[sanddrag]

A lot of you are saying this game is quite the engineering challenge. But in 05, we lifted 8 pounds (or even 12 lbs I think it was for the "vision" tetras) and a good distance out, and a good height too. And almost every robot did it, and did it fairly well. These rings weigh hardly anything. (less than 1 lb). I'm not sure where we've gone wrong here. Was the end game bonus so exciting that everyone forgot about the importance of a good arm and gripper, and then failed at ramps too, and was left with nothing? I don't know. tTo me, ball gathering and shooting and climbing 30 degree ramps (aim high) seems more complicated than this game, and a lot more teams had very successful and impressive robots last year. I just don't get it.

Personally, I would like to see a whitepaper just on quality. What it is. Why it is important. Examples. How to achieve it.

However, I fear it would do no good. There are already so many whitepapers out there that no one ever reads. A lot of teams don't even read the rules. They show up without team numbers, bill of materials, rockwell distribution blocks, or illegal parts. They don't even know that Chief Delphi exists.

What I'm seeing is an increase of the number of teams in which FIRST is something they do, not who they are. They make it a two day per week 6 weeks out of the year program. It is meant to be more than that. It is about getting the industry professionals in there, meeting often and long, putting a lot fo thought into it, and delivering a product that meets the engineering challenge.

Yes, many teams have tried to build a robot beyond their means. And I applaud them for trying. But, the amount of "do nothing" or "drive and bash" robots has REALLY got to come down. We aren't moving forward here. Design within your means to build. Then you should be able to build it effectively, and put on a good show on the field.