Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

The pins or nubs at either end of the game piece poles could be for connecting other pieces to it, or connecting it to another piece.

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

This part fits into lower and upper tubes, which are part of the field. The bumps fit into holes in the tubes. It's a fairly common way to attach tubes that need to be taken apart relatively quickly.

My question is, how long do the legs on our robot need to be?

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

I am in total agreement that it is not oriented correctly. It is most likely upside-down, and because of the connectors on it, it seems highly unlikely that it is a robot piece. Instead, it is more probable that this is a field piece, and many of them can be connected with poles that work with the connectors so that they form a sort of track that a ball could roll down. The curved bit on the part between the two poles suggest that there is an allowance for something round to pass above it, so it works quite well logically.

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

Excellent idea. If the bracket were actually on the bottom, and attached to a 2x4 or other support, and the posts on the ends were used to attached to other poles, you could make an elevated raceway or track for balls to roll on. The goal could be place balls on the raceway, push them around the track, remove balls of a certain color, or something like that.

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

Remember what Dave's morse code said? more or less

That could be refering to this hint. Meaning... it might not be anything we need.

Not a clue what this means now... it could be what everyone thinks it is, or we might not be looking at the picture correctly

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

I thought the same thing when I saw the curved 'underside' of the piece. That could very well be it- a whole bunch of these connected could make a pretty nice ball track.

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

The legs should be about the same length as the arms. At, least that's what we'll have built by kickoff!:D

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

The bit about "Nothing Is As/What It Appears to Be What Is" might just be suggesting that it is upside down. We can only hope that it is something we will end up using in the game, and if it is, then there are reasons for it to be designed exactly as it is. The most practical solution is likely the correct one.

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

AKA Spring Pins.

It looks to be a union that mates two pair of parallel rails.
If the ID of those rails were one inch, then the C to C width of the rails woud be ~8-1/2"

If a few sets of what we see there and the rails were vertical, they would form a set of shelves (or hangers) of sorts. Kind of like a dual pole bathtub caddy?????

EDIT - On second thought & knowing field construction and shipping limits, those missing rails would be about six feet long.
Given the radius across from the (mounting) ear in the polycarb, I'm inclined (pun intended) to think it's the mount/standoff for a set of ball returns (think bowling alley).

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

Love the ball track idea. I feel that the small semi circle is an important part of the clue. Seeing as we are engineers lets analyze this component. There is no structural value also this curve does not remove enough material to be considered for cost purposes; actually forming the curve depending on the technique could actually cost more money. Concluding that this was necessary for another reason quite possibly this proves a ball game.

Extended Thought: 2010 is a World cup year for soccer (foot ball) much like last year was NASA Themed. This component could be given to teams to be used to control a soccer ball. Instead of a ball rack used upside down near to the ground it could control a ball.

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

I wake up at noon on Christmas Eve, and find tweets announcing a game hint. Looks like I won't be seeing much of my family today...

I think that this is more of an assembly of pieces, and I also agree that this is most likely a field element. Those pins on the end of the tubes look as if they would snap something into place - say, a tube of a larger diameter such as the one in the picture. The piece of lexan/whatever it may be looks like it's a separate part from the tubes.

This kind of reminds me of how the side rails from FRC fields go together, if I remember correctly (forgive me, I've only taken down a field once, and we had more important things to concentrate on while that field was being taken down).

Soooo...if you were to turn this piece so that the tubes were horizontal, and the piece of lexan faced in...and you were to add another one of those larger tubes to the end of one of them with the lexan facing in, but flipped 180 degrees...it could form some sort of a goal?

What's really throwing me off is the little bump at the top of the lexan. It reminds me of a puzzle piece. However, the bottom of it isn't shaped similarly.

Oh, and my brother said that his first impression was 'skis'. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

This could work too. The only potential problem with that idea is that the space where the piece is attached to the poles would not be practical to hang things on, and the couplings on both sides suggest that these wouldn't be end pieces so it doesn't seem efficient to have intervals of not really usable hanging space.

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

Im just curious if anyone else thinks this but for some reason I think this piece seems to be either scaled down or zoomed up on

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

To ANY Robowrangler students reading this thread:
If any of you ask me about the game hint, at any time, you will be assigned 4 hours of shop cleaning duty during week 1. No exceptions.

Re: [BB] 2010 Game Hint #1
 

Love the idea of some kind of track, and it looks to me like it is some sort of field piece.

The holes in the yellow plastic part suggest that it could be a part of a larger mechanism. Since there is a curve in the yellow plastic, maybe it helps the balls travel down the track (if that is what it really is).

The part looks like it could attach to other parts just like it - the back poles are the right diameter to have the front smaller poles fit inside of them. Once again, this makes me think of a track.

If it is a docking station where two robots can attach to each other, then it is only one small piece because that would DEFINITELY break under the intense environment it would be subject to.