Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Perhaps there isn't a structure in the middle of the field, but at each end.

Drivers would drive from the top of the structure. Losing team is dumped into the water tank.


Wetzel

Water Wont Happen
 

:mad: DUDE! get off the water topic. Aint happening for a long time. Especially not this year.

Re: Water Wont Happen
 

Neither will half the stuff that has been posted in this thread. Perhaps its time to move this thread to the rumor mill, and another thread for updates to the BOM be placed in the general forum.

I'm seeing something like Torriod Terror, but with a structure for robots to climb on instead of placing tubes on, at the end of the field.


Wetzel

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

how much plywood and lumber does it take to build a half-pipe

like skateboarders use?

I think the BOM is close

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Looks like a ramp, a platform, a maze, and a movable object - maybe some kind of series of tasks to complete, and timed to boot. If you knew the objective of the 1st couple tasks you might be able to autonomusly program the bot to accomplish that part of the match. Reference to Stairway to Heaven is too obvious, a fork in the road near the end of the maze with a swinging gate that either makes the distance longer or shorter is what I expect to see.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

I spent an hour or so thinking up and researching a few possible ways of interpreting the "Vmax = 10 feet/sec" hint given by FIRST. Now, as with any other year, these guesses could be way off, but the process was fun, so I won't mind :)

Somewhat evidence-based:

1. Could FIRST be hinting at a new playing field surface? TerraGuard blankets are used to prevent soil erosion, but I'm guessing the material is strong enough to be used on certain portions of the playing field. Look at the dimensions of the standard roll of the TerraGuard material. Its 7.5 feet wide, which is very similar to the 8 foot width needed by the lumber FIRST wants us to acquire. The TerraGuard roll also stretches for 120 feet, which is the total length of the {1-1/2" Sched 40 PVC Pipe}s when placed next to each other (10LF x 12). This could just be one very convenient coincidence, but its worth mentioning.
2. Maybe FIRST is telling us a part needed on the playing field? Super Ball Bushing Bearing Pillow Blocks can travel at speeds up to 10 feet/sec and can be secured with 2 mounting bolts (for sizes 1/4" and 3/8"), which is the exact number of {1/4"-20 X 2-1/2" Hex Head Bolt}s FIRST wants us to get.

Random:

1. Is FIRST providing an indication of the incline angle of a specific field component? If so, would the angle be 15 degrees?
2. Is FIRST hinting at some sort of crane, or robotic arm field component? Or, will we have to build something throughout the duration of each match (credit to Joe Ross)?
3. The one recurring element in this entire process was, believe it or not, water (lol, just had to through this one in here). Now, ruling out the presence of water in the 2004 challenge is easy on many fronts, but what of water control mechanisms? Many pH sensors can't return accurate results if fluid flow is greater than 10 feet/sec; the Greyline DFS-II Doppler Flow Switch can expand to meet flow rates up to 10 feet/sec. eh..

Some interesting links:
http://www.marsh-mcbirney.com/Produc...3000_specs.htm
www.revex.com/pyrmtbl.html
http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/wgmt/sfslide/graph/debris.jpg
www.devicelink.com/pmpn/archive/99/12/005.html

Re: Be careful, Dave can be misleading
 

But for double the price?? Thats a little too much for shipping and handling...

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

for the sake of the audiance, i don't think they'd put a huge dividing wall up that couldn't be seen through.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Hee! :D You better not.

But honestly, I just think that the game, at least part of the reason why we're all here...should throw all teams for a loop year after year. If teams remember how to do it, it hurts beyond this year - it hurts the org in general in many ways.

And I guess I have faith in FIRST's creativity. They've done it before, and I know they can do it again without resorting too much to older stuff.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

really

i would hope you used it in good health hehehe. :)


come to think of it maybe dave would be thinking the same thing 4 robots would move around the field pick up different length guns that automatically chages its size so know 1 gets the advantage. ammunition would be a rubber ball and targest would be moving..

this is a rather different idea and crazy enough that no 1 but me would think of

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Perhaps there is a relationship here. The pressure sensor could be used to FIRST's advantage as well. Perhaps there is a button on the field. An alliance partner positions a gun (PVC) with a rubber ball in it, and the alliance partner races and pushes the button. The maximum speed of the ball based on the air pressure could be 10 ft/sec.

Cases against:
10 ft per second is pretty slow (6.82 mph) for a ball to travel
Does not use stairway to heaven
It came from me

Anyways, the game should be mighty interesting (/me formulates for a drive system that works on stairs :D )

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Completely agree.

Not trying to copy your idea, but I thought the game would be a combination of past year's games. The step from the puck of 99, movable goals like 01 and 02, and the scoring zone of the 02 for the goals. The PVC pipes and the steel pipes also hint the place for putting scoring objects and/or for the robots to grab on to. Very likely is they will be places around the center structures like the poles of the 99 puck for robots to grab onto.

My thought is that the movable goals will be really important part of the game, if not the scoring objects themselves. They will have to be moved to the end zones where they worth some points just being in the zone, or they have to be brought up to the steps or ramps on the center structure of wood. It would be more challenging to lift that goal on top of steps of course

Come to think of it, if we have goals to move, steps to go onto, that's pretty challenging already. Chances are scoring objects are going to be balls or something easy to put on the goals.

My guess is, the score include the position of the robots on the steps, the position of the goals at the endzone and/or on top of steps, the placement of scoring objects on the movable goals. There maybe 2, or 3 goals on the field to move, so no one team can dominate just 1 of them and shut out the game. The steel pipes might even hint a place for robots to lift themselves off the floor, whether it's just to help the robots to get on the steps or hanging as an objective itself. So robots may not need to get on the steps with the help of those.

The great thing about this game is it is difficult for any alliance to dominate that game. You have the center structure to get on top of, scoring objects to place, and the goal(s) to mess around. That's at least 3 objective for 2 teams to fight over. Exactly 1 more than what an alliance of 2 robot can defend easily.

People probably won't see my post in the massive thread, but in case I am right, I have the evidence to say "I told you so :P".

Good luck to us all. It will be a challenging game to say the least.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

That is the exact same reason I posted!

Heh.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

I like this interpretation too (stairs is too obvious of a hint)... then maybe the Vmax=10ft/sec is not velocity but a multiplier value, such as:

[V]alue max = 10 * [F]inal [T]otal per second of autonomous control

Say they keep the 15 sec autonomous mode, but make it optional - using the human player sensor pads from last year, if all of your team members stand on these pads your robot stays in autonomous and your multiplier increases, but as soon as you get off of the pad to approach the controls you get switched to manual mode and the multiplier is set. A multiplier of 10 per second seems rather large though.... just thinkin'

Merle
571 Team Paragon
Windsor, CT

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Hmmm... thats an interesting way to look at it

the equation they threw at us last year just before the kickoff was for the scoring

maybe you will be able to score points during auton mode independantly of the rest of the match

and like you said, F and T stand for something, like floppies and tires

then if you got one of each, and you did it in 10 seconds, your score would be 10 * F * T divided by 10

but if you do it in one second, it will be divided by 1 which would give you ten times the score you would get for doing it in 10 seconds.....

could be!