Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Tennis balls would be really hard to pick up.

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Some other things you can say that about:

--Playground balls (2000, 2001, 2004)
--Soccer balls (2002, 2010)
--Yoga/excercise balls (1998, 2001, 2004)
--Orbit balls (2009)
--40" diameter balls (2008)
--foam basketballs (2006)
--inner tubes (1997, 2007)

I'd be more pessimistic about keeping them in the arena than picking them up.

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

After some testing and prototyping, we found that they really aren't that bad to pick up. The hard part will be getting them off the walls with bumpers, especially if we cannot extend out of the frame perimeter.

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Probably impossible without suction, which would have to be pretty powerful. I hope we can leave the frame perimeter this year; I haven't played a game like that yet (this being my third year).

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Oh man. The possibilities are completely endless. Its amazing to walk through the pits and just see the thousands of different ways to solve the same problems. That is one of my favorite things about FIRST. Especially in the nationals!

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Actually thats not true. As you could leave your frame perimeter last year...if only for 2 seconds :cool:

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Has anyone else noticed how less much less interesting looking robots have become with this rule? (in general, some robots still look cool)

EDIT: the rule I am referring to would be the one that limits expansion beyond the frame perimeter

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Oh, yeah. Momentary lapse there. Still though, that was so limited it hardly counts. Especially compared to games like 2007 or 2002.

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Ya, I had probably one of the best 1st years anyone coulda had, 2007. If i had to rank the years i was a student they would be: 2007>2010>2008>2009. My 1st and 3rd favorites were both years where you could extend to your hearts desire. Except 2008 because of the invisible-cylinder rule, but you get the point. 2010 is 2nd because this year was awesome!! it was tied for 1st in every category except the uniqueness of the robots. Like 2007, 2010 had an awesome auto period, tele-op, and awesome finish.

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

2007 had a similar rule, albeit one much harder to break.

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Well 1 reason why i thought 2007 was unique was the different weight classes. The different height to weight ratios to choose from.

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Ah, yes, the box rule (similar to the cylinder rule). Orientation wasn't specified, though--and the rule didn't apply at all in your own home zone.

But I concur on the height/weight classes. Bring those back!

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Yes i do miss those, even though this year we got close to those. In 2007, you built your robot from the weight/height ratio depending on what you wanted to play--unless you were a boss and could build a middle weight/height robot that could do all three--but you had that somewhat this year because of which zone you wanted to play from.

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

i think that tennis balls are going to be hard... do we pick them up? do we drop them? Do we shoot them? Do we hit a target?

Its probelly going to be something unexpected mabe like using them to do some thing on your robot?

Re: 2011 Red Herring #1
 

Maybe for wheels we will have to use tennis balls!