[Andy Grady]

Oh I love this question so I'm actually gonna put in on this one...

I think the perfect example of a robot that changed the game forever dates all the way back to 1997. Back in 1997 our good friends at Navel Undersea Warfare center and Middletown High had probably the most debated and contraversial device on their robot...a tipping mechanism. It was very sobering to see your robot hauling a large load of tubes for big points at the top of the goal, suddenly toppled over by the Rhode Warriors and their tipping mechanism. I think anyone from TJ2 will tell you what kinda havoc that mechanism caused (their machine litterally busted in half). After that year there was a huuuuge debate on tipping vs. no tipping which ultimately led to the elimination of tipping devices and tougher restrictions on physical play.

As for Beatty and Hammond...well I know FIRST says that there is no "solution" to the game every year, but Beatty has come pretty darn close sometimes, especially in the last two years. There is no doubt that the walking mechanism may force a change in the game this year, in the same way that the robot they had the year before which I felt was pretty much as close as you could get to a solution to any game, kinda proved the point on why there needed to be competition between robots in a match. Oh, and for the record, Beatty still holds in my mind what was the most dominating robot ever created, back in 1997...I still get nervous just thinking about that robot popping a cap full of tubes on the goal in about 6 seconds...for everyone who wasn't around back then, that basically meant that the match was over in 6 seconds!

Have a good one!
-Andy Grady