Chief Delphi - FIRST 101 [12/21/05]

Hello again class, time for another fun filled (yet holiday like) segment of FIRST 101! Today we will cover the history of of the shape and makeup of the most important part of what will rule your next few months!

The Playing Field

It all started back in 1992...the first (and only) time the playingfield as a whole carried a surface that was mainly composed of something other than carpet! Maize Craze, aptly named for the corn that it encased, was the first ever U.S. FIRST competition. The playing field was small, yet effective. Teams would have to sift through corn in order to pick up as many tennis balls as they could.

Pop Quiz: Maize Craze was one of only two years which the robot was the goal for the playingfield objects. Can you name the other game where the robot was the goal?

Another extremely unique feature of Maize Craze was the very noticable exsistance of the tether! No folks, I'm not talking about a prehistoric rendition of the little tape measures teams would send out in Zone Zeal to score points. The tether was the channel which the wiring for robot control was run through and attached to the robot. Back in the day, the RNET was not included with kits.

RNET - n. A wireless modem provided by Motorola which allowed for radio control through the FIRST control system. (Yes, there was a time when IFI did not exsist!)

Following Maize Craze we go to the simplistic yet...well...simplistic field design that was Rug Rage. Big rectangular field, lots of rug, field border...thats it. (Note that we would see the return of sed simplistic field shape for many years to come following the invention of alliances).

Ok enough of Rug Rage...though I'm sure we will get into it a little more in future classes...

Now we start to get into the interesting age when US FIRST realized that there was a Z axis on the CADD machines they were working with! With Tower Power, FIRST went verticle. The field shape was almost circular...probably octaganal (the professor was only 12 years old at the time, forgive me). In the center of the field...a tower! Once again, too young to remember how high it was...but the simple info is all we are going for here.

My vivid memory begins with Ramp n Roll. A "gasp!" T shaped field that also went verticle! at one end of the T was a large ramp with three carpeted climbing ways. At the narrow end of the T was the ball collection area of what we effectively used to call "The Mosh Pit". The mosh pit was separated from the rest of the field by a ramp and wall. Important to note about the field that involves sed mosh pit is the fact that FIRST back then used a wire fence to border the field instead of piping and Lexan. When robots would climb into the mosh pit to retrieve balls, they would end up getting caught on the wire fence. Coincidentally, a couple of years later that fence would completely vanish.

1996 would bring the introduction of a game shape that would dominate FIRST for the next three years...

This of which we shall cover in part two of this segment...

However upon looking at the clock, I realize it is now time to eat so class is dismissed for food and recess. Remember to be safe on the jungle gym.

-Professor Grady
(Horrible at spelling, i spell kat, with a k, please excuse my misuse of the spell checker...im a technician)