Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

I'm willing to bet there's going to be a lot of tipping...more so than in previous years. If you have a 6 ft bot going to try to hang a Ringer from the top level of spider legs, and a little 4 ft bot trying to play defense...gravity will eventually take its course. Granted with no wedges and the bumper zone in effect it won't be ideal conditions for tipping (not that tipping is ever ideal) but still...expect tipping to occur.

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

Richard, I very much agree. Our remote rickoff only had a wood mockup of the rack but I have studied the drawings and think I am correct is saying the 4 green lights remain (more or less) stationary while the spiders are able to swing around quite a bit relative to the light position. Now the wood mockup we had at the remote kickoff seemed generally pretty unstable but I assume the real deal (metal rack) will be a more rigid frame. I understand the camera can now (supposedly) track multiple targets (green lights) but I don't think that means it can track the diamond plate circles can it? What I can't figure out is if the camera system can only help you find the relatively stationary green light(s) how is it supposed to be able to track the moving spiders at all and get your ring delivery mechanism within +/- 1.5" of being on target. I derive the +/- 1.5" simply by subtracting the 10" diameter diamond plate circle from the 13" center hole of the pool ring and dividing by 2. Since the rule apparently do not allow you to hold the spider steady to allow easier placement of the rings I believe scoring the rings might be more difficult than first glance.

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

To me that seems like saying that American football is the same game as rugby or Aussie rules, because in all three games the ball is oblong, you throw, catch, kick, and run with it while slamming and getting slammed, and you get points for putting it over the the other team's end line.

The differences and the beauties lie in the details.

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

I'm not really sure if I like it. It will definately be an intense game. The only part I really don't like is how you can only control one tube at a time but I suppose that prevents domination. I knew I shoulad have got more of those pool noodles. They are hard to find for the bumpers.

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

You keep talking about being able to see across the Rack for driving...imagine the poor by play announcer who has to commentate on the action across the field...of course I kid, but still, I'm sure visibility will come into effect sooner or later.

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

I didn't like the game at first, but it's growing on me a lot. I am really starting to like it! This game will have a lot of strategy to it!
GOOD LUCK!
See you at FLR, or NATS!

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

To me it seems like the difference in basketball and street ball, because they are only changing rules and the layout not the game intentionally or anything like that in my opinion.

Pavan.

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

i dont think so detaching a mechanism of your robot is against the rules

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

all I had to say was oh crap over and over again...

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

I am still forming my opinion about whether or not I like the game but no matter what I know it is going to be fun to play and to watch.

Does anyone else get the feeling that the original plans for the game had each set of 3 vertical round diamond plate "feet" as a different color light as in a stop light? The top red, the middle yellow, and the bottom the good old green? This would have allowed teams to directly track the moving circle with the camera and more easily detect which spider leg they wanted to score during autonomous thus allowing the three alliance partners to coordinate their ring placement by switching autonomous modes just before the match. As it is now since they field crew will randomly rotate the rack prior to the start of the match it is very possible for alliance partners to lock on to the same green target and crash into each other while heading for the same spider leg. If each circle had been red, yellow, green like a stop light the alliance partners could say "Ok, you team A go for the low green one on the left, team B go for the high red one in the middle, and team C go for the middle yellow one on the right" or something like that. I was really expecting some sort of red, yellow, green or other multi-color light system this year after the multi-color stunt during the finals at the Championship last year. I don't know why but I get the feeling this may have been the original intent of the GDC but for some logistical reason they had to change the game and just go with round diamond plates. In any case, I sure wish they HAD gone with red, yellow, and green stop lights. It sure would have looked cool and added a whole new dimension to the game.

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

umm... R109 in th robot section states that you can have a wireless camera on your robot as long as it is cleared by FIRST engineers at the competition... so you can see beyond the rack.

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

Pavan,

I do not see how you are so quick to degrade FIRST if this past season was your rookie year. I wasn't around in '97, however, I've seen the games since 2000 and FIRST has yet to fully replicate the game 2 years in a row. YES, toroid terror had inner tubes and a center structure, but open your young eyes for a second and realize in '97 there was no camera, or fancy-schmancy sensors; not to mention the scoring system was COMPLETELY different. Yes, some teams may replicate other teams appendages, however I HIGHLY doubt FIRST made this game to be a copy-cat to toroid terror. I guess we'll see in 8 weeks at the regionals.

~Greg

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

This rule has been around for several years. While teams can't broadcast video direct to their operator stations, if approved, teams have had wireless camera feeds shown on the big viewscreen during matches (48 did this a few times in 2004) or have recorded the feed in their pits for future use.







<R110>

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

My first (<--pun, ha.) reaction when they unveiled the Rack, was something like "Noo! ahahaha!" This was because the crappy connection/laptop we had the stream running through decided to buffer at the exact moment the curtain began to fall. :ahh: But my first reaction after watching the whole thing was something like "Woah... wow.......woah....."

The game this year actually reminded me most of Triple Play (my rookie year), with the whole "putting an oddly shaped thing up on that thing," and the "get behind the line" at the end. I actually came up with a design for a very simple arm, using the arm from that year's robot with some pvc ducktaped to it. Stupid human loading thingy....ruined the whole thing. :(

This year will be very interesting to watch unfold. There will be some crazy designs (some of my friends decided they are going to try to use all 3 cameras that we've gotten so far, all on the same robot :eek: )

Re: RACK & ROLL Reaction
 

the limit was five feet last year