Old Robots?

[YonZ]

Veteran teams who have at least one post competition robot, what do you do with those old ones once they finish the FIRST season?


We've never been to an offseason event, so once competition is done theyre totally retired.
We didn't keep our rookie bot and scrapped one other for room (a sad loss). The rest we keep in our closet and use them for demos and such. We are thinking of having a new members project be to better the robots (fix up messy wiring jobs etc).

[Adam Shapiro]

I think using them for new member workshops and such is always a good idea. Have them work over the whole machine, examining how all of the systems function and how the parts were designed/fabricated. Maybe even have them disassemble the whole machine to understand how it all works and functions, then reassemble it to get a feel for putting the parts together.

Driving practice is always another very useful thing to do with the robots, especially if you have more than one which I know you guys do. You could separate members into groups and set them against each other to practice strategic driving.

Just a few thoughts.

[Bharat Nain]

Originally Posted by YonZ

Veteran teams who have at least one post competition robot, what do you do with those old ones once they finish the FIRST season?


We've never been to an offseason event, so once competition is done theyre totally retired.
We didn't keep our rookie bot and scrapped one other for room (a sad loss). The rest we keep in our closet and use them for demos and such. We are thinking of having a new members project be to better the robots (fix up messy wiring jobs etc).

Our team uses them for the RINOS Pre-Rookie effort. The idea is to lend out old robots to prospective schools for off-season competitions who are looking to join FIRST the upcoming year. It's a great investment into the future. For more information, http://www.raiderrobotix.org/RINOS.html

[rufu5]

We use our robots for rookie training (they have to make spare/replacement parts, re-wire parts, etc) and for demonstrations in the community and abroad (take the old robots into schools and let students and teachers drive them).

[Michelle Celio]

Our 2003 Robot is completely disassembled. It's plywood base is currently being used on our carts.

Our 2004 Robot is currently completely functional and stationed at one of the two school. (The one where we don't hold out meetings)

Our 2005 Robot is currently completely functional and is in the school where we have our meetings.

And yeah, same for this years.

[Kyle Love]

Most of our old robots (or frames/parts) of old robots are on our "walk of fame", if you will. We basically have them lined up in chronological order. We use them mainly as a junkyard of parts. We pull victors and other parts we use off of them so we don't have to always buy new ones. Some are fully in tact.

[Koko Ed]

We keep all of our old robots in our museam and keep our practice robot to loan out to a rookie for the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus (at least we did last year to Delta Force) and when the new season begins we use it to design the prototype for next year's bot.

[Tim Baird]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

We keep all of our old robots in our museam and keep our practice robot to loan out to a rookie for the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus (at least we did last year to Delta Force) and when the new season begins we use it to design the prototype for next year's bot.

We do almost the exact same thing, except instead of a museum we have them all hanging by cables above the practice field.

[JudyVandy]

Chuck and TechnoKats are on the same path with this. But we usually have the last one or two reserved for practice and in-season demos. We even have the first Chuck, even though he's a mere skeleton of his original self--he's from back in the days when you had to send your control system back.

[joshsmithers]

2001-OCCAM...dead...
2002-OCCAM II only a frame and some electronics
2003-OCCAM III fully functional
2004-OCCAM IV fully functional, minus a few components
2005-OCCAM V one victor needs to be fixed and the telescoping arm is dead
2006-OCCAM VI a war hero, pickup device broke when we crated it after VCU

we like to show-off at middle schools with 2003, mostly. it was our best ever and being for the most part a box on wheels it is easy shipping

[Carol]

All of the old MOEs are slowly stripped of parts - the first original MOE from 2000 has nothing left except the frame. We don't have enough storage space to keep many of them around.

One exception - the 2001 MOE - "Lil MOE" - is kept running for demonstrations for two reasons. One, it is the 2001 National Champion! Two, it is small and compact and easy to take around to various locations. It also has an arm (orginally designed to lift the ramp from that year's game) that we put a glove on and use to wave to little kids. They love it.

[OZ_341]

We use our old robots for rookie training, public demonstrations, driver practice and to help mentor new teams.

This past fall we helped Team 1712, Dawgma by retro-fitting our 2003 Gallileo Champion robot to pick up Tetras. This allowed the team to compete at Ramp Riot and gain valuable experience.

It was also a great experience for our team to get some build time and help others.

Keep those old robots if you can spare the room!!!

[John Gutmann]

Originally Posted by Tim Baird

We do almost the exact same thing, except instead of a museum we have them all hanging by cables above the practice field.

Do you trust those cables?!

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Tim Baird

We do almost the exact same thing, except instead of a museum we have them all hanging by cables above the practice field.

Even the 1992 bot?

[Kris Verdeyen]

Here's where Condor (2001) was unceremoniously dumped.