FRC Team Strengths

[BJC]

Originally Posted by Tubatroopa

I was just wondering what the various areas each team excels in.
For my team (45) I know we excel in strong and powerful drive trains as well as innovative new concepts and designs.
(45 made the ball drive, metal treads, etc)
So what is your teams greatest attribute?

I've always found various team's robot construction techniques create a certain identity for themselves- certainly they excel at their own way of building.

67- At least for the past couple years have been using mostly welded circular thin wall tubing for the top structures of their robot which gives them a certain look. It takes a very experienced welder to weld thinwall aluminum so its not that common, very hot.

469- Similarly uses almost only thin wall tubing for upper robot structures. Very interestingly, however, they weld very little (if any) of it, instead using sheet metal joints and rivets.

217, 148- both have robots made of mostly sheet metal never more than 1/8 thick. This results from IFI in Texas which has awesome sheet facilities with quick turn around time but which don't carry sheet in more than 1/8 thickness. Their lightening pattern results in their very unique look despite other teams who use sheet.

118- Also uses lots of cheesed sheet and CNCed parts. This results from their NASA partnership which allows them such cool tools. However, most of the stock material is rather thick, hence all the holes and their signature look.

254- Uses mostly welded box tubing which results from their sponsors. The box stick look very clean and very much cheesy poof.

All of these teams are very successful although their construction techiques are very different. What is the common factor? They use what they have readily available and make the best of it boiling their own construction technique down to a science. An exceptional idea? No. Exceptional results? Yes.

Edit: Thanks NickE, corrected.