| Ken Streeter |
22-02-2009 20:50 |
Re: No-show teams and trailers
Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryVoshol
(Post 806406)
You didn't see the anti- Speed Racer definition this year? 1519 should be proud of having a section of this year's manual dedicated to last year's efforts.
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Thanks for remembering Speed Racer! I don't know whether or not the GDC added that definition to try to prevent our dual-configuration robot from last year. However, I don't think the new "robot definition rule" would prohibit the dual-configuration robot design that we brought to the Granite State Regional last year.
The dual-configuration robot was prohibited on the basis of the fact that our dual-configuration robot had two different "basic robot structures," which still isn't explicitly prohibited in this year's rule.
In any case, we're glad to have gone down the path of the dual-configuration robot. Even though the GDC outlawed the dual-configuration robot, during the offseason we separated the dual-config robot into two separate robots, which permitted us to undo the many compromises that we had to take in order to make the "dual-config robot" a reality. In particular, we were able to add additional drive motors to the hurdling configuration, increase the frame strength of our speed racer configuration to better withstand high-speed impacts with walls, increase the number of frame gussets and other reinforcements on both configurations, and make a new electronics board for speed racer which didn't have to lug around the victors and other wiring needed for the more complicated hurdling configuration. After removing the compromises we introduced for the dual-configuration robot, the resulting two different robots each ended up leading tournament-winning alliances at off-season events. We'll fondly remember both Fezzik and Speed Racer.
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