Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung
Thank you for your posts with your pros and cons!
I tend to try to make order out of chaos. When posts are made about a water game, the suggestion is made but there is usually nothing of any substance to follow that suggestion. It has happened enough times that I wanted to try to get a better grasp of it. My initial thinking is that one cannot move from the land robots to water robots just like that. Experience and opinions have been shared in this thread and I think they have been beneficial in helping us understand the similarities and the differences regarding a water game.
One area that has not been talked about and I wonder about is suppliers. Would that change? If yes, how would that impact? What are those pros and cons as we know FIRST now?
Yes, there are other programs as has been discussed in this thread. What I would like to understand is that if a water game can be done, I don't think it is just that simple. When one makes a suggestion, he/she should try to look at the whole picture as much as he/she can see and then research and learn more about it. I think it goes further than a venue change.
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I am so glad you asked that! There would be a whole new range of suppliers. There are many ocean engineering companies, oil industry and deep sea exploration as well as many research based oceanography institutes.
Here is a link on the MATE website that shows just some of the companies involved in the marine technologies.
http://www.marinetech.org/rov_compet...8/sponsors.php
When we contact some of them they are very willing to help us out, they are not saturated. Even though there is MATE and NURC events out there, it is no where near what FIRST is.
Thanks for bringing this thread up! I think the biggest obstacle is people overcoming their comfort zone and paradigm of what FIRST is. We do underwater robotics and we don't have nearly the support and connection as some of the FIRST teams have with their sponsors, yet we still find a way because we are not afraid. The FIRST model works well outside FIRST if you just give it chance. Doing the impossible, with not enough time, resources or money. With this attitude, we can make FIRST work in any environment in any venue and not let naysayers stop us. There is a quote, I don't know who said it, but it is great. "Those who say it can't be done, should get out of the way of those that are doing it!"
Take care Jane!!
Are you thinking about Joining us in June for the NURC competition?
www.h2orobots.org