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Re: Drive Systems... ...The FIRST Arms Race?
I personally believe that the issue lies in the lack of creativity required to move about the field. This comes from the flat fields that we have seen in recent years. Think of AIM high; an entirely flat and open fields. Yet if you look at previous year's fields, there have been midfield ramps, gates, giant teeter-totters, steps, and other elements that encouraged creative drive systems.
We can look at the common drive systems that we have been seeing lately, it is clear that the field has required nothing more than a high torque box on wheels. If FIRST were to bring back complex fields, we would see more innovation, and teams steering away from massive pushing machines, as they would be forced to use the weight more conservatively to achieve motion.
[side note: My personal idea for a challenging field would be a steel piping grid, suspended about 12 feet above the field. Bonus points would be given to teams that could play the game without touching the ground throughout the match. Even more points would be given out to teams that could intentionally change from driving to hanging based on phases of the game]
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