Driving Tips?

[Betty_Krocker]

so its been decided this year that i am to be one of the drivers for my team... do any of the more experienced drivers have any advice or ways to practice without the robot...?

[D_Price]

Just focus on what you have to do and visualize the playing field and what you are going to do when the competition comes...on how (if you are going to get the ball down and manuever it) or just going around the field...that is all you really can do unless you guys (and girls sorry) have a practice robot.

[AndyB]

As for driving itself, I never was one, but I know it is very important to keep your hands low on the joysticks for more precision control. That is, unless you need access to the triggers and buttons.

Main thing to keep in mind is to know how to do everything the easiest and most efficient way. Make sure you know the easiest and fastest ways to take the ball off, put it on, hurdle it, herd it, and pick it up off the ground.

[Grant Cox]

Take a look at this thread from last year, there is a lot of good information there.

As for things I would add this year, it really depends what type of bot you're going for. If it's a screaming speed machine, make sure you have a lot of practice to learn the minute adjustments required to keep it under control. If it's a hurdler, make sure you and your operator are in sync (just like last year, or every year before that) because if you're off center when they press the big red fire button, you could be sending the ball into the stands.

Ditto to what the 2 previous posters already said, regarding efficiency and visualization. You should be able to know without thinking how to shift gears, arm up, launch, pivot 180 to the left, stop on a dime, etc. If you look down or have to think more than a split second for a control, that opportunity will be long gone before you ever get the chance to execute it (which goes along with one of my main points in that other thread, about just going for the chances and openings you get).

Good luck!

[Mr.Rush]

With your robot out of the shop it would be best for you to sit down and study the rules. I know I know no one likes to be told to study a set of rules, but if you know them by heart and understand exactly what you can and cannot it will help in the long run.

[bduddy]

If you have a couple weeks before your first regional, you might want to try building a basic robot with the same drivetrain and try practicing with that, as long as you aren't making spare parts or something...

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by Betty_Krocker

so its been decided this year that i am to be one of the drivers for my team... do any of the more experienced drivers have any advice or ways to practice without the robot...?

ERM... Drive straight, turn left???

[Jherbie53]

Be ready for the noise. I didn't drive but I was a human player in 2005. It gets loud on the field, your coach might be right in your ear yelling strategy and the spectators are really LOUD, especially in the elimination rounds.

Also don't stress over driving. You need to come from a match where you robot might of just broke or had a really bad driving match with a positive attitude. Like lets go fix the robot or what can we do differently next match.

The most important thing of course is to have fun.

[Lil' Lavery]

Be able to think as you drive, and know what you're going to have to do next. Practice, practice, practice until everything about the actual controlling and driving of your robot is pure instinct. Then when you're on the field you can focus on the other five robots and game pieces. If you can make basic tactical reactions to events around you, it makes the coaches job at lot easier as (s)he can focus on the grand scheme of the match and the overall strategy.
Bottom line, practice until everything becomes instinct, then learn how to react to common field events (ie passing a robot, picking up a ball, where on the overpass is it easiest to hurdle, etc.).

[EricH]

Rebuild your last year's robot as necessary (if you still have it). Bring it up to competition weight. Now, get driving in competition conditions--lots of noise, the coach yelling in your ear, and a trackball or two wandering around.

[Cactus_Robotics]

Ever see Cool Runnings...? Get the Drive Team Together to a Bath Tub and practice that way....

[Betty_Krocker]

last time i checked, bobsleds didnt have omni wheels...
but a very good susgestion...

[waitwhat?]

Your experiance is going to derive what kind of practice you need. Over the years i have noticed that one of the biggest difficulties for newer drivers is being able to correct drive the robot as it is coming at you, because now turning, strafing, and drive directions are all reversed. Also, i agree with the other posts, what alot of people dont account for is the entire atmosphere that you have to work in during competitions. It is loud and you can't hear much, haha so either get used to it or wear some ear muffs (which i do not recomend) You can also try some other things to inprove hand eye coordination as well as memorizing controls, such as video games.

[SSMike]

One of our previous drivers gave myself and another driver a useful piece of advice: Control is much more important than speed.

[lukevanoort]

Originally Posted by waitwhat?

Over the years i have noticed that one of the biggest difficulties for newer drivers is being able to correct drive the robot as it is coming at you, because now turning, strafing, and drive directions are all reversed.

Very true. Some newer (and some experienced) drivers also have a lot of trouble driving in reverse. Driving in reverse can be very important for getting around defense/obstructions and cn be significantly faster than turning around in many cases.