Most in-demand robot type?

[NHoffmann]

Which robot type do you think will be the most-demanded come time for Championships? OR in other words, which would be the highest on your pick list?

RC Step grabber/capper, RC capper only, landfill-loading stacker, human player-loading stacker, RC Capper and stacker, or all-around?

[EricLeifermann]

I voted for landfill stacker though I would want them to have the ability to also grab RCs off the step in auto.

[Kevin Leonard]

I think this set of robot roles is a little too restrictive.

[Ken Best]

Being that most robots are HUGE compared to previous years, consumed field area also makes a major factor. In MAR, 223's robot reaches out 9' ( from the front, then another 42" to the rear. Three of the same style robots on the field may simply not work. I think that 3 different style robots may simply be a field requirement.

[NHoffmann]

Originally Posted by Kevin Leonard

I think this set of robot roles is a little too restrictive.

Noted. If I ever do another one of these at some point after this week's competition, I'll expand the set. Until then, if you could put the type of robot that would be highest on your pick list in the comments, that would be awesome.

[Abhishek R]

It really doesn't matter whether your alliance composition is optimal or not if you can grab the cans off the step before the other alliance so long as your alliance can make 4 or 5 stacks to win. What a broken game mechanic.

And on the topic of "all around" vs "specialists" - by CMP, the best "all arounds" will be able to make 3 stacks by themselves, they can then pick another team like them. What happens if your dedicated can robot has trouble in a match? Your tote robot? Minor point, but at least the well rounded alliance has insurance.

[Nemo]

Here's what I think about Worlds alliances:

1) One robot doing 3 tote auto stack (plus 3 bin set if they can do it) with the other two robots racing to pull two cans each during auto

2) All three robots can collect and stack totes effectively, with at least one being a landfill specialist and at least one being a human loading specialist

3) Either all of the robots are capable of capping their own stacks, or one of the stacking robots is capable of quickly picking up bins and capping one other teams' stacks.

[Boltman]

The answer will vary by the robot you have. Obviously you pick what you yourself cannot do yet or a well as another partner.

[NHoffmann]

Originally Posted by Boltman

The answer will vary by the robot you have. Obviously you pick what you yourself cannot do yet or a well as another partner.

Yep. I made this poll to gauge where some teams were strong, and what other teams could do to maximize their chances of working well with a majority of other teams and being selected eventually.

[Nathan Streeter]

Originally Posted by Nemo

Here's what I think about Worlds alliances:

1) One robot doing 3 tote auto stack (plus 3 bin set if they can do it) with the other two robots racing to pull two cans each during auto

2) All three robots can collect and stack totes effectively, with at least one being a landfill specialist and at least one being a human loading specialist

3) Either all of the robots are capable of capping their own stacks, or one of the stacking robots is capable of quickly picking up bins and capping one other teams' stacks.

This.

[Nemo]

I suppose I could also see this as a viable alternate Worlds alliance strategy:

One robot races for two green cans, and the other two robots race for one can each, then all three robots make capped stacks.

The alliance leaves the yellow totes behind the alliance wall, opening up a bit of field room while forfeiting those 20 points in favor of winning or tying the green can race more reliably.

Edit: To answer the original question, I think the most in demand robot will be a landfill stacker that also grabs two recycle cans in auto. Essentially I agree with exactly what Eric said above.

[NHoffmann]

Originally Posted by Nemo

I suppose I could also see this as a viable alternate Worlds alliance strategy:

One robot races for two green cans, and the other two robots race for one can each, then all three robots make capped stacks.

The alliance leaves the yellow totes behind the alliance wall, opening up a bit of field room while forfeiting those 20 points in favor of winning or tying the green can race more reliably.

Edit: To answer the original question, I think the most in demand robot will be a landfill stacker that also grabs two recycle cans in auto. Essentially I agree with exactly what Eric said above.

That definitely seems like a viable strategy. We may have to change our bot to pick up from the landfill... Right now, we can only pick up well from the human player, and cap if necessary.

[IronicDeadBird]

Going with the robots body type being small. Been noticing a lot of robots with giant footprints out on the field stepping on some toes. Definitely going to say efficient at 3 stacks. I want to go out there and put a prediction down for noodle pickup mechanisms are going to become more popular as we go along and liter clean up might actually become a role on a team comp.

[The other Gabe]

I think that my team's type of robot (can burglar that works from landfill) is the most wanted, but I suppose that being ranked 17th and not being picked at the PNW district might say otherwise

From my experiences watching matches, my ideal alliance would look something like this:

- 1 robot with a ramp that runs a 3 tote auto and grabs a bin in the process, loads from ramp at a human player station, and makes 6 tall stacks with bins and litter on them by itself

- 1 robot with a fast 2 recycling container auto whose sole job after auto is to make full 6 stacks of totes using the landfill and the other human player station once the landfill is empty

- 1 robot with a fast 2 recycling container auto whose sole job after auto is to fill the 4 recycling containers gained from auto with litter and cap the stacks made by the robot that only stacks totes

I see this as the most effective way to utilize all three robots on an alliance without getting in the way of each other and accomplishing the most scoring objectives in the least amount of time. Ideally the ramp robot makes three full stacks and uses the three recycling containers in the staging area to cap them, the tote-stacking-only robot makes four full stacks, and the capping-bot uses the four recycling containers from the step (filled with noodles) to cap those four stacks made by the tote-stacking-only bot. 314 points.

What I like about this style of play is that you don't need an alliance of elite level robots to accomplish this. Most of the mid to top tier ramp bots should be able to get 3 capped stacks by champs. Most teams will be able to get fast center recycling container grabbers (maybe not the fastest, but fast will work for *most* teams). A robot dedicated just to stacking totes should be able to easily empty the landfill and then some (We mostly do this during our last two qualification matches at Ventura, and I would say that at that time we were performing at a completely reachable level to most teams attending championships), and most capping robots should be able to cap four stacks. This kind of strategy is completely viable for many alliances who push for it, and it doesn't even require any pro-level science.