[dhitchco]

Hmmmm...a thread about the "negatives" of the 2006 championship.

In the corporate world, we call them "opportunities" or "areas for improvement".

I agree with all the comments I have read here and there are ALWAYS new opportunities. It's vital that and issue you bring up also have a proposed solution...don't simply gripe.

Kim O'Toole's good summary surprised me in one respect about the judges and our "pit height" since I'm the one who led the student team in designing and building a pit to show-off all our accomplishments. It was exactly 10' square and 9' tall except for a small sign above that.....So, yes, the rule book needs to be continually improved (but it's thick-enough as it is) to use words like "shall" or "must".

*** Our pit was INTENTIONALLY that tall since a 60" robot sitting on top of a 30" OSHA-safe-height work cart required that much clearance under the top of the pit.....Think about it FIRST........

Overall, FIRST needs to start to look at the world championship in the SAME WAY that las vegas looks at a major trade show! There are som many events now going on each year at the April championship. Better up-front calendar of events onthe web site will be critical including a "build-your-own-agenda" section.

I also agree that more "visual" signage and video displays are better than voice announcements. The in-house food rule needs to be relaxed in the pits and each team's safety officer needs to take-on the responsibility for cleaning-up spills, etc.

I'd like to see some better student-created ideas for a "mosh pit" for dancing etc that doesn't clog-up the aisles and doesn't create traffic jams for the on-floor robot traffic. I can't come up with any good ones for the Georgia Dome.

The traffic flow in the pit (GWCC hall C) is always tricky, and overhead signage should be more "in-your-face" about safety glasses, especially by lego league visitors etc. Or...maybe a "no-work-time-out" set of periods each day for visitors?

Maybe all robot carts should be required to have flashing lights while in motion to warn pedestrians? We need to all think and observe what goes on in a Home Depot store when they're using the forklift trucks and copy those good safety practices.