BunnyBot 2011

[Dale]

The wait is over, the rules for this year’s BunnyBot game can be found at http://www.oregonfirst.org/2011/09/b...es-are-posted/ . These are version 1.0 rules so in the tradition of Game Design Committees everywhere, expect there to be some tweaks. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

There’s no better way to get your new team members energized than to build a FRC-class robot. BunnyBots is meant to be a low pressure, fun way to acquire those skills members will need in January. It’s also a way to try out new drive trains, drivers, software, etc. BunnyBots 2011 will be held Dec 17th at Catlin Gabel School in Portland, OR as usual. If others want to set up their own competition outside of the Portland metro area contact me so we can share logistics info, score keeping software, etc.

BunnyBots is now in its fifth year and has been far more popular than we ever imagined. We reached our capacity of 18 robots last year and had to close admission to other teams. If you know you’ll be taking part, register by sending an email to dale (at) yocum (dot) com and include the number of robots you’ll be entering and your FRC team number. First come first served. Like last year the cost is $75 per robot to cover field costs.

If there’s even a chance you’ll be involved, it’s vital you join the BunnyBot Google Group NOW. That way you’ll get all the updates to the rules, venue information, etc. Go to http://groups.google.com/group/bunnybots to join. You can drop at any time. Students, parents, and sponsors are welcome to join as well as coaches.

[princessnatalie]

Team Mean Machine is super excited to be a part of BunnyBots again(:

[Dale]

You folks had quite a year last season winning two regionals AND BunnyBots! I'm looking forward to, and a little fearful of, what you come up with this year!

[Fe_Will]

Nerf guns makes this the best BunnyBots game ever! We are still deciding if we are going to participate but I must say the Swarmfire was a great choice.

[Dale]

Revision 2.0 of the BunnyBot 2011 rules have been posted at www.oregonfirst.org/events/bunnybot/bunnybot-2011 . The major change is the way nerf darts are scored by the referees and the addition of the standard FRC pinning rule.

This is the largest BunnyBot ever with 22 robots registered! The list of who is taking poart can be found at http://www.catlin.edu/bunnybots

[Dale]

An updated version of the BunnyBot rules can be found at http://www.oregonfirst.org/events/bu...bunnybot-2011/ . The changes from the previous version are in red. Highlights:

1) The plywood center divider has been removed. The more I thought about the amount of pushing and shoving that’s going to go on in the middle of the field the more it seemed like that divider was going to be destroyed quickly. The field will be held together with something very thin under the carpet instead.

2) Our experience from Girls’ Generation showed that we spent more time waiting for the robots to connect with their drivers station than actually playing matches. To fix this we’ll have people turn on and connect to their robots when they are on-deck. That means drivers stations will need to be battery powered … there will be no AC at the drivers station tables of the course. This won’t affect teams with dual-band N laptops or those using laptops with external USB dual band N network adapters (assuming their laptop batteries are functional) but it will affect teams using AC-powered routers as their radio. Those teams will either need to break down and buy a USB dual band N adapter, get an inverter to power their router/laptop and run everything thing from a robot battery, or do some other clever electronic engineering. Details are in the rules.

3) Clarifications on the possession rules when bunnies are elevated.

4) The queue management system is in flux as we try to design a system that is fair for everyone and ensures you are playing with as many different teams as possible in balanced matches. The rules detail our current thoughts but that could be refined as the time grows near. Right now we’re planning to remove the ability of teams to rig the system by moving themselves in the queue.

5) The finale will be played 3 on 3 instead of 2 on 2. It gives more teams a chance to play.

6) Clarification that you can bring any equipment that you like to the driver’s station. In particular teams may want to bring a stop watch or smartphone to time the match. There’s no central clock teams can see.

7) The current teams taking part in BunnyBots 2011 can be found at http://www.catlin.edu/bunnybots . Send me any updates. There are 22 robots so far. I’m still in need of payment from some teams.

[Marina Dimitrov]

This year we’re selling exclusive BUNNYBOTS 2011 T-SHIRTS! Want to be super awesome? Get something that’s going to be all the rage in the FRC community. The design is a one-sided, two-color print, black unisex t-shirt (you can see what it looks like at the bottom of this post)

If you would like one, here is the pre-ordering link:
http://www.catlin.edu/usrobotics/bunnybot-t-shirt

We at Team 1540: The Flaming Chickens are making these shirts available for pre-ordering online (credit card only). You must, however, be physically present at BunnyBots to pick up your shirt. Coaches will want to share the above link with all of their team members so everyone can get a shirt.

BunnyBots is less than a month away, so all pre-ordering must be done by the end of the day Saturday, December 3rd. The shirts are $12 if you pre-order, and will also be on sale the day of BunnyBots at Catlin for $15. There will only be an extremely limited amount of shirts for sale at the event, so make sure you pre-order ASAP.

Feel free to comment if you have any questions. See you at BunnyBots!

[Marina Dimitrov]

UPDATE: We're extending the pre-order deadline to Tuesday, Dec. 6! Remember, coaches please make sure to tell all of your team members about these shirts and share the pre-order link with them (above in the previous post) so they can get a shirt if they want one.