Quote:
Originally Posted by jblay
A big move needs to be made by FIRST here and if it isn't done I suspect much fallout in the frc community with more teams just going over to do vex.
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As a mentor I think that the current control system (the entire control system including the radio) offers the opportunity to teach about troubleshooting. The problem is that while the opportunity to learn troubleshooting appears the tools, access and freedom to do that troubleshooting does not.
When I worked as the spare parts person at MAR Mount Olive I brought my oscilloscope. It surprised me the gulf between the teams that actually used it and the teams that neither knew what it was or even had any idea of what to do with it on a FIRST robot. The difference in levels of understanding was not between the veteran teams and the new teams were you'd think it would be.
I think that FIRST needs to very carefully reconsider their process for troubleshooting. Otherwise I suspect that the only thing a highly integrated control system does is remove students from the equation in favor of placing the responsibility directly on FIRST.
I respect either aspect of the matter. I'd just hate to make FRC operate on the equivalent of the LEGO NXT system (and I'm not knocking LEGO NXT I have been an FLL judge for years).