Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

"You must spread some reputation around before giving it to EricH again."

I definitely agree with this post.

I also want to add a rookie to this list, team 2836, although they had it tough as far as record goes at Connecticut, they had some coolness factor in their robot. The thing I really want to emphasize is that they had the best team image I have ever seen for a rookie. They had multiple mascots, they had TV screens showing CAD work and build season progress, I would even argue that they had the best pit display of all the teams in Connecticut. They even had their robot on a turntable in the pit so you could see all the sides of it. It's hard to describe over the internet, but it was impressive. The first thing I said when I saw it was "wow, their a rookie."

Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

1114 Simbotics .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .....
............................... I LOST THE GAME!!!!!!!!!!:yikes:

Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

I'll let you know on Saturday the 18th.

Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

I'll let you know sometime in July. After IRI, of course.

Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

It ends Aug. 1 this year though. ;)

Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

Its all about strategy strategy strategy!! Part of this is trying to minimize ranking score….read on.
Well unlike last year where a great offensive robot could win almost any match for an alliance, this year strategy plays a big role in your success. This year instead of just scoring ,we have diversified and spent equal time blocking and extracting alliance partners from robot dog piles.
After a match or 2 we were also very careful to avoid high scores in qualifications due to our trend in past years of having getting knocked down in the seeding due to the ranking score.

We have a relatively high capacity catapult assisted dumper with instant dumping and excellent accuracy. This minimizes the time that we have to loiter on target and as such we are less of a target. Notice our near empty trailer in most matches. . We are done shooting in 250 ms whether it is 6 balls or 10 balls. Mort time to get more balls, less time to be a target.
Our 8 wheel drive (2 per corner) decision was made after 10 days of exhaustive traction testing proved that friction/traction was a function of contact area for a given normal force. All 4 corners of the drive train are independently powered with electronic controlled (anti-spin) traction and (antiskid) braking. The front wheels are independently steered and operate in full swerve attitudes to facilitate sharp turning, pirouette etc without the traction robbing effects of wheel spin that a skid steered robot has. In turns or when trying to veer/push out of a dog pile or pin, skid steered bots are operating in the more slippery kinetic friction mode. We can operate with the stickier static friction virtually all of the time. We can push anyone …even laterally The drive was entirely within our 40 lb hold back so we developed and refined and practiced with it right up to the day before the AZ regional. Oh, 11 fps top speed if we need it.
A super experienced driver with championship RC car and 3D flying experience.
An ball handler operator than knows the guts of the software program.
Oh and did I mention strategizing! know your allies, study your opponents, and lead your alliance,
ps.. insanely high scores = less supercells allowed in the next match. That bit us once or twice and in the end we really focused on shaving the points to a bare minimum to raise our seed position. . See the thin point spreads in the last few matches where we were ever increasingly desperate to lower our Ranking Score . Almost too close!!!! In retrospect, we should have just scored more and then scored on our own alliance to avoid the low score critique. Hard however to shoot just a couple with our dumper if it is loaded with 8.


Hope to see everyone in Atlanta!

Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

Thanks very much:) , Team Beta had a great time and is hoping to compete with you all next year.

Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

Seconding 2836. They had some of the best defensive play in all of Newton. When we were paired with them, they stayed on their bot the whole match and were generally extremely smart drivers. They have a very solid, well put together team and image too.

Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

I have to admit I underestimated 469. They were awesome on Newton! They were they best all around bot I've seen in person. They can play great defense because they have fans(they can also score while doing so) If they have D played on them they can still score. And they can score!:yikes: 469 should definitely be up there as one of the best all around bots

Re: Top Bots for 2009?
 

Once I saw team 111 (wildstang), from galileo, i knew they would make it pretty far, and they ended up winning. My friend texted me asking what good robots were on our field. I mentioned team 111 and told her to look them up on thebluealliance. She responded back with "omg, thats amazing!"

Props to the winners!