Re: Tips on overall robot design procces
 

To follow up on Ike's simulation examples:

In 2006, we used a Lego League table as a miniature field and wads of paper as balls. By assigning different people different robots with different capabilities, we could simulate the game. One thing we quickly determined was that given equal robot capabilities, the team that won autonomous had a large advantage in winning the match due to the ability to reload during the first period. Our autonomous was good for the regional level, but didn't live up to the elite robots that year. Another thing we learned was that not picking up from the field was not a huge disadvantage. Unfortunately we dismissed that idea because we thought it was inflexible, only to have 25 have one the best seasons ever using that strategy.

In 2007, we played both live simulations where people moved around and put washers on a knex goal, as well as offline games where people played like tic-tac-toe. From the live simulations, we discovered it was important to put tubes on the opponents side early, because it makes them work harder the rest of the match. From the game, we discovered that putting tubes in the right places was more important then putting a lot on. If you could score as few as 6 tubes and get elevated, you could win the vast majority of matches. From those results, we built a robot that was strong and could score tubes where we wanted them and also had ramps. The championship was won by the 190, 177, 987 alliance that executed that strategy very well.

Re: Tips on overall robot design procces
 

And in 2005, we used poker chips as tetras, found a slab of concrete that was just about regulation-sized, and played the game. Then we played tic-tac-toe trying to force a draw. This told us both how fast we needed to score (and that an en masse strategy was not going to be the best) and where we needed to be on top when we were overmatched. The robot was built to carry one tetra to the opposite side and negate a row if needed, and to cap like crazy the rest of the time. Guess what one move negated our opponents' outcapping us in the final match of the Einstein finals? Yep, eliminating one of their rows and turning that goal into part of one of our rows.

Re: Tips on overall robot design procces
 

I love the idea of simulating the game. Our team has never done that, though im sure we'll try this year!

Re: Tips on overall robot design procces
 

I just want to say thanks one more time to everyone who posted on this. All of your tips have helped a lot!