Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

From the vendor webiste:

3 1/2" Casters - Grey Tire with Aluminum Core
Swivel caster with brake and large plate.
511-53735854

Why would they specify a caster with a brake? :confused:

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

I am SOOOO hoping there are stairs... (I was working on few game designs involving them myself...)

Stairway=stairs
To=2 ways to get across the field
Heaven=a vertical game component(?)

I think there will be a stairs obstacle... and the game will be a bit more in the verticle direction. I mean... if you think about it... in 2002 we had a flat field and three (rather low to the ground) goals... 2003 there was the ramp... which was rather easy to drive over, or around, so there was no vertical challange. The last time we had any tasks that needed to be done above the field was in 2001 with the large balls and the two tall PVC goals. Before that was the "troughs" and hanging bar of the 2000 game. I also think they might be trying to get back a bit of the height challenge... so that teams really have to decide between building short robots... or comitting themselves to the harder challenge of crossing the field.

Which then brings in the Stairway TO Heaven. Maybe the game will be similar obstacle wise to 2001. Where you could go under the bar and/or over the ramp... but they are removing the "and" so you have to choose between

[A) the "shorter" robot and an easy way across the field (perhaps it might have an almost 90 degree turn to 'prevent' the "compactable" long arm bots from 2001 that could place the large balls and go under the bar from going that way...)

or

[B) choose the harder way across the field... and not have to worry about keeping your robot short enough to clear the bar, so you could have an advantage scoring points (tennis balls? footballs? road cones?... whatever) in an above the field goal similar to 2000.

Anywho... thats my long guess...

PS-If you want to laugh at me for being completely wrong later... you can do so at the Philly Regional... I'll be the one without the voice... If you aren't at the field on time. (Carol has made me head of Q-ing!)

PPS- I also feel the need to mention Jake's idea... 2 vs 2 vs 2 ... It could be interesting!

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Last year at this time, people were talking about footballs and frisbees and basketballs, oh my. THEN, DL posted the cryptic ax^2+bx+c clue. Which confirmed in everybody's minds that we were going to have projectiles.

This year, when everyone is talking about stairs, DL posts song lyrics which come from Stairway to Heaven, and everyone is thinking, "Ah-ha...Stairs."

Surely, everyone knows that DL knows that we'll know the lyrics to Stairway. Hence, my guess is that stairs are definitely, positively NOT going to be part of this year's competition. (Unless DL knows that we know that he knows that we know the lyrics AND that he'll know that we'll know that he's trying to throw us off the scent. Since he knows that we know that he's trying to throw us off the scent, he'll throw us ONTO the scent, which we'll know that he's trying to do. Which will actually throw us OFF the scent.)

With all of that wood, I think there is going to be a blind maze separating an important part of the playing field, where the fast way to get to it is to autonomously traverse the maze and the hard way through will be to take "the other road." If you get stuck in the maze, there may be a way to shift out of autonomy and "change the road you're on."

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

So which cup is the iocaine powder in?

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Both!

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Inconceivable!!

FIRST hasn't made my head hurt nearly to the extent that all of the other posts in this thread have. Three more days...

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

ohhhh! a blind maze! your robot goes in one side and has to find its way to the other side of the field

but the maze is enclosed so the drivers cant see inside it

and the bot has to find its own way through

but the kicker is those castors - the internal walls will be hinged and movable, so that either the refs can change the location of the walls before the match

OR

the bots can push the walls from the inside, changing the configuration of the maze - so your bot has to navigate a maze that can be different from game to game, or it can be changed during the game by the bots themselves.

!

or maybe, the human players get to change the location of the walls, on their side of the field, just before auton starts?

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on."

My prediction is a kind of 2 entry point (PVC fenced) maze with a 3 point turnstile in the middle of the field which could change the path . Minimal view obstructed

...............................
........... ____..............
...........|......|............
.....||...|____|.....||.....
.....||.......|.........||....
===||==...O.....==||===
.....||....../..\.......||.....
.....||.....____......||.....
..... .....|......|............
...........|____|............
................................

|
O
/ \ Turnstile
____
|.....|
|___| PVC fenced in (possible fixed goal)

=== middle divider

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

I dunno about the blind maze... that would probably place too much pressure on rookie teams... since they would have to learn the basics of building, programing, and learn how to drive blind before cometition.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

Not to mention very boring for spectators. <heavy sarcasm>Lets all watch robots go into a wooden structure where we cannot see them and come out 2 minutes later. Yay! I can see the public lining up now to watch our exciting events.</heavy sarcasm>

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

the crowd would be able to see them, the drivers wouldnt

or maybe the bot will have to navigate the maze in auton mode - so it doesnt matter if the drivers can see them - all they can do is watch till auton is over.

Re: Ricksta Is Back
 

This is important...and something that almost everyone has overlooked. I have a feeling most rookie teams wouldn't have a chance if they had to deal with stairs. Heck, even more established teams like mine will still struggle if stairs are involved. And as Andrew said...

I'm thinking that the stairs might just be a red herring. As I write this, and looking at the list of members viewing the thread, I see one name in particular that's interesting...dlavery.

Anything you care to share with us, Dave? :D

Re: Ricksta Is Back
 

No problem, I would be glad to. But I am a little busy right now - can we do it later? Just send me a message after, oh, say, noon on Saturday, and then we can talk.

-dave

---------------

Vmax = 10 ft/sec

Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

great minds think alike. I was thinking the very same thing. except. I don't think it will be blind. most likely if it is a maze it will be constructed of lexan. or some other see through plastic so that even the rookies have a chance to compete. I was also thinking about the walls (if any). maybe there is a fixed method in navigating the field or a method in which teams may create during auton mode so that they may score during the remainder of the match.

its just a hunch.

Re: Low Cost Field BOM
 

do you really think, in the cheap field, that if there was going to be a lexan maze that they would tell us to get materials for a non-see-through maze? i would thing the being able to see thing would be a really important feature in that kind of a field. and while we're on the maze subject, how did we get on the maze subject? i dont see that anywhere in either of the clues. thats just my opinion of whats goin on in here.