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Originally Posted by Ginger Power
Can you speak to how crowded the field was, and how defense affected cycle times, shot accuracy etc.? Or did each team pretty much do their own thing?
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None of the four robots are really at a point where the are ready to truly scrimmage... For the most part, the drivers were acclimating themselves to the controls and builders were watching the robots' physical ability to accomplish various tasks. I can speak to your questions a little, though:
* The field will feel crowded. Going over the defenses - even when the robot handles them quickly and easily - is a but of a bumpy ride. Robots often "bounce" a bit as they exit the outer works making collisions in the neutral zone fairly likely.
* All of the defenses will present challenges for some robots - nobody should "assume" that they can deal with one until they have thoroughly tested their bot - different crossing speeds, different angles of attack, etc.
* Accurate shooting is going to require some sort of vision tracking or the use of established shooting locations. No matter how wonderful a shooter is mechanically, it will only be as accurate as the human (or computer) aiming it. Vision is poor enough that it will be difficult to see whether or not a robot is in the "right" spot.
* With a very strong cycling robot, a well-practiced drive team and conveniently-placed boulders, cycle times can get down to seven or eight seconds... Not that everything will be lined up perfectly every time for any robot or that even the best drive time will always (ever?) perform completely flawlessly... Of course, add time if boulders are not picked up instantly; if it takes the shooter more than about a second to line up and fire; or if the bot does not handle defenses well.