Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

Ah, I see. It didn't occur to me to not get the FTC mini kit, although now I can see why some teams might not. I hadn't planned on using the motors, but I figured the mini-kit might have something useful down the road.

I never seriously believed that FIRST would allow projectile minibots, and I fairly doubt anyone else did, but I am terribly disappointed by the lack of springs or other stored energy. My intention had been to pursue a flywheel design, something I think could have been done safely and would have been very fun to watch. And flywheels sound wicked cool.

I can agree with a lot of the displeasure being voiced (now that I'm not so confused!). I was psyched when I saw the mini bots at kickoff. The shine has definitely worn off now. It went from being a really cool challenge within the game to playing FTC. I guess I play in FRC because I like the access to more powerful options and more technology. Limiting me to FTC's bag of tricks makes me wonder why I'm not just playing in FTC (or, better yet, in one of the VEX based games). As it is, it seems like the winning mini-bot design is the one that bears as little resemblance to FTC as possible, which can't be what FIRST was striving for here.

Thank you for the clarification, though. It seemed for a moment that the team update might have had more insidious implications then I thought. I really can't keep all this FTC, Vex, Tetrix, NXT etc. stuff straight. It all looks like erector sets to me!

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

I agree. I was really hoping to see some new and interesting methods of doing this. People with flywheels, surgical tube energy storage, etc.
It reminded me of that scene in Apollo 13, where they needed to fit a square CO2 scrubber into a round hole, they dumped out a bag of parts on the table and said "This is what we have. Build something.".
That'd be the true spirit of FIRST, not this.

I think we'll do the same at 1100 :cool:

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

Indeed, it was the first thing that popped into my head as well. And I believe the entire structure of the minibot aspect of the game is the true spirit of FIRST.

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

Does anyone know if we absolutely have to use the NXT controller because it sounds pretty optional

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

It is optional, so far.

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

The whole lightswitch thing makes it seem unlikely the NXT block will be required...

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

what would be the minimum size of the mini bots?:D

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

Big enough for the specified battery.

Oh? You want to move vertically? Big enough for the battery and one or two FTC motors, and associated wiring and framework.

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

Is it allowed to use a belt drive on the minibot?

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

All parts on the mini bot must either be a tetrix part, the NXT brick, or made from materials on the list for the mini bot. You could take surgical tubing and make a belt, and make some pulleys to use it with, it would then be legal.

Or you could potentially use this
http://shop.pitsco.com/store/detail....23&c=1&t=0&l=0

as it is a tetrix part.
For official word however you should use the Q&A forums on usfirst.org

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

I would say to use chain instead... but seeing as Tetrix is charging $80 for what is essentially a little bit of 25 series chain, I would see what you could do with the gears they give you and hope that somehow we don't have to throw away our budgets on "special" chain.

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

Steve this is exactly the position my FTC team is in. We go to the Clarkson Regional and then we're done (can't afford more). Now we're working to get two other local teams we've been affiliated with over the years mini bots for competition. I think many other FTC teams would be willing to help FRC teams.

For teams in Rochester, NY, all 2,000 of us, yes there aren't many FTC teams, 3750 at R-H is now busy with the two schools we're helping, but the Harley School of Music also has a team you could contact.

The intent of the mini-bot isn't there to punish teams who don't have FTC teams near them, in my opinion it's to reward those who have gone and focused on outreach over the years, for instance an FRC team who went to another school and created an FTC team. And to just use a quick quote we've all heard before "FIRST isn't about robots" teams that took this message to heart should be in a good position.

Although I like to think of that as it's intent it is above all another engineering challenge for us, so quit complaining and get to work! You're not restricted to just FTC parts, you could use aluminum tube, sheet, angle, and channel. All things we in FRC are familiar with. They specify the battery, controllers, and motors you can use, which sounds a lot like FRC to me. Now I just (12:56 EST 1/13/2011) checked the tetrix site that FIRST teams use to purchase parts and they have motors and batteries in stock.

Just to reiterate one more time (and use some capitols)

QUIT COMPLAINING! sit down and think about what you CAN do NOT what you CAN'T! We're engineers so let's solve this problem.

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

After my initial negative reaction to the refined Minibot rules, which was probably more due to the fact that it meant a lot of work in our fairly aggressive prototyping schedule was wasted, I don't really have many problems with the Minibot rules now*. After thinking it over and running calculations, I'm very confident we can build a very competitive Minibot under the new rules.

* The only remaining issue I have is that the Minibot is of such importance to the game, that a minimum of one (or two) Tetrix motors and the Tetrix battery should have been included in the KoP.

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

I posted a question on the Q&A forum today asking this exact question.

We should have the official answer in a couple days.

Re: Mini Bot - displeasure
 

I'm not very pleased from a budgetary point of view to spend limited granted FRC funds on more FTC parts. Our FTC team is rookie this year. This compounds our quandry as now we have to build a complex FTC bot AND build another FTC bot with no experience from the FTC group. We'll muddle through but it has definitely caused a lot of heartburn for me as a coach. Now I can figure out how keep the arm/handling system for FRC simple and suggest it to the team.....arrgh...I'm consumed by FIRST and I am an addict! :eek: