Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I'm sure we weren't the only team to give a big cheer that they were actually going to let us use projectiles, it's really something you'd never expect. I just wonder, like last year, when they had to put a cage over the alliance area after a robot almost hit someone with a tetra, what happens this year after the first person gets beaned in the head with a high-speed poofball? Sure, a poof ball isn't gonna hurt anyone, but what kind of new safety features (besides the 12m/s velocity limit) do the rest of you think will be on the field?

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Nothing. If you're robot does something silly and launches balls at the crowd, it will be shut off. Done Deal.

And anyways, the crowd is far enough that ball would barely be in motion by the time it reached the wall, although I imagine they'll have a warning out in front of the arena "Be forwarned, foam balls may fly into the audience at any time".

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

that just cracks me up...to think that a ball might beem at someone's head..
i know that it wont really happen (unless youre still in the building process and it occurs back at home)

but still...i get a kick out of things like that.
:p

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

even if there is a cannon gone wild or a cannon that shoots the poof ballsjust left or right of the target i dont think they will disable the robot from comp. i think they might make the area around the field larger because the poof balls cant fly further then 50 ft given the speede limit. also u have to look at how many of us played dodgeball with the balls this weekend and the weekend to come, i can take a hit to the head and still only fell but not enought to injure u, also considering us humns were throwing the balls faster then the 26.8mph

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I'm definitely with you there Rosser, they're made of foam, but people are crazy, and FIRST can't risk getting in trouble for any head-beaning done by our robots. Although the speed limit will protect the crowd, I didn't really think about that.

and Curtis, Shut down? don't you think that'd be a bit much? I'm not talking about someone shooting at the crowd on purpose, or even accidentally pressing the 'fire' button at the wrong time. Sure, people will have safeguards or an auto-override system to anything, but there's still going to be the possibility that a ball is going to miss the field. Plus, don't you think they'd have mentioned it in the penalty rules, like they did for hitting a robot in the human-loading zone last year?

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

: [quote=JakeOfIron]I'm sure we weren't the only team to give a big cheer that they were actually going to let us use projectiles, it's really something you'd never expect. I just wonder, like last year, when they had to put a cage over the alliance area after a robot almost hit someone with a tetra, what happens this year after the first person gets beaned in the head with a high-speed poofball? Sure, a poof ball isn't gonna hurt anyone, but what kind of new safety features (besides

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

i think that the most they will do is just a net in front of the crowds, like the ones you see in baseball fields. I don't think that it is likely to reach the stands, but it might happen.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I totally agree with you. It would be be kinda funny to see some one get hit with a poof ball. But not really.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

To clarify, I didn't mean that. I meant disable you for the rest of that match.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

my worry is less that the audience will get hit (at least not with any force), but rather that the Judges, Camera Staff or IFI will get pegged. The cameras especially can get pretty close to the fields...

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Im Sorry on what i said, but what i meant was that i dont think they would disable a robot from a round if there was a bad shot that went to the left or the right of the target. Besides if FIRST made a game where we have to shoot balls in the air the prob thought about the layout of the arenas and if there will be any nets or other safety precautions. Just be thankful that the balls that are being shot aren't from 2004 (FIRST Frenzy) those balls hurt when u would get him with them. Also you have to take in account for the raised level of defense that is going to be played this year and if a bot were to hit another when it was shooting, what would happen in that situation?

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I think the reset crew will be kept quite busy this year shagging wayward shots all day long.
They'll get thier execise that's for sure.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Being at an Aim High match will not be any different than going to a hockey game. At a hockey game, keep your eye on the puck at all times. At Aim High, stay alert!

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Projectiles aren't a big deal when they're foam balls. And forget being hit by a tetra, a whole robot nearly fell on me during an off-season competition. I didn't mind; no harm was done.
Our team has already attacked each other with our one Poof ball, and none of us are damaged as a result. If needed, they'll net the entire arena, but I doubt they'd even go that far. Anyone who complains about flying foam balls should not be involved with FIRST anyway.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Please, people ... these are NERF balls! Do you really think that they will really do ANY damage to a robot or person? :p

A nine pound tetra or a heavy thirteen inch playground ball is one thing, but a 183 gram soft, squishy foam nerf ball is another.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

The poof balls really dont hurt at all,
We built a makeshift ball launcher in one of our basements last night that we later calculated to be launching at a good 35mph and it didnt really hurt when you got hit.
It was really funny to watch though

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I don't know if this would happen but what if the camera locks onto a team that wears bright green? I mean if the area of green shirts is big enough it might shoot at them even if they aren't illuminated as well as the target.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I thought the point of this years cameras was to follow an illuminated target. Thats why the targets are illuminated instead of last years flat green tetras...
The camera wont follow anything but a bright green light

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

As funny as I think it would be to have something like this happen...



I just don't see it happening. The people at FIRST are smart enough to know that stuff like this might happen, so they're either going to move the stands far enough away where the balls will lose speed before they hit the audience, people are going to dodge the balls, or it simply isn't going to happen because the drivers know they'll get DQ'd if it happens.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

So MOE would be in the crosshairs?
Sounds like a challange (either for programmers or for MOE team members to stay alert).

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Definatly agree. They will disable the robot if at anytime the head ref freels its unsafe but still these balls are gonna go a little off track.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

That is FUNNY.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

That probably why FIRST picked these kind of balls, soft NERF ones. They aren-t going to do any damage to humans, robots, camera equipment or anything. Unless a team has a "killer" mode for its launcher and starts atttacking everybody, we're going to be fine.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

So in other words, MOE should be sending out t-shirts to any teams they may be competing against in competition to allow for adjustments to be made so that they aren't targeted right? Or maybe they should have their programming team release their color according to the camera.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Except that there aren't usually 6 pucks flying at once!

I'm rather looking forward to seeing the get-ups - er, I mean Personal Protective Equipment - the fearless field personnel will be showing off! Not to mention the inevitable six-gun salutes to the crowd (at least at off-season events).

It might be a score-limiting move to shoot at referees, though!

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Haha i mean seriously, a nerf ball is not going to do any harm to the robots and the 12 m/s limits protects the crowd. But how is FIRST going to enforce the rule. Most teams i can imagine will have variable muzzle velocity to shoot from different locations. But what would prevent a team from cranking up the velocity to 30mph...or even 40?

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

We really don't have to worry about the balls hitting everyone...
Anyone who isn't alert and going crazy watching the game anyway deserves to be hit =P... just kidding

But really... everyone's eyes will be on the game so the likelihood that a ball will fly into the crowd unnoticed isn't very high...

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Funny as this is, I don't think it would happen. Hopefully NASA is good on their word that the camera is better this year. What kind of sensors can we read from besides the camera though?


Thanks

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Yeah That was the same rosponse we had here at 306

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I think as a safety measure and as a deterrent to balls being launched into the crowd, FIRST will hire Chuck Norris for every regional, so if any balls are launched into the crowd, he will immediately round house kick the ball back into the offending robot and in turn instantaneously explode it into a smoldering heap of rubble with the Total Gym 24000 in the center.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Nicely said rufus, Either that or with the technology now a days they will save money and just could clone him. :D

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Personally I was for for a chicken wire surround like a 1930s era baseketball court. :D

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I think they have to think about a net just so the referees and scorekeepers don't get beaned!

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Not only that, but usually there is a fair number of laptops and computers running the scoring system on those tables. It'd be bad if one of those got knocked off by a wayward ball.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I think that the most likely way that balls will end up outside the field will be deflections, all the shots that just don't quite make it, and bounce off the wall, and then off a robot, or just straight off of a robot. By that time, they should be going relatively slow, and should pose no threat to anything or anyone, but if FIRST found they were having the scoring table pegged, they might put up a net there, but it will add some more fun to be in the crowd to have these balls flying out into the stands.

Who wants to be in the front row?

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I am willing to bet that the front row will be considered premium seating, and you could probably sell tickets for them...


...to the very same people that sit in the front row of a Gallagher concert! :)

-dave

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

again, sure, there's no REAL concern about some kid getting lightly tapped with a foam ball, you can sue for ANYTHING, and while I don't think any FIRSTers would sue FIRST, it really can't be risked, that was the point, not, do you worry if someone will get hurt by a stray ball.

but a camera hit by a stray shot would make for some great footage!

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Some venues will have VERY premium seating in the front row, like Boilermaker, as they'll be maybe 10ft away from the field (maybe a little more). I can see the clammering for those seats now.....

If there is no netting implemented, if a ball goes into the crowd, I'd suggest calmly throwing it back to a volunteer that's field-side so they can put it back into the game.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

In 2002 we shot balls into the goals and we did it very very well, we were one of the best at it, we only lost cuz we ran into beatty.....always a problem..but i wasnt surprised when they let us use them, i think next year it will have a longer autonomous mode..they are gonna keep advancing it every year

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

I'm betting someone will get hit in the head at one point. But I don't think that the robot should be disabled for the rest of the match, if it was an accident. Because really, with projectiles, you can't help but know some balls will go awry.

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

This just had to be done

I mean I got a rather harsh "talking to" here about that

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Unless this nert ball is going 50-mph, there will be barley any damage. Plus there is a reason why they made it foam.

JUST be glad they are not medicine balls ok...

Re: Who ever thought they'd let us do it?
 

Do you have your 'poof?'

I got mine at toys'r'us. 4.99 - only one in the bin.