One machine?
 

We are seeing lots of awesome ideas this year, like have the "ball funnel" from Team 45, but can one robot do it alone again this year?

Believe it or not - The past two years' games could be "underminded" so that only one, dominant robot could win about 90% of the time. I know a lot of you will disagree with me on this one, but it is obvious - just look at Beatty from 2002 and Wildstang from 2003. Both of these teams dominated the game in their respective years, but they still needed a partner to do some basic operations.

This year, I believe an alliance will need to consist of two very strong teams if they plan on going a long way in the finals.

What do you think? Can one robot dominant this year's game... again?

Re: One machine?
 

Very good post,

I agree with you 100% the last 3 years could really be dominated by one robot.

This year I believe that the qualifying matches, you will see matches that will be dominated by one robot. However as the elimination matches roll by, no one robot will be able to completely dominate the game. It's just too hard for a robot to do everything at once. Also I believe that there are multiple strategies to win this year, unlike the past 3 years where you saw one main strategy winning (2001: Everything at once, 2002: Goal domination, 2003: Ramp control). It will be very interesting to see how the first week of regionals turns out; from there you will see a lot of teams set their main strategies.

Re: One machine?
 

I think that the obvious answer is a very strong NO - one team will not be able to dominate the playing field by themselves.

I'd even go out on a semi-unrelated limb and say that if you have a non-functional partner, you've pretty much lost the round. Two medocere robots will be able to significantly distrupt a single robot. Just have 1 robot play a little defense by pushing the opponents small balls around the side of the field, and have the other shuffle your balls into their chute, and they pretty much win the game.

This game is easy to play defense because unless you store balls internally, scoring is very easy to disrupt, by simply keeping balls in motion around the field.

Would you like to try to shuffle balls into the chutes when there's a robot whose sole job can be dedicated to make sure you don't?

I know I wouldn't!

Just a few thoughts,

Matt

Re: One machine?
 

I must disagree with this. We depended heavily on good partners last year. The most important thing that led us to a championship was not that our robot was so dominant - it was that we were able to select two amazing alliance partners that both complemented us extremely well. Remember how important the second match of each elim round was last year? We depended on having a strong partner that was very skilled at removing points from the opposing alliance, and 65 did that as well as (or better than) anyone else. Same thing goes for the first match - we depended on controlling the ramp, and it was nearly impossible for us to control it alone - so we chose a very powerful partner (469) who could help us dominate it. Additionally, look at the two regionals we attended - we did fairly well at both, but I'd hardly say we dominated.

As for this year, I do agree - alliances are going to be extremely important. There's just too many things happening on the field. A good strategy executed collectively by all alliance members is key.

Re: One machine?
 

I think the last three years have been dominated by teams who had very good strategies coupled with very good robots and were able to pick alliances that complimented them well.

In 2001 Beatty was incredible, but there were other robots that could do what the did. 60, 177, 308 were some of the big ones that did the same thing as beatty. The difference is Beatty picked an alliance that complimented them better than those teams.

I think besides having a good robot with a good alliance, sometimes it comes right down to whether or not it's your day. Look at wildstang from last year, they had bad luck at their regionals, but it all came together at nats. One day of good luck can make all the difference.

This year there will be a dominant robot, probably more than one. If they get some good allies they can take it.

Re: One machine?
 

I thought Beatty was a pickee. Correct me if I'm wrong, peanut gallery, correct me if I'm wrong.

Re: One machine?
 

Beatty was certainly a picker in 2001 because they were in our division ... ranked #1 in Newton.


Mr. Flowerday,

I would agree with you about your (Wildstang's) position last year at the National Competition. You guys had some great partners, but nonetheless your robot was definitely able to control the field better than anyone else. With your strategy and robot last year, your team was certainly a force to be reckoned with! I believe this year will depend heavily on alliances sharing the work load. Good luck this season!

Re: One machine?
 

Personally , if you look at the potential scoring methods, I think the machines that are going to dominate the game this year are those that can consistantly knock the release ball down

and collect and delivery small balls quickly, accuractly and repeatedly

there will be 24 small balls on each side of the field, worth a potential 120 points

and if you cap the goal, 240 points

I havent seen ANY bots in the photo section that capture the small balls - Ive seen plenty with little arms that are intended to push the balls around

which is going to be like hearding cats covered in superglue

I think the machines that can pick up the balls quickly, move to the corrals, deliver them quickly, and even gather balls from the other side of the field - those are the ones that will win the matchs

capping the 2X goal is much simpler than climbing the steps and hanging, so I expect there will be more alliance bots able to cap goals than hang - so the bot that can get those goals filled will consistantly score well over 100 points per match.

Re: One machine?
 

Umm, there are 4 teams currently that have posted their bot that can catch balls from the ball drop. 21, 45, 93 and one other team in the 1000's (sorry i don't remember the number off the top of my head).

If this is not what u ment let me know.

Re: One machine?
 

lol WOAH open your eyes... theres at LEAST 4, if not 5 that have posted not only pics, but vids too.

Re: One machine?
 

I must agree with you dave. Although your robot was great it was by far not invincible and it depended greatly on some great alliance partners. I still believe that 469 has one of the best, most reliable, and fastest autonomous modes from last year and are great strategist. We picked up rounds of 220 and 302 with them by our side and they would have been our alliance pick from archimedes last year. We worked with both 111 and 65 in archimedes. We had a bad showing with 65 because of an autonomous miscue. With 111 they had a autonomous miscue and failed to end up on the ramp but we still pulled off a narrow victory. The ramp was only the icing on the cake in most rounds. If you won autonomous last year, barring a great comeback you had a great chance of winning. All in all I wouldn't credit one single robot for the championship even though they all had amazing robots with very good strategist. Well maybe 469. I really liked Las Guerillas and I can't wait to see what they've done for this year.

Re: One machine?
 

yes, I saw those, and they are super machines at what they do

but I mean capture them from the floor - once a HP shoots and misses, and getting them from the other side of the field if necessary - sweeping them up from the floor and carrying them to the corral, instead of just pushing them around

catching the balls as they fall will be an excellent strategy if the release ball is knocked loose by your alliance in auton mode - but it has some weaknesses

getting the 24 balls into the goal is going to require keeping both corrals fed with a steady stream of balls, for both HPs, and getting the ones that miss so they can shoot again.

besides, out of 950+ teams, only 4 have shown the abilty to gather, carry and control the small balls? thats not many

(but then again, we havent posted photos of our bot yet, KateGleasonOne :c)

Re: One machine?
 

Okay I understand. There are teams that do this as well though, I know our team can, and I have seen others as well that ahve some type of hopper or storage mechanism. If I'll look later and link some pics.

Re: One machine?
 

Gleeaagh....


We have become jaded and cynical in these past years. We always plan our bot to be able to do it all by itself. As bad as that sounds, we can't ever take the chance of planning on our partner being able to do anything. Year after year, match after match, we get alliance partners who either

A. Break down.
B. Aren't any good.
C. Rookies who have a student coaching and rotate their drivers.

Even so, this year we have strategies available for every situation. We can just as easily perform excellently with a good partner to back us up, or go it alone if they can't.

Re: One machine?
 

Planning your bot to be by its self I feel is the best thing you can do. However for a robot to win, you don't have to do everything. Even if you seed low because of partners, you will be picked (look at beatty from 2002).

Also you can't predict everythign that is goign to happen, you will always find somethign new either with other bots, or your own.

Like i said planning on being by your self is the best way to make your bot.

Also student coaches and rookie teams do not mean that that team is bad, just means that they have a fresh perspective on FIRST.