To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

I've been watching several YouTube videos of the Granite State Regional and am curious to know why minibots are not using NXT bricks for control systems. I thought they were required. You're probably rolling your eyes at my question but if we don't need a brick, we'll use a direct switch to engage the motor. Sure will save weight as well.

To Brick or Not to Brick....that is the question!

Steve Miller
Team 3355

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

I'm pretty sure they are not required.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

They are not required, and teams are not using them because they add a lot of unnecessary weight to the minibot. This means a lot of time added to the climb due to the limited fixed source of power.

I don't have the link on hand right now, but this has been asked and answered on the Q&A. You should be able to find it there somewhere if you dig around the minibot section.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

The NXT Brick adds unnecessary weight to the minibot.

Nearly all of the most successful minibots I've seen either use the Tetrix on/off switch or a series of small limit switches to turn the motors on and off.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

Note that the microswitches included with the KoP are "Limit Switches" - look on the manufacturer website.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

So far, the only mini that I have seen using the NXT Brick is 3536. I am thinking we have convinced them to change that.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

With the opperation of the mminibot limited to turning on, going up a pole, and turning of, there is no reason to use anythig more complicated than an on/off switch.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

The rules stated "No more than 1 NXT brick" indicating 0 as an option.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

We used a NXT for our minibot for Traverse with great success. Although it wasn't the fastest, it worked consistently.

However we are going to rebuild our minibot without the NXT in order to save weight. We found that all the winning minibots didn't have an NXT.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

AND we're keeping the first one, Alex

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

Rule #1 of minibots: When building a new minibot, don't dismantle the first one until the second one works. We learned this lesson yesterday. Fortunately we got the new one working.

Rule #2 of minibots: Don't use the NXT brick.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

Change that Rule #2 into don't use a part you don't need. Every ounce/gram counts. :D

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

Sorry, my writings were hard to understand; I ment to say that we are building a second without the NXT.

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

We have loaned out our 120t built minibot (just kidding on the number but it sure feels like we have built it that many times!) to 1 of our rookies for the weekend. I think we have finally discovered how to "redo" that transmission for the speed. We are going to put a sign on 1 side saying "see ya"! On the bottom side it will say "help me!"... I have a love/hate relationship with those things!

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

Thanks to all the pearls o' wisdom. OUr team needs as many as we can get. For us, it's a tough game this year and our team is getting overwhelmed with multiple AP course loads. Typical Spring for robotics right? Thanks again...hopefully will see some of y'all at either the Oklahoma or Dallas Regionals

Re: To Brick or Not To Brick?
 

Many a Motors has "smoked" this season in the quest for elevation and speed. The makers of the Textrix motors are feeling good about the sales figures I am certain. We have eaten 3 sets, but we did it just by running the snot out of them in testing.

There has also been many threads about the trigger shinanagins from the more than a few light weights not lifting the plates or timing off because the use of the simple switch forgot to put in some type of delay i.e spring or leader pin. Unlike alot of matches we saw, if our bot climbed past the 18" line the light was going off...no matter what pole...Period.

If you are a rookie team that has limited funding, and the possibility of smoking a bunch of motors "before you get it right" is not a viable option. The NXT model isnt a bad move. Few can argue how robust our NXT Mini-bot was. It climbed even after some outragious hits. Now we do agree that the added weight is a speed issue. You will have to go slower when it comes to the gearing required to elevate the mass of the NXT style.

The decision is not as cut and dry as some want it to be.....And you know what? That is what makes this fun.