soap box ...

WHEN I ORIGINALLY POSTED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE BRAKE I DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECKED THE PART NUMBER ... AND IT WAS THE PART WITH THE BRAKE - IT HAS SINCE BEEN CHANGED ... AGAIN!! Now I know the staff at FIRST works very hard, and this time of year they are extremely busy ... but how difficult is it to check the information BEFORE it is posted?? OR is this just another attempt to interject some engineering/business reality into this effort by changing requirements/information after the initial "reveal". Again I will ask ... WHEN is it safe to order/buy components and feel reasonably sure that the information won't have to be corrected AGAIN? :mad:

OK ... sorry about that ... I feel better now. :p

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

New Idea:

One of the items on the list is two 2"x12"x8' peices of lumber. These are beefy peices, the size used for supporting the second layer of a house. Now, an 8 foot span is a pretty decent distance, you could create some sort of bridge or support.

Secondly, there are three casters. What can you do with three casters? Either there is some sort of turnstyle as has been previously mentioned. or, in my opinion, there is a suspended goal. If the large support beams were hung above the field. You could hook up a rig using the (gasp) three casters as a guide for the hanging goal. One caster on the top of the planks, and one running on each side of the planks. This would create an interesting sliding goal mechanism that would complicate scoring.

Visual (the ball looking things are the casters, the goal would hang below it)

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Well do people think?

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

I like the suspended goal thoery. That would even give a "Box with wheels" (And a pole) something to do. Maybe the objects in the goal count for the diffferent alliances based on where the goal ends up?

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

see thats the thing with FIRST. You can't be sure of anything till the official day comes. when is it safe to buy things ? probably as soon as kickoff is done with. even then sizes change but at least it won't change that dramatically as it would days before the competition.

I'm sure at least 3/4 of the teams registered here remembered what happened last year with the toss up on where the nationals would have been. it took FIRTS longer to settle at a location that can handle the load of close to 90000 students and educators etc.... teams couldn't make hotel registrations up until the last couple of weeks during it was either building season or regional competitions i don't remember for sure when everything was settled.

You must be patient with FIRST. in the mean time though its ok to see if the materials are in stock just don't by them. and if you do buy them then be sure your gonna use it. :]

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

FYI for those who might not have seen this yet.

Straight from the "2003 FIRST Robotics Competition Team Forum and Survey Issues and FIRST Corrective Actions"

ISSUE: Teams reported that the field used for 2003 was too expensive for them to build their own fields.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

It was updated again, and the part number they give for the casters is close to the one they had it linked to before, but it does not exist. I have a feeling the it is a typo, but who knows since it has been updated 3 times now.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Back to the topic of Stairway, its been said before that the only reason Dave would post something like that would be if it was impossible to guess anything about the game from him. A stairway is obviously too obvious a reference, so if there are actually stairs in this game, I'm going to buy everyone a taco.

Personally, I think the reference is to poke fun at the ridiculous amount of lumber that we have to buy... you know, "And she's buuuuyyying a stairway, to heaven..."

Besides, with all this talk of Stairway, has it ever occured to anyone that maybe Dave just likes Led Zeppelin?

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

theres no typo on the bom right now its just that the caster with that number is on the second page of casters at the company site

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

[C) go over the bar. ;)

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

You do realize that we HAVE to hold you to that statement now don't you??
:D