[archiver]

Posted by Janna.

Student on team #349, The RoBahamas, from International Academy and Ford Motor Company.

Posted on 8/18/2000 2:46 PM MST


In Reply to: Eliminate Practice rounds!! posted by Raul on 8/18/2000 9:31 AM MST:



Hi...

Ok, I really like the idea that both Mike C. and Raul came up with and how they've combined them. The only issue that I saw as unresolved was the inspection, so I have a suggestion. Before I start, as a disclaimer, there are two variables that I have no idea about: shipping time and the inspectors. Assuming robots get to the venue at least a day before competition and that inspectors can do some inspecting without a team's help, this is my suggestion. If your robot is pretty much done when it is shipped and ready to be inspected, you could communicate this to FIRST somehow (don't ask me how, I don't know the details...maybe mark the crate or something.) So at the competition on the Wednesday night or something, inspectors could go through the marked crates and inspect with an abbreviated list (size, weight, etc.) I know teams would feel a little concerned about having inspectors poking around inside the robot, but if there could even be a few very general criteria met and the rest on Thursday, then that's less rushing the inspectors have to do before each team has three matches or whatever (because personally if I had to tell a team that all *four* previous matches were forfeited, I'd feel pretty bad...) and less worrying that the team has to do.

So for example, Team A has really good time management, has followed all the rules in the rulebook, and built everything perfectly (at least from the rules standpoint.) They pass preliminary inspection on Wednesday and compete in their qualifying matches Thursday. Sometime during the day, they get inspected fully, and, of course, pass. No scores lost, no worries.

Team B throws their robot in pieces into the crate, having not read the rulebook, and arrives without preliminary inspection. They quickly throw together their robot Thursday morning and compete in a few matches before finding out they'd have to forfeit them due to failure to pass inspection. They now have no extra rounds left to use.

I think this would give teams incentive to read the rulebook *carefully* and also to have a finished product by ship date, when they can ship and not have to worry until it's time to go out onto the field.

Janna