WOW factor
 

Just wondering where people are putting a little more emphisas on a certan part of their robot? a WOW factor

Re: WOW factor
 

I'll say something vague and cryptic for this one.

Often, subtle aspects of the game that are emphasized in design that turn out to be "the most important" are less obvious than they seem. For example, in 2008, basically every good team could hurdle in a few seconds. In my mind, what set the best teams apart from just the "good" teams was ball acquisition. This is evident in the teams that did well (1114's roller claw, 217's arm that could grab a bouncing ball, etc). So what do you think a lot of teams will be able to do this year? What aspect of that do you want to do differently or better to set yourself apart?

I hope a few aspects of 2791's robot will wow people, but there are surprisingly few original ideas in this world.

Re: WOW factor
 

i think our chassis is as much a wow factor as our kicker and lifter... hopefully everything will be amazing and this'll be an awesome year.

Re: WOW factor
 

Our drivetrain is the definite source of awesome sauce. I would elaborate but it's a secret ;)

Re: WOW factor
 

I agree here.

The winningest teams will do the ordinary things extraordinarily well.

Re: WOW factor
 

Us too. Though i will divulge nothing more until waterloo.

Re: WOW factor
 

Ozzie Smith. He made the difficult plays look routine.

Re: WOW factor
 

I'd say our kicker design is fairly interesting. A little unstable, but has the power to get it down the field

Re: WOW factor
 

We have a good round robot. We are using pixel sizes to calculate strengh for our kickier to hit it right to the goal. We also are mounting a figurehead on the front C-channel piece. :)

Re: WOW factor
 

Andrew its no secret its all here on our youtube channel :)

-Sean

Re: WOW factor
 

hey on another note how many of the WOW factor lifters are lifting two robots???

Re: WOW factor
 

If you are designing one part of the robot to be a WOW factor, then you didn't spend enough time on the rest... something is only as good as its weakest point.

Re: WOW factor
 

The FRC field is usually dominated by the robots that can perform the basic tasks efficiently. This normally means acquiring and releasing the game piece quickly, despite defense pressure. This year it will also require the mobility to neutralize the bump and expand your field presence.

A quiet but valuable WOW factor this year would be quickness - the ability to edge out another robot when both want the same ball, contact the ball at full speed without knocking it away, turn to the goal without losing the ball or having it move out of your kick zone, line up on the goal quickly, and kick it for a score - all in one continuous, fluid motion before the other robot has the chance to block you.

A robot righting itself will be a WOW factor. Needing to use it frequently isn't something to be proud of.

Hanging is always a big WOW factor for the audience, but if you develop that ability at the expense of good ball handling or increased tipping risk, I think you are hurting your overall effectiveness.

I also think that a long kick is a wow factor, but perhaps not a particularly useful one - especially if it means a slow recharge time or a high, heavy mechanism.

Re: WOW factor
 

Agreed. Agility. Quick, clever agility.

A certain boxer comes to mind - "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee..."

Re: WOW factor
 

I think the simplicity of our arm will get some wows, and hopefully the speed at which we hang as well! It uses several constant-force springs to deploy a three-stage telescoping arm and once the bot is latched onto the bar it will flip the chassis vertical to hang. At least it will once the arm is mounted... *fingers crossed*