New member, new team, questions.

[Frank(Aflak)]

OK, soo, i find this forums, this is the first year my schools done USFIRST, and i have some questions.

First, i see all these teams here that have already built, or almost built, their robots. I was told that the ship us parts in January and then we have like 3 months or so to build it from those parts - are you allowed to recycle robots from lats year? are we hopelessly behind? please set me straight.

Our teacher/team coach/ MIT-grad-who-knows-his-stuff is also new, but he said that, as he understands, we can only use parts that come in the big kit, or that we purchase through a US FIRST supplier (THE supplier?), but i hear teams talking of using file cards as added traction on their robots, and I'm wondering how stictly we must stick to that, or expect other teams too. Are note cards legal? will they be?

This last one is about cost. We recieved a 7000 doller grant from NASA, as about 2/3 of everyone else did, and, as I understand, 6000 of that went to USFIRST to enter the contest, pay for EDURobot and the box of stuff they send us. The other 1000 can be used for extra parts. what did other people spend on their robots above and beyond the 6000 doller initial fee. I am wondering if I should begin calling local companies for grants. Help and answers are much appreciated.


sidequestion: does a team of highschoolers, mostly Juniors, a few senriors, and one freshman, maybe 10 of us in all, have any chance of building a winning robot in 3 months? Hell, i can't remember if its months or weeks, but i hope its months.

Anyway, thank you all for your time, and remember, its in your own self intrest to help us, in case you wind up allied with us . . . . . . . . . . .

speaking of which, i watched the videos of last years competition, which involved big upright goals, with robots putting balls in them and trying to push them down to their oponents end of the feild. I also understand we don't find out what we do this year until the ship us the parts . .. . . am i right, or is it going to be the goal thing again. If everyone knows the task 'cept us, we should probably get going on design.

Again, Thank you all.


-Frank (Aflak is just a nickname . . . sounds like my last name sorta)