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Re: Drive Systems... ...The FIRST Arms Race?
The Tim Allen mentality is what I think Joe is referring to. " More Power". During the off season it seams that most teams that were doing off season projects focused on drive trains. How many teams worked on manipulator development, sensor integration, or autonomous navigation? First could control the drive train arms race with a very simple rule. Limit the energy, Make it precious and expensive. ( like what is happening in the real world). Each team is allowed 2 batteries at the competition. On practice day each team submits 2 batteries at inspection and their serial number is recorded and a permanent label is affixed. Those are the only 2 batteries allowed for the entire competition. Teams can do what ever they what with the motors and mechanisms, but the energy budget is limited. If a team gets to the finals and is forced to compete with dead batteries then they pay the price for poor energy management. This generation of kids will have to face the looming energy challenges in their life time. First can help focus them on this social issue. The other way to take the focus away from the arms race is to make the autonomous period longer and more important.
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