More Choices
 

I was wondering if anyone else thought that FIRST should relax the regulations on Pneumatic parts and allow teams to have more components than just just the standard air cylinders.

Personally I think that we should be able to buy different components such as rotary actuators or bigger storage tanks. I think it would lead to more interesting robots.

What do you think?

I think FIRST could give more options. However, if they open it up too much, it's not going to be fun anymore. Teams like mine are on a very strict budget, and barely have enough money to buy the needed aluminum.

I would be open to entertaining the idea of expanding available materials in almost any way except for actuators and batteries. Keeping all teams using the same number and type of actuators is an absolute must, in my opinion.

There are many motors and pneumatic cylinders that can be purchased that are far more capable than the ones we have in the kit, but then it becomes a question of which teams can afford the top of the line actuators.

That said, I would not be opposed if some rotary pneumatics were added to the kit, or included in the choices for custom cylinders.


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If it's too loud, you're too old.

Up to 2000 hardly anybody used pnuematics. That was because you only got the two or three actuators they gave you, which were almost always perfect for last year's robot.

Not to mention the tremendous "overhead weight" for the compressor or tank for minimal functionality.

I like the current system which I, probably among others, personally suggested to a mfgrs rep when he asked why we didn't use more pnuematics.

Which is not to say I wouldn't like to see more different types of actuators. But if the resrictions on parts don't pinch a bit they aren't doing their job, which is to make you THINK about how do the job.

This is one sweet cylinder......
 

I wish they would add some of these "check this out" to the pneumatics in the kit...

Andy Baker had one of these in our shop and i got to mess around with it a little and they are pretty neat.


:)

Those look really cool! I think they'd make an excellent addition to our kit. Now, the question is, who to beg to, bribe, or cajole to get these in the kit....

give me more pneumatics.



i would like to see a small variety of hydraulics in FIRSTs upcoming seasons and years

But that would be incredibly impratical.
Leaky air line, (Ohh, darn what do we do know its hissing)
Leaky Hydraulic Line ( Oh crap(insert harsher expletive here) get a bucket and a mop quick)
Tearing up the carpet(which teams should have gotten disqualified for but never did) was bad enough could you imagine what would happen if a quart or two of oil spilled all over it.

Saying that i would like to see a wider selection of pneumatics. If powers what you want then pneumatics CAN deliver its just a matter of getting the right stuff.
daydream
What if FIRST gives us CO2 tanks muahahahahahahaha
/daydream

yeah i guess CO2 tanks would be better. Hydraulics will be a bit messy. pneumatics are fun and adding CO2 tanks would be even funner