How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

In prior years we have been given samples of game pieces from FIRST and when we get to the event they are painted or molded, blue and red. Sometimes they are even made out of a different materials. We have had problems with this in the past. I wonder what will happen this year. Will the paint they use change the grip of the ball or the hardness of it?

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

I do not beleive they will be painted for the official competition.

And when where they made out of a different material? :confused:

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

They aren't painted. As can be seen in the kickoff video, they're colored in whatever random two colors Poof decides to use.

Im not sure what you're referring to with your comment about different material/color game pieces.

In 2005, the tetras were colored, but they were still exactly the same diameter pipe as you would have used for your own. Same with all other aspects of the tetras.

In 2004, you may have bought red balls, but FIRST had purple balls. Again, no functional difference. The large balls were identical.

In 2003, the bin was identical except for the fact that FIRST put the retroreflective stickers on them (and perhaps a logo sticker? I can't remember for sure) and riveted the lids on.

In 2002 the balls were exactly identical to the ones used on the field.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

no will not because the paint will not change it at all

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

this year they have used just a simple poof ball. i also think they gave use this ball for a good reason. i haven't been able to find the rule in the Manuel but i believe they have given us a ball to test if our "shooting" mechanism will tear the ball up, as our ball has already been completely defaced.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

They did change the material of the clovers. I don't think that anyone had a mechanism that the material change there caused problems for.

As for this, it is hard to figure out what you are attempting to convey, but there will be no paint on the Poof Balls.

Wetzel

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

The only Issue that I know was that they changed the 2X ball supplier and the balls were a little different. The answer is no they will not paint the balls. They will be multiple colors as seen if you purchased any quantity of them.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

I think the real question is: What's going to happen to the balls as the days of the competition progress? I think they will become torn, matted and maybe they will lose a bit of air because of how many times they will be shot from various mechanisms.

However, I think FIRST thought ahead and there will be hundreds of spare balls at the competitions...Looks like POOF inc. will be making (or already has made) lots and lots of money. ;)

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

Its hard to believe, but I can imagine next, or in a few years, companies actually lobbying for the FIRST contract. I wonder if this will ever make any impact on what FIRST chooses to do each year?

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

they have air in them? i assumed they were "solid" foam.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

By definition, foam has some air in it. This is what allows it to compress when you squeeze it. The difference is how much air is included, and how solid/elastic the material that makes up the non-air portion of the foam is.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

I guess air was a bad way of putting it, lol. When they are squeezed the foam sort of condenses...so maybe they wont lose air but after a while, the foam on the inside might become distorted...hmm maybe I will open one up just too see

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

Actually I know of three differences. In 04 they had the kickballs, when we ordered ours(like 40 or so) we ended up with the wrong ball type, totally throwing off our Human Player's throwing them because they were a lot lighter of a ball. In 05 they did change the clover material due to a lack of enough being produced at one time, and they also had originally made the tetras out of a different material, but due to a weight difference they changed them before the first competition. But the ones at kickoff where different from the ones teams made as well as the ones used in the actual competition.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

Unless Poof Slinky, Inc. runs out of poof balls, I think it's safe to assume that they will be the same as the ones in our kit

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

Well in 2004 they did paint "5" on the purple balls and "2X" on the 2x balls

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

But none of that affected how they handled compared to balls without the numbers...

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

The problems that were in the past are in the past. I don't think we need to argue about what happened and what didn't. People that think nothing happen just don't know because it didn't effect them.

Whenever there is a problem FIRST goes out of their way to try to correct the problem with the teams, and that is why most others don't have a clue about it. The point I was trying to make was that this year we have a task that is going to take great precision and I want to reduce the variables as much as possible for all of us.

Everyone sees videos of teams shooting 10 balls in one second and they say that looks easy. Well put that device in a remote controlled robot being controlled by someone 30 feet away with many visual obstructions, other teams trying to stop them, on a not so flat arena floor, with batteries that are changing there state of charge, and more. This is going to be a really hard game to play good. I was trying to make everyone aware of another variable.

I still think there is a good chance the balls will be certain colors to help sort them between matches.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

our balls that we have been using with our first version(wood) shooting system.. has been ripping the balls coverings off and spitting the paint all over our bot... i hope that FIST has thought about the fact that these balls they use must be 'robo proof'

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

Actually, FIRST Is hoping the reverse, that your bot will be "Ball damage proof" http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=288

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

What sorting? It will be far easier for reset crews to collect 8 groups of ten balls of any color, rather than trying to find specific balls for red and blue teams.

As to the tetra connectors being different, wasn't that because the gamepieces had to be more robust? You could order the "official" connectors, but at a higher price.

It's just like the home versions of the field being constructed of different support materials than the competition versions. The home versions don't have to be struck and moved multiple times, so they can be easily built more-or-less permanantly from wood. The competition versions will (primarily) have metal construction. There will no doubt be slight variations in how the official ramp flexes compared to your home version. But not enough to matter.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

In the past (2004's clovers for example) FIRST has pretty much taken on the theory we occasionally take at work when we change parts.

When applicable is is stated that "NO CHANGES AFFECT FORM, FIT, OR FUNCTION".

That's what FIRST has done in the past, and I don't see any reason that will change.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

FIRST is, first and foremost, a company. I would not be surprised if a company's product or services, if it benefitted FIRST in one way or another, had influence on a given year's Kit of Parts or on the game design itself (e.g. if Poof donated 10,000 poof balls, don't you think the Game Design Committee would find a way to use them?!?!).

-Danny

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

FIRST is not a company, it is a non-profit organization. Regardless, you are correct that they would appreciate a generous donation from anyone.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

i think this question is a good one!!!
But who knows how far ahead in ordering balls first had thought!!!
Lets hope they ordered ALOT!!! LOL

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

Well I don't know if we received any blue/red balls in our shipment, but I do know that we have some half-red and some half-blue so I am sure they are capable of making that color combination. I am hoping that FIRST was able to contract with the supplier to provide all half-blue/half-red for the competitions - just to make the events more aesthetically pleasing (at least until the covers wear off) ;)

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

Oh. You're one of those people. All the very best teams just won't have anything other than the black-and-yellow balls. I suppose that we should be culturally sensitive and all that, but the red-and-blue ball people just aren't the right sort, are they?

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

they definitely aren't painting the balls this year, because, as you may recall, every ball you score is given to the other team, so the balls are recycled. therefore, they can't have red and blue balls, because there is no assignment needed. In other words, no paint.

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

What? :ahh:

you mean the balls are not ALL red & black :)


Ours are all red & black......to match our pit! :rolleyes:

I though all the balls were the same !!!! :p



--Mike

Re: How will the Balls Change once FIRST Paints them
 

Heh we ordered 48 balls. And there's atleast 3 different color schemes in the ones we got.