[FTC]: "Keep it simple, stupid:" design ideas seemingly ignored in FTC

[team F.T.C 4240]

Originally Posted by normalmutant

In FLL, we used the KISS principle. And we would lose.

I don't think just being simple is the only thing, I think the main think that will help is time, as in working on the robot a lot. We do have a longer build season then FRC which makes so we don't need to come almost every day to work on the robot, but you also don't want to do one practice once every 2 or 3 weeks. In build season we do 2 practices a week from 4 to 9 (unless we need more) then after our first competition we cut the practices down to once a week from there on after.

I'm just sharing my thoughts on a "good" robot. (that doesn't mean it is but these are just my ideas of when I think of a "good" robot)

Simple (less stuff can break/more reliable)

Quick (not necessarily talking about the drive system. But so you don't waste a ton of time trying to dispense/ score)

Effective (as in for this year collecting without losing 10 batons trying to collect 5, and scoring consistently)

And Robust/shielded (so defense robots can't mess up/damage you're robot as easily, and so stuff doesn't break as easily, also if you are shielded and have a geared down drive system then you can score and protect yourself)

I don't think just being simple is the only thing. This year our goal was mostly to build a good robot and not worry about judging as much (because at Worlds we most likely aren't going to get any type of an award), but this is just my thoughts on a "good" robot, everyone else might have other ideas but this post is just to help define a "good" robot (in my eyes)

Hope it helped ~Derrick