Other strategies for Logo Motion

[wilhitern1]

Did anyone come up with strategies that you never saw implemented?

After completing the regional, I came up with one the I didn't see taken advantage of. My observation was that throwers really averaged only half court. So there tended to be a long way to go to get the rings. On the other hand only two robots could conveniently be scoring. Many of the 3rd robots pushed the rings to the scorers. That's still a long way to go. What if the 3rd robot picked up the ring at mid court and flung it at the scorers. By quickly throwing them on, you would shorten the scorers travel and take scoring chances away from the opponents.

I saw many matches in our region and additionally many matches via youtube and never saw this taken advantage of.

[EricH]

There were robots that specialized in throwing tubes to their scorers. I think they were slot-loaded, though.

[wilhitern1]

Originally Posted by EricH

There were robots that specialized in throwing tubes to their scorers. I think they were slot-loaded, though.

Do you happen to know of any examples on youtube or somewhere else? I'd love to see an example...

[Jared Russell]

Fans.

We experimented with BB775-powered RC plane props and were able to blow tubes about 20 feet in our shop. However, we didn't have the weight or space to actually put it on the competition bot, and it didn't really fit our desired style of play (offensive). But the idea of powerful fans blowing tubes across the field sure would have made for an interesting defensive bot (maybe couple fans with something like the 3553 "wall bot").

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by wilhitern1

Do you happen to know of any examples on youtube or somewhere else? I'd love to see an example...

Ask and you shall receive.

http://www.vimeo.com/20411145

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahrb7mmnDZg

A strategy we thought of, but never really ended up using, was to add a kicking mechanism that could punt tubes in front of it, similarly to kicking soccer balls in locomotion. It could very well be lightweight if needed.

Another one we thought of was an "unmovable" defensive robot. It would go between the opponent's towers, and adjust itself so the shifting gearbox could go to about 4 fps for maximum torque, and then block any incoming robots.

Yet another idea we thought of was to put an angled net on top of our robot, with a somewhat large plate beneath it. The plate would be connected to pneumatic pistons, and when the human player throws a tube, the net would catch it, and we could use the pistons to launch the tube off, like a herding robot.

A strategy we never really saw used, but was viable, was a robot with a fast roller claw, that would maneuver around the field, grab tubes, and use their roller claw to shoot them to their alliance. Sort of like a super herder, but the goal is to get a tube, turn towards its alliance, move forward a bit, launch the tube, and repeat. This method would be the fastest herding method if done correctly.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

A strategy we never really saw used, but was viable, was a robot with a fast roller claw, that would maneuver around the field, grab tubes, and use their roller claw to shoot them to their alliance. Sort of like a super herder, but the goal is to get a tube, turn towards its alliance, move forward a bit, launch the tube, and repeat. This method would be the fastest herding method if done correctly.

Actually, it did see use: 2815 used their roller claw to grab tubes from midfield (especially ones near the field border) and run them closer to the far-more-adept-at-scoring 2415 and 1771. The combined result was good enough for us.

Originally Posted by Billfred

Actually, it did see use: 2815 used their roller claw to grab tubes from midfield (especially ones near the field border) and run them closer to the far-more-adept-at-scoring 2415 and 1771. The combined result was good enough for us.

Well, I didn't see any at the webcasts I watched, and I couldn't see the Insomniacs' since I was working on our robot most of SVR. That's a cool bot you have there! We should have been able to alliance at some point! Don't you hate it when the team who would be the perfect partner to you isn't anywhere near you?

[stundt1]

Wouldnt it just be faster to push the tubes I saw some tubes were pretty close to the alliances scoring rack...... I think it would be better to just push it depending on how fast the roller claw is....

Another strategy was starving the opposing alliance of one type of tube so they wouldn't get a scoring bonus for making a logo....
It never worked out well a hard strategy to pull off.

Originally Posted by stundt1

Wouldnt it just be faster to push the tubes I saw some tubes were pretty close to the alliances scoring rack...... I think it would be better to just push it depending on how fast the roller claw is....

The ideal robot to pull this off must have their roller claw in pick up position, and be able to angle their arm/elevator to a point where they can launch for maximum distance.

[XaulZan11]

Originally Posted by stundt1

Another strategy was starving the opposing alliance of one type of tube so they wouldn't get a scoring bonus for making a logo....
It never worked out well a hard strategy to pull off.

This strategy was imployed several times sucessfully. I know we got burned by it at the Championship. The value of having a smart human player that can throw tubes well cannot be overstated.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by stundt1

Wouldnt it just be faster to push the tubes I saw some tubes were pretty close to the alliances scoring rack......

The problem came when tubes were along the border in the neutral zone between the towers--you generally couldn't push them into somewhere useful for the alliance. Pushed towards your grid, you ran a significant risk of pushing the tube into the opposing lane and making it a liability.

[Ankit S.]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

A strategy we never really saw used, but was viable, was a robot with a fast roller claw, that would maneuver around the field, grab tubes, and use their roller claw to shoot them to their alliance. Sort of like a super herder, but the goal is to get a tube, turn towards its alliance, move forward a bit, launch the tube, and repeat. This method would be the fastest herding method if done
correctly.

Because our gearbox is not a high enough reduction (5:1 reduction), our roller claw is able to spit tubes out a couple of feet

Don't think its fast enough though... i'm sure it would be possible with the motor with the highest rpm, and then running a really small reduction on it...

[Rangel]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

A strategy we thought of, but never really ended up using, was to add a kicking mechanism that could punt tubes in front of it, similarly to kicking soccer balls in locomotion. It could very well be lightweight if needed.

Another one we thought of was an "unmovable" defensive robot. It would go between the opponent's towers, and adjust itself so the shifting gearbox could go to about 4 fps for maximum torque, and then block any incoming robots.

Yet another idea we thought of was to put an angled net on top of our robot, with a somewhat large plate beneath it. The plate would be connected to pneumatic pistons, and when the human player throws a tube, the net would catch it, and we could use the pistons to launch the tube off, like a herding robot.

A strategy we never really saw used, but was viable, was a robot with a fast roller claw, that would maneuver around the field, grab tubes, and use their roller claw to shoot them to their alliance. Sort of like a super herder, but the goal is to get a tube, turn towards its alliance, move forward a bit, launch the tube, and repeat. This method would be the fastest herding method if done correctly.

There were plenty of teams that did the herding you described. Only team I know off the top of my head is 494 on Newton Field. Check out their matches in the elimination round and you'll see plenty of awesome herding.

http://www.teamtators.org/Media/Newton.htm

[mesamb1]

Is this a sign of the ingenuity of FIRSTers or a sign of the game design this year that there is not a flood of unused strategies from the season?