FIRST Robot Design Milestones

[Andy Baker]

It's time for some FIRST history.

The design of FIRST robots has come a long way since 1992. I'd like to start a discussion of some of the most impressive highlights over these years. As you reply, it will be difficult not to want to tell people about your own robot... but if we do that, there will simply be too many designs described here.

This thread is really about those designs that made a difference in FIRST. These ingenious inventions either won much acclaim, or they were simply elegant and became more famous over the years.

So... let's discuss this, but I'm gonna set some rules that will make this discussion interesting:
1. you cannot say anything about your team's designs.
2. you can only talk about one team's design once (you can't describe a certain team's designs in different years).
3. you cannot discuss this past year's designs (that is a different, still active thread).

Here are my favorite excellent designs:

1995 (or 6?): Sunny Delight ball shooter - National Champion
... Shot a ball into a goal with a reliable and unstoppable design

1997: The incredible lift mechanisms from Beatty-Hammond (National Champions) and Wildstang.
... Team Hammond's design was a 4 bar linkage, and Wildstang's was a telescoping mechanism. Both designs were well ahead of their time.

Also... team 121's notorious wedge design wreaked havoc and re-wrote the rule book with regard to tipping. Simply ingenious.

1998: ChiefDelphi "swerve" steering. These guys dominated at the Regional level and then were ganged up on at the Nationals. I'm pretty sure that this was the first anyone saw of this incredible steering technique that soo many teams use now.

1999: Team 95's puck lifting mechanism was awesome. They could lift the entire puck and remove 2-3 robots from the puck with ease. They finally perfected this design and showcased it at the '99 Rumble at the Rock.

Also... team 177 wrote the book on how to design a powerful arm. This thing was incredbly strong while also being able to hold plenty of floppies.

2000: Team 25's long arm of the law could cherry-pick a black ball out of their opponent's goal and put it into their goal. They finally got this thing working when it mattered most, during the elimination matches of the Nationals. This design is the holy grail of long reaching, telescoping arms.

Also... the ball removing techniques used by teams 131 and 288 were simply awesome.

2001: The designs used by teams 67, 60, & 56 to go under the bar and still grab a ball to place it on an 8' goal was simply awesome. Plus... they did it repeatedly and reliably.

Also... Gunn Robotics Team's inventive way to balance the bridge was elegant and one of a kind. Their 2 arm bridge balancer was rugged and effective.

OK... there are mine (some of them, at least). There are a slew of others, so go ahead and list them. BUT, stick to the rules of this thread... I started it, so I can make these rules! heh.

Andy B.