Teams going after the ramp?

[Eldarion]

Just curious if anyone is going after the ramp this year.

We will try, but if it won't work it's not the end of the world.

[Jonathan Norris]

We will have the option to go for the ramp, but I think that it is not going to be a main feature of many robots. Also, our potential CG has a lot to do with our effectiveness at the ramp. I really don't see it being too key in this game.

[Eldarion]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Norris

We will have the option to go for the ramp, but I think that it is not going to be a main feature of many robots. Also, our potential CG has a lot to do with our effectiveness at the ramp. I really don't see it being too key in this game.

This was my personal thought as well. I thought the ramp relied too much on everyone else being able to make it up the ramp as well.

As a team, we thought the ramp would be a worthy goal because of the 25-point bonus.

[Stu Bloom]

I do feel the GDC did a great job this year with the relative scoring/penalty impact for the various elements of the game. The one problem with the ramp is that if your alliance cannot get all three robots back then it is only worth an incremental 5 points for you to get there.

Our bot will definitely have the capability ... and we may have some related tricks up our sleeve (or whatever robot part compares to a sleeve ...)

[Jared Russell]

I'm of the school of thought that any robot can make it up the ramp if they're going fast enough

[BRosser314]

We are going to be able to get on top of the ramp.

And for those teams that have a high CG remember going really fast and then running into the ramp might just allow you to flop on the ramp, where than an alliance can push you up.

[antthecyberguy]

Our original thought was that of "the ramp is not worth it" but our robot design allows to go up it if necessary. We would hate to be the only one in the alliance that could not make it.

[Marcel]

We're supposed to bring our own robot? O.o

[cgrar2008]

The largest problem we observed was the clearance because of the seemingly "extreme" 30 degree angle. Being a rookie team and using the stock frame there was a small amount of clearance with the kit skyway wheels, but they did not provide near enough traction so we resorted to the "running start method" and made it up. We purchased new wheels that will hopefully allow us to have a high enough coefficient of friction to claw our way onto the ramp.

-Chuck

[Alekat]

Originally Posted by cgrar2008

The largest problem we observed was the clearance because of the seemingly "extreme" 30 degree angle. Being a rookie team and using the stock frame there was a small amount of clearance with the kit skyway wheels, but they did not provide near enough traction so we resorted to the "running start method" and made it up. We purchased new wheels that will hopefully allow us to have a high enough coefficient of friction to claw our way onto the ramp.

-Chuck

Yes! You guys are on the right track, I think this is the minimum a rookie team should aim for.

[pez1959]

Another thing to keep in mind. The rules specify off the carpet, not necessarily on the flat part of the platform.

[s_forbes]

I personally can't understand how some teams could not think that the ramp is important. It's 25 points if everyone can do it, that's a lot! I'd hate to be on the only team in an alliance that could not make it up, that'd be quite a letdown. So yes, we are indeed going for the ramp.

I am liking the out of the box ideas though. Heres one: latch onto the side wall of the ramp (the ones that are supposed to keep you from falling off) and just clamp on so your robot is just barely lifted off the carpet. That would be cool.

[greencactus3]

Originally Posted by BRosser314

We are going to be able to get on top of the ramp.

And for those teams that have a high CG remember going really fast and then running into the ramp might just allow you to flop on the ramp, where than an alliance can push you up.

well i think brake HARD right before the ramp so you fall forwards onto the ramp rather than backwards onto the carpet. easier to push a robot half on the ramp than ompletley on their backs on carpet.

[Koko Ed]

Getting up the ramp is a major part of our strategy (it's 5 points at least and 25 if all three bots get up there. Why not do it?). So much so that we emphasized a bot with a low center of gravity as a major design feature (that means we want a bot under three feet tall) .

[Daru]

We're going for the ramp this year, with our design we have a couple of millimeters of clearence. We might move the front wheels back a little... what if their ramp is a mm off of what ours is, then we're in ruin ;-;

I think getting up the ramp will be important, to the point that if you cant do it, you will disappoint other teams. Really all there is to it is having the ground clearence.