[JesseK]

While I agree that 177's robot was simply amazing at the event, the fact is evident that 177 would rather be competitive than sharing anything, even in person. The should just know that next year, they'll have to face something similar from someone else. The rest of us know to never underestimate them.

2 unique ideas on 177's bot, and major props to them for both:
1.) A net that was really a thinking outside the box type of creation. Either there will be a limit on the allowable amount of rope next year or you will see alot more teams with nets in future competitions.
2.) A unique shoulder joint that not only actuated the shoulder but also actuated the elbow joint using the precise and exact gearing necessary to move the wrist the right amount for the given shoulder rotation distance. This is commonly seen in industrial applications but seldom created in younger robotics competitions due to the complexity required in getting the necessary precision movements.

Other unique ideas that were seen that may be applicable to FRC bots as well:
- Use spacers that extend out from the base of the robot to the wall such that when the spacers hit the wall, the robot's manipulator is at the precise distance needed to knock the pucks from the rack (credit to FTC 126 and a couple of others -- 126 was best at it though)
- Use a vertical 4-bar linkage to shift a bucket of pucks from the back of the bot to the front of the bot using 4 servos in one swift, simple movement without losing stability. (credit to one of the Oakton teams, FRC 623)
- Use servos to steer 2 caster wheels on the front of the bot, automobile style. I'm not sure how the drive motors were programmed, but it was evident that the team used their 2 drive train motors to the fullest. (credit to FTC/FRC 1086)
- Use an encoder on the shoulder joint and an algorithm that keeps the bucket of pucks vertical no matter where the shoulder joint rotates to (Credit to FTC 354/FRC 1885).
- It didn't really matter whether the bot went 1 foot per second (like FTC 177) or 3 feet per second (like FTC 392). If it could score effectively in autonomous you won vs defensive robots every time. This seems to be a common theme in all FIRST competitions.

Overall I was very impressed with the robots that were there.