Quote:
Originally Posted by James Kuszmaul
We (971) have built a practice bot which is a clone of the competition bot since 2010 (I'm not sure about before then; The only event we had won previous to 2009 was SVR in 2004). The bots are built simultaneously, though the focus generally shifts to one as ship day approaches, so we finish up the practice bot after ship. The two robots are theoretically identical, though minor differences crop up over time (eg, we do not have sponsor stickers on the practice bot, as I said, minor differences).
|
To elaborate on James's point:
The first year 971 built a practice robot was 2009, the year we started our more successful streak by winning the Silicon Valley Regional and World Championships (thanks 67+111).
The practice bot that year was more of a kitbot, with hopper and dumper added on. It was far from identical to the comp bot and had jamming issues beyond what the comp bot had I believe.
2010 was the first year we built relatively identical practice robots. The same sheetmetal pieces were used for both robots, only modified later. The comp bot was completed before the practice robot was started.
In 2011 we started putting together the practice robot frame around the same time as our comp bot. We did not get that far, and sameness was definitely an issue. We had to take the entire minibot launching assembly of the practice bot and put it on the comp bot at SVR. We ended up putting on a similar but slightly different launcher on the practice robot when we ran 2 bots at the Madtown Throwdown.
In 2012, we actually started wiring both robots at the same time. We did much of the assembly right after the other, and as time ran out, focused on one. The practice bot was pretty much up and running within a week after bag n' tag.
Differences in the robots most often accumulate once the comp bot is safely in the bag. Often we figure out through extensive running that some parts need shoring up, or we come up with new ideas that we change on the practice bot, test, then apply to the comp bot once we have an idea of what works and what doesn't This year, we changed the shooter hood piston throw, enabling us to get a better key shot. With the practice bot running for many hours, we can start to see workability and sturdiness issues before they would occur in an actual competition, letting us know of what needs to be changed before we even unbag the robot.
Sorry for the longish post. I hope teams wishing to find information find what they seek.
-Kevin