Quote:
Originally Posted by CraigHickman
I don't believe it's against the point of FIRST, rather, I think it dulls the educational opportunities that FIRST provides. While the point of FRC is to inspire engineering and science based educations and careers, it also provides an incredible medium for education, and getting a head start on life.
Kits like these dull the value of that education immensely, and a level playing field does nothing to mimic the real world. There are always engineering companies with better tools, more funding, and better employees than you in the real world. Learning to improvise and compete with what you have, not with a standardized kit will train you more for the real world.
The goal of FIRST can be met with a set of legos, the robot is just a medium. But the education that comes with it, that is truly special.
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Craig, do you feel that this in any way negatively impacts the inspirational aspects of FIRST? I would argue that it doesn't, if anything it makes FIRST more inspiring. There is a quote by Ken Patton where he says that he was awestruck by seeing a team moving sideways (I can't find the quote right now) If Ken Patton is impressed by it I would say that a high school student would be pretty awed by it too. Now take that student who was just awed and give them this kit with the sole instruction, "figure out how it works" Those kids will feel pride when they figure it out or when they understand someone explaining it.
[insert rant about FIRST not being about education] Seriously, write out what FIRST means, write out the definitions of each of those words then tell me where education fits in.
Craig is correct though, in the real world there will be companies orders of magnitude your size that you have to compete with, I know where I work we have that problem. We solve it by being innovative and agile. FIRST teams can use this same approach. There will always be the Wildstangs and the Beattys of the world, that is a fact of life, you just have to remember that it is possible to bring the giant down. My company has pulled contracts away from a company that is actually 300 times our size. Do something unique, anyone who tells you that everything has been invented is a fool.
Craig, I hate it when posts confuse me, I didn't know whether to agree or disagree.
