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Unread 12-06-2004, 14:09
Unsung FIRST Hero
Karthik Karthik is offline
VEX Robotics GDC Chairman
no team
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Rookie Year: 1998
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Re: pic: SimSwerve Omnidirectional Drive System

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tytus Gerrish
i forget, who was it who said Simple is good? not to mention... inexpensive.

OH!, i remember... EVERYBODY!
Simple is good. There's no denying that. When this season started, we knew had the resources and the talent to build a more complex drive system. If everyone took the simple approach, we never would have seen shift on the fly transmissions or strafing robots in FIRST. These leaps in technology took place because teams were willing to take the risk to innovate.

One the more inspiring parts of FIRST for me, is seeing all sorts of cool innovations. It's partly why I come back every year. So when we had the chance to design and implement something new, I was completely behind the idea. I figured that we had enough experienced people, that if SimSwerve was a failure, we could quickly put together a simple alternative.

This is coming from someone who abhors complexity more than the average bear. I think it's very important for teams to work within their means, and keep things simple. On the other hand, if you've got access to good machine shop, have some great engineers and some sharp students, maybe it's time to try something new.
__________________
:: Karthik Kanagasabapathy ::
"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" -- R.W. Emerson
My TEDx Talk - The Subtle Secrets of Success
Full disclosure: I work for IFI and VEX Robotics, and am the Chairman of the VEX Robotics and VEX IQ Game Design Committees
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