FRC Team Strengths
 

I was just wondering what the various areas each team excels in.
For my team (45) I know we excel in strong and powerful drive trains as well as innovative new concepts and designs.
(45 made the ball drive, metal treads, etc)
So what is your teams greatest attribute?

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Do you want specifics with the robot and on-filed performance, or a strength in a teams over-all program? (I'm guessing the first option)

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Either will do but I was looking for the strengths a team has with robots and designs.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I've always found various team's robot construction techniques create a certain identity for themselves- certainly they excel at their own way of building.

67- At least for the past couple years have been using mostly welded circular thin wall tubing for the top structures of their robot which gives them a certain look. It takes a very experienced welder to weld thinwall aluminum so its not that common, very hot.

469- Similarly uses almost only thin wall tubing for upper robot structures. Very interestingly, however, they weld very little (if any) of it, instead using sheet metal joints and rivets.

217, 148- both have robots made of mostly sheet metal never more than 1/8 thick. This results from IFI in Texas which has awesome sheet facilities with quick turn around time but which don't carry sheet in more than 1/8 thickness. Their lightening pattern results in their very unique look despite other teams who use sheet.

118- Also uses lots of cheesed sheet and CNCed parts. This results from their NASA partnership which allows them such cool tools. However, most of the stock material is rather thick, hence all the holes and their signature look.

254- Uses mostly welded box tubing which results from their sponsors. The box stick look very clean and very much cheesy poof.

All of these teams are very successful although their construction techiques are very different. What is the common factor? They use what they have readily available and make the best of it boiling their own construction technique down to a science. An exceptional idea? No. Exceptional results? Yes.

Edit: Thanks NickE, corrected.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

We actually use lots of tubing with thinner wall thicknesses; our recent robots have probably had more 1/16" wall than 1/8" wall tube.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

We excel at making our robots nice and colorful.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

we use more zip ties than anyone else. in 2010 we used 1400+, the weekend of ship.

this year, we used 2400+, although i think more than half of them were cut off and re-done.

we also used 700 machine screws in 2010 and 500-600 rivets this year.

if i were to give our robots an "attribute" it would be that we go way overboard on fasteners.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

my team excel at building the simpliest mechanisems that work, we try to simplfy things as much as possible.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I'm always up to brag about my team :)

We aim to excel at simplicity. It drives everything we do, from design to award submissions to team organization. Our team motto is “In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Along those lines, we aim for minimalism. In 2010 we weighed in at 105 pounds minimum, and in 2011 we were as low as 95 pounds. This is BEFORE deliberate lightening.

I think I'm the only person on the team who still remembers what it's like to be paranoid about weight. That's probably not a good thing. Maybe I'll just tell everyone on the team that the weight limit is 100 pounds next year. :P

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

A few other Indiana teams:

71 - Amazing at always good at finding the "thing" that wins the game.

234 - Beautiful CAD and construction that's also functional and reliable.

1501- Monocoque construction that's always unique and practical.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Me too :rolleyes: (even though my team doesn't have a whole lot to brag about competitively).

My team made cylindrical wheel modules for our swerve drive in 2009. It was probably the coolest subsystem we've ever built.

http://alarmrobotics.wikispaces.com/Swerve+Design+09

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Although it's never something we've set out to do, my teams many years has an interesting way of Identifying our robot. We've done crazy light arrays, cool banners or flags, and of course our 2010 Iconic wave that we had on top of the robot.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Those are absolutely gorgeous, how did you make them?

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I know 1501's machine is typically full of rivets:)

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

461 is really good at being finalists

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

So is team 40.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

177 has pretty much figured out how to get a bye to get to Einstein each year...

My team has always found a way to find a weird way to approach the game...

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I think we are pretty good at procrastinating

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

As to what Team 93 is really good at? Um. I really don't know. Perhaps the best answer is that we're an all-around team that is pretty consistent in competing at the regional level from year to year (at least the past 5-6 years as far as I'm aware). Unfortunately, consistent isn't going to be enough in the future as competition ramps up. :(

Eh, oh well. Looks like we're going to have a new challenge we have to meet! :rolleyes:

EDIT: Actually, on second thought, the one thing we do have that I would call exceptional would be our business sub-team. :)

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

On1023we build our robots out of 80/20 (with the exception of 2009). We do this because it is what is available to us (through our sponsor). It’s defiantly not the easiest thing to work with but we always figure out a way to make it work.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

548 is always best in the tube years. 2007 was our most successfully year since 2002. Also 2011 was our most successful year ever. We are also very good at making lots of drive trains, in 2010 we made 11 total i believe.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

1714: Polycarbonate use.
118: Swerve Drive (coaxial crab type)

1625: Winnovating. (They come up with something innovative every single year, don't ask me how.)

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I'm going to second that; we're pretty good at it too.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I'll third that actually, although we (the mechanical sub-team that is) seem to have at least gotten it partially together last season.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Well to toot our horn a bit I would say our team is known for two things.

The first is innovative use of pneumatics. We always use pneumatics (except for lunacy) and if you saw our arm lift this year you would understand what I mean by innovative. Also I have never seen another robot like our Overdrive robot which used 9 cylinders performing 7 different functions and had a totally unique lifting system.

The second is our love of helping others at regionals. Our pit boss isn't happy unless he is fixing robots and since ours are so robust you will generally see our pit crew all over the place helping others.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

We always seem to figure out exactly what to do, and implement it at the last possible second.

422 is relatively low in resources, but the team knows how to maximize its talent to put a high quality robot on the field that plays to a specific strategy (with additions in case the strategy doesn't pan out.) From the best lift and dumper in 09 (not bitter we lost. Maybe a little) to the best defensive mecanum bot (I don't know how either. Our driver took no prisoners) to the swinging ramp deployment for the fastest minibot that worked every time it had a chance (a miracle in itself).
We're also good with a few miracles. Some stuff just fits... I don't know how, but it fits when it all comes together. From the drive team to the electronics board, we seem to make it work every year, and that's what makes us strong.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Seems like a lot of teams are strong at bragging about themselves!

330, one of my favorites. Shows that a team with minimal fabrication resources can make some brutally effective (and durable) robots.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

If its one thing my team is good at, it'd have to be keeping the legacy alive. Majority of our mentors have been with the program since the beginning, and though designs, students, and the times change; they manage to make a great (if not better) robot each year.

Each new iteration of Buzz does not disappoint its predecessor.

We also manage to create our bot in a woodshop. :p

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I would have to say 1647 is really efficent at the pnuematics side of our robot as well as being a complete underdog at some times. Right now, the team is really just trying to find the niche that we belong in. Hopefully, next year that will consist of owning one of those nice blue banners.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I was just about to write "1625 is pretty good at doing something kinda crazy but awesome"

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

2815 seems to be good at getting the job done with whatever we can do in a given year.

Our first two years, we had engineering mentors with a knack for sheetmetal...which also meant we had time to get it all painted or anodized for a nice visual punch. Both were competitive designs; the first year, we made Bayou's semifinals and the Palmetto finals. The second, we reached the Palmetto semifinals (and our twin would win the regional).

This year, our engineering skill set was greatly reduced due to graduations. With nowhere near the sheetmetal practice, we built with what we knew: the hardware section at Lowe's, augmented with a few extra things from McMaster-Carr. We didn't get the time to get the robot spiffed up at home, so we brought rolls of tape to Peachtree to wrap our tower and arm in garnet and black. (Contrary to popular belief at Peachtree, the tower was riveted underneath the tape.) Other issues limited the amount of practice we could get on the arm, but smart defense and feeding strategies (including using the claw) was enough to bring home our first two regional banners.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I'm surprised no ones mentioned 1114 for building good, robust, awesome robots that are highly competitive every year.

469 for something pneumatic and that transforms each year (well the past 2 at least). Everyone knows about 2010's ball redirector and this year their elevator flips up at the beginning of the match.

254 for sweet custom gearboxes

330 for keep it simple stupid designs that work amazingly for each year as well as excellent drivers

217 for winning divisions at nationals (first team to win all 5)

Oh and 910 for bad luck almost all the time

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Well, we at team 256 excel in great ideas, arguments over what ideas to use, and loosing the one bolt we need and not finding it for 3 days. I think that the 3 are somehow related...

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

The number of teams whose strengths include "being good" is really too many to be worth listing.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Team 359's strength is bringing the best chocolates to tournaments and shell leis.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I think you guys are selling yourselves quite a bit short ;)

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Since I happened to hop on, you forgot that we're also good at having some people who are obsessed with maintaining our web site :P

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I was more aiming at robustness and beautifully designed robots rather than just being good.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

If we're doing one for Simbotics, then I submit the following.

1114: Driver training. Scouting. Data analysis. Preparedness.

Their success only starts with their robot.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Our team consistently fast at tearing our robot apart and building a new one in it's place. We did this during both lunacy and breakaway.

Our team also builds robots with very large tolerances. Many times after we have built something, we discover a misaligned axle or something of the like and yet it doesn't affect the robots performance in the slightest. Our claw at champs was a good example of this.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

We used to be really good at building overcomplicated robots that we never finish that liked to tip a lot and fall off the tower when attempting to hang...

Okay that was mostly really only one year. However in years past we built overcomplicated robots and made them work.

We learned this year that it doesn't work for us. So we built a simple simple simple robot. And that's what we're going to do from now on.

I'd say we're good at having too many students for the amount of jobs in the shop now. :P

-Nick

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

971 and 254 builds really fast bots. They rarely are geared to be the fastest, but in real world practice, they get where they want to go faster than anyone else, every year.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

174 is really good at being the last pick by the first seeded team.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

above reported

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Just doing that is almost as effective as building a winning robot. :yikes:

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

We go for simple machines that accomplish the primary game tasks and are easy to operate. Hopefully, simplicity means efficient design - not just crude or lacking. We have always done tank drives with one speed transmissions. We haven't used the camera much. We always try to make it easy to get at stuff for service and repairs. Make the thing that picks up the game piece so user-friendly that even I can operate it in a mentor match!

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Resistance to change and radical ideas. Perhaps, it is the fear of failure that hold them back, but my personality and the personalities of many team members seems to collide a lot. A lot of my radical ideas come under fire by many, but few find flaws. Yet they are still resistant to change. Perhaps, I am the extreme radical and the general population will always have that resistance to my ideas.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

I'm not understanding how this post applies to the thread topic.

Jason

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Yes, please don't use this thread to air dirty laundry.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Thinking out of the box, as I usually do. Strengths don't have to be obvious; they have resilience and proceed with caution to radical ideas and those are strengths I believe. But like all traits, they all have a weakness. That weakness I believe is disregarding radical ideas without through understanding can be a bad thing too.

Re: FRC Team Strengths
 

Team paragon is good at finishing things just before the robot goes it the crate.:)