Universal Game Winning Robot/Strategy for any year
 

At the very top of the starting volume, the robot has arms that telescope out to the left and right sides about 12 feet out each side. Yes, they are big, but this is the only mechanism on the robot. From each arm, a banner drops that reads "You're view is blocked, courtesy of team XXX"

So, in autonomous mode, the robot goes over to the middle of the opponent alliance station, spreads its wings, drops its banner, and blocks the whole alliance window. The opponents can't see, so they lose the match!

With this year's rules though, it would only win the game when opponent's drivers' eyes are less than 5' off the ground. Hrrm. Could have won any game in the past though!

Re: Universal Game Winning Robot/Strategy for any year
 

Summary:

Yes, it was asked in a Q&A one year, and yes, it was rejected as a plausible game strategy due to it being non-GP like behavior on the field.
Case closed.

Re: Universal Game Winning Robot/Strategy for any year
 

Aww, oh well. Team 60 very pretty effective view blocking wings in 2003. They were white on one side and black on the other. They positioned their robot such that they could see through the black side but all the oppoents saw wasthe white side of the wings (couldn't see through). But they weren't nearly as large as I describe above.

Re: Universal Game Winning Robot/Strategy for any year
 

I think if such a robot were allowed, after the first time your wings were deployed everyone would hear about it.

You next opponents would do everything and anything to keep you from getting into position (rightfully so)

and any wing that could extend that far would be:

1. fragile
2. putting out a huge level that would make it easy to pull your bot to the floor.

I would guess at any given regional you might successfully deploy the wings as intended maybe twice, and after 3 or 4 attempts they would end up looking like pretzels.

Re: Universal Game Winning Robot/Strategy for any year
 

If I remember correctly, there was a robot in 2005 that had huge wings. They would try cut the filed into two sections, their opponents section with 3 goals in it and their section with the other 6.
I only saw them deploy once, in a webcast, but it didn't work too well. The drivers can always find the best spot to leverage you from. (365, 384 in 2002)
If anyone knows what team this was, please post pictures of video of it.

Re: Universal Game Winning Robot/Strategy for any year
 

As most people know, I'm not one to immediately sound the "Non-GP Alarm". Not that I don't believe in being a gracious professional, it's just sometimes I feel the term is thrown around too loosely.

With that being said, I think this type of strategy should be allowed. However, if I were a driver and this idea was used against me the first thing i'd do is ram the farthest end of the wing and snap it right off the bot.

Non-GP acts are met with non-GP acts.

Re: Universal Game Winning Robot/Strategy for any year
 

You would have to get your bot between you and the other bot before they deployed the wing. Ever try to drive an RC car when you cant see the car? Its impossible.

It would then become a pushing contest to keep them from getting on the ramp infront of your driver station, or to push them off (wings and all) if they did.