Re: Best Teams
 

I would have to say The Thunder Chickens (217) did an extremely great job at driving. They were probably one of the fastest robots in the autoloader and at capping the center goal...

I also thought these robots and drivers did very well this year (no order)
233 245 71 111 45 179 56 254 980 69 64 and a bunch of others....

Re: Best Teams
 

In no particular order 217,245, 66, 233, 67, 33, 191, and 179. I know it looks bias in the fact that a majority of those teams are from Michigan but that is just how good the competition was. The most innovative was 85 B.O.B, those coils were amazingly cool. I didn't see a robot that had anything remotely like that. The most spirited was 179. Maybe it was the fact i was sitting by them but i still am chanting Swamp Thing.

Re: Best Teams
 

302 had a coil design initially, but they changed it to a gripper.

Re: Best Teams
 

Thanks so much for the complement.

Our mechanical design and software teams invested a tremendous effort to get our robot in shape this year. If we had a weakness, it was some inconsistency in quickly and cleanly dropping tetras onto goals. The arm operator practiced endlessly to get the timing right and made huge improvements during the season. He had to lower the arm and twist the hook in perfect synchronization to make a clean drop. In practice (no opposition), we were consistently capping 9 goals. In competition, we were generally capping 5, plus the two we capped in autonomous.

Re: Best Teams
 

16 also had a coil, albeit not 2 like 85 had. I was super impressed by that while watching the webcast and a couple of us went "who the heck was that" when we saw the capping action. =)

Also again 1114 was on top of their game at GTAR after a relatively slow (for them anyways :D ) start in Waterloo. Combined with their use of collaboration this year with 1680 and 1503, all three robots made completely effective use of their resources!

Re: Best Teams
 

For additional objective measurements, 175 has made it to einstein each of the last 3 years. That's simply incredible. Add to that winning the national chairmans in 2002, and they should definetly rank in anyone's list of best teams.

Re: Best Teams
 

thanks, you guys were great too, and all i expect from any of the teams i have seen now is that their going to get better

Re: Best Teams
 

69 has won regionals on both coasts for 2 years in a row. I think that easily qualifies them as one of the best teams.

Re: Best Teams
 

Argh... I wish I had gone to nationals so I could see all of these amazing robots.

My list (from teams I've seen)

67 - Yeah... everyone knows why... we were almost on their alliance at Buckeye had we not been picked later on in the first run through
249 - Dubbed "Back Pack bot" by our team for obvious reasons. They carried around multiple tetras and, with two arms, grabbed them from the bottoms, flipped them overhead onto the goal. Splendid. Almost on their alliance at Buckeye.
229 - Fast and smooth, lost two regionals because of alliance partners...
135 - Incredibly fast. They never dropped tetras, they capped rediculously fast. We were in a match with them and 229 in Buckeye. We owned the other team so hard. However. In the finals 229 lost to 67 and 249 because 135 rammed high and knocked an opponent over.

My standards are high and remember, these are of the bots I have witnessed this year.

Re: Best Teams
 

I never saw them in competition last year. But their robot the year before was amazing.

They would have won if they had been able to go to regionals.

Re: Best Teams
 

You are absolutly right, they are an amzing team there 05 bot was very efficient. They are often over looked because they have a history of choosing a second regional over nationals.

Re: Best Teams
 

A team that never gets any credit because they are not often on Delphi is Team 272, Lansdale Catholic. (Lansdale, PA) An amazing group of kids and mentors. Filled with character and the spirit of competition.

In 2004 They had one of the best robots I have ever seen for that game. They won the Philly Regional, Pittsburgh Woody Flowers, Pittsburgh Chairman's but unfortunately could not attend the Championship.

But awards aside these folks are just wonderful people that embody the spirit of FIRST.

Go LC!!! :)

Re: Best Teams
 

I have to say the best robots i saw were 254-22, 330, 67, 980, and 111.

The best drivers I saw were 254 hands down.

Team Spirt- I sat right in front of Chief Delphi when it was finals and they were really loud!!! I have to say 47.

Re: Best Teams
 

229 most certainly did NOT lose regionals due to alliance partners. Whoever told you that was highly mistaken.

We had the PRIVILEGE of working with SIX exceptional teams this season: 1507, 772 at Rochester. 135, 1403 at Buckeye. 118, 312 at Championship.
During our regionals, these incredible alliances helped us earn TWO silver medals, an accomplishment every 229er is extremely proud of.

In the finals of Buckeye, we were outplayed by an OUTSTANDING alliance. We won the first match, but were fairly and handily defeated in the second two. I have a few friends from that alliance, and they certainly proved to be our betters. They earned it.

I certainly hope there is no one on 229 who would ever say "we lost because of our partners" because it is simply NOT true. We had one HECK of a season, and got the opportunity to work with some INCREDIBLE teams along the way. If anyone from 229 told you that, send them my way, and we will straighten things out; they are obviously misguided.

-JV

Re: Best Teams
 

Thank you for the kind words John. I would like to thank 229 and 135 as well, both of you were amazing alliance partners. We know that because it took the national champions to take us down and it was still a close battle :p . I would also like to mention teams 980, 254, 22, 25, 75, 56, 237, 303 and 330. Each of these teams were amazing in their own ways and I can't wait to see what they come up with next year!

GO 1403!!!