TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Now that the build season is over, we have quite a big problem on hand.

What will we do with all of these $100 balls?

Fortunately, Team 1746 has a solution for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LqJyDrwKGo

-Chris Folea(pronounced Foh-Lee-Uh)
"Dreams are like rainbows...only idiots chase after them."

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

That seems intensely fun! We don't have 4 balls, but it would be a cool thing to do at the regionals.

(Unless the UL safety guys deem it as unsafe, of course)

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Our team would definitely do this if we had more balls. It looks like lots of fun (despite the pain that might be associated with it).

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Our team would definitely be doing some ball surfing if we had more then one ball.

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

That's pretty much a given.

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Haha...

Yeah...there's no way they'd let us do something like that at the regionals 0_o...way too much liability...

Might as well bring a helmet and shoulder pads in case though! Haha...

-Chris

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Well guys,
Team 2199 has something better than TrackBall Surfing:

ROBOT SURFING!!!!!!

Attached is a few short videos of what we did with what is remaining of last year's robot while we waited for the FEDEX truck to arive to pick up this year's robot.

We pulled not one, but two people behind our old robot. Then we used the old robot to sweep the floor and haul our stuff around the warehouse.

At the end of the day we can say, we tested to see how durable our old robot is because we drained all the batteries, smoothed the tires, slightly rounded the sprocket teeth, and had fun!!!

Believe it or not, the old robot is still in great working order! From this it is clear, All the Kit of Parts can and will survive a major beating!!!!

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

all i got to say is.....why was i not told about this? I woulda had my butt there in about 20 minutes flat. Im upset, im talking to folea tomorrow!:D

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Haha...thats pretty sweet! Now, lets see you stand up on only two feet while doing it 0_o...

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

omg that looks like soooo much fun!!! though slightly dangerous considering how many times I fell on my butt just trying to sit on the ball
still, if we had more than one ball we would be TOTALLY doing that :D :P :D

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

I cant say i havent started doing this since week 4... lol
The best we got going was 4 track balls lined up with 2 people riding the same chain, or making a complete left turn on the field with 3 track balls :D

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Loved the video (with music even!). Felt like there should have been a MythBuster's type disclaimer: "Don't try this at home...we're what you call track-ball professionals." Thanks for the laugh!

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Actually we have had more of a problem with our balls popping and being punctured. I ordered a 6 pack of bladders with the intent of supplying local teams if they needed them- and so far we've ruptured 2 ball bladders this year thru just regular handling and 2 during 'testing'.

One the robot tipped over while holding it- sounded like a large whoopee cushion. The other deflated from a metal filing that it picked up on the floor. The third interacted with a metal table. The fourth was just flat- no idea how.

I'm hoping FIRST chooses a slightly cheaper field element next year, or at least something with a stronger plastic. Heck, everything was made in China anyway so let's get a part that WalMart stocks.

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

OMG! They HAVE to have this as an event at the After Party in Atlanta!

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

I just love the gleeful, free, post-ship feeling, don't you?

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

You should add a disclaimer to the vid.

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Andy Baker did that at our scrimage Sunday. I hope somebody got video of it.

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Pics or it didn't happen. ;)

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

But Andy Baker never touched the balls - he just floated over them.

Of course it did - he's Andy Baker.

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Who's Andy baker? Sounds like an interesting character.
Oh...and we did this on Thursday or Friday(can't remember)...it just took a night or two to put the video together, and then another day to get Youtube to cooperate with me (ridiculously flawed upload system...).

HECK YES!!!

THAT WOULD BE AWESOME! Except they would definitely need to add protective gear :P


-Chris

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

You must be new to FIRST

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ght=andy+baker

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

One of team 45's lead students, David Abney, dubbed it a "4 ball belly slide".

Yes, even an old fart like me can do it.

I promise to do it at each of the 5 regionals I attend, if asked.

Andy B.

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

then it would be the Baker 4 Ball Belly Slide

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Here is your proof.:D
Andy Baker surfing TrackBalls at the East Central Indiana Robotics Practice Invitational - February 17, 2008.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYg_E_pB3Uk

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

I'm asking - I expect to see it at Kettering!

On second thought, I just watched that video. Let's wait until after the final rounds, OK?

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Will you do it at SLR?
Will you do it at BMR?
Will you do it at IRI?

theres 2 / 5 and another 1 --- quick, we need the other 3!!!

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Forget the actual ball sliding.

That intro in the video is pretty funny. It makes me think of several legendary despair.com calendar quotes.

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Haha...Thanks! I appreciate it :D

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

we're having a faculty/student kickball game.

fund raisers!

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Displaced hip for the loss! That looked painful.

Might I suggest the use of a gym mat (or maybe you cart in some official pig wallowing mud from the farm :) ) as a "landing pad" of sorts for future launches? Watch you don't roll yourself into the operator station wall or right over the robocoach wall, either!

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Our team plays hxc wallball and it's pretty fun. 12 people hurling themselves on one ball. It's great.

Re: TrackBall Surfing...The Solution to your Problems
 

Actually a couple of the games we played include peg the track ball at ....., taps, giant ball dodge ball, catch and i believe at one point volley ball. Twas quite fun especially dodge ball. We used one ball and had 3-5 people on each team.
:cool: