I don't actually compete in FRC, but I am doing FLL and VRC (and I'm still deciding if doing both in the same season was smart
)
My thoughts:
Are the machines built in FRC really robots during the autonomous period?
From what I've read here, I think the consensus would be "yes."
Are the machines built in FRC really robots during the driver operated period?
Debatable.
What changed?
Only the controller changed: In autonomous, the machine is self-guided. In driver operation, the machine is guided by the human.
Therefore, at what point does everyone agree that a machine turns into a robot?
When the machine is autonomous
Conclusion:
The machines built in FRC are "true/real" robots only during autonomous mode, but in driver operated mode, they are just highly sophisticated, computer aided, remote controlled machines.
FIRST is not "being harmful and preying on the ignorance of the average high school student to what a 'robot really is.'" In actuality, FIRST is exposing students to the challenge of building a "real" robot (at least for autonomous mode), while still keeping the majority of the challenge "easy" enough for non-programmers. This encourages rookies that "Hey, I can do this too!" but still allows more advanced teams to create increasingly complex programmatic aids for the driver.
Sorry for the long post... I'm normally succinct (engineer-like), but I felt that this deserved a little more time.