View Single Post
  #100   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 26-02-2008, 14:49
Ian Curtis Ian Curtis is offline
Best Available Data
FRC #1778 (Chill Out!)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Rookie Year: 2004
Location: Puget Sound
Posts: 2,521
Ian Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond reputeIan Curtis has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Predictions: A cynical view of reality

Quote:
Originally Posted by JesseK View Post
You speak of ONE bot of the 3 in the winning alliance. You speak of ONE scenario, an ideal scenario, where everything moves perfectly, no one has figured out nuance-style or guerilla-warfare defenses, and no one has figured out high-scoring combos that utilize several aspects of the game. Well lemme tell ya, I have and our drivers will be prepared. We have an elevator. We have forklifts and a curved "pouncing' bar that captures and kicks the ball. You didn't design it, but we did. Many other teams have similar but different designs. Just because you don't see the light doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Way to be closed-minded. The good news is, I don't have to tell you you're wrong; the competitions in the coming weeks will.
A good launching robot (especially one that launches on-the-fly) is faster at scoring than a good elevator. At the very least the elevator has to stop at the overpass and retract their elevator to go under*. A launcher doesn't have to waste that time. So, I don't see how an elevator can possibly beat a launcher when it comes to the speed of actually scoring. You can have a better mechanism for pickup, but still, I'm guess that they're are launching robots that have similar or better pickup styles.

And sure, you can play guerilla warfare with the ball (as I too have thought about this, and this'll be where the game gets nasty) but so can the launcher, who when it comes down to it is faster at scoring.

However, as is always true there will be a great range of launchers (from very good to very bad) just as there will be in armed robots (from very good to very bad). However, if we're playing in a perfect world (and Einstein is second only to IRI in terms of perfection) then I can't see how an elevator can outscore a launcher. And as I said, you can play tricks with the ball. There are plenty of tricks to be played. But if you can use them, so can the other guy. And once you've used them once, the cat's out of the bag.

However, if you ask me, I can define the make or break aspect of week 1 in a single word Autonomous. If you get a breakaway score then, no one is going to catch up to you. And yes, I meant autonomous. I think relying on Hybrid is simply too risky.

*It's been brought to my attention that at least one team doesn't need to retract, and there are probably others of you out there. But they aren't anywheres near the general case. While the Killer Bee's have done it, and maybe a few other teams worldwide, launching on the fly seems to be far more common place.
__________________
CHILL OUT! | Aero Stability & Control Engineer
Adam Savage's Obsessions (TED Talk) (Part 2)
It is much easier to call someone else a genius than admit to yourself that you are lazy. - Dave Gingery

Last edited by Ian Curtis : 26-02-2008 at 16:45. Reason: inaccuracies
Reply With Quote