First Official 2012 Game Hint

[ssmitka]

Maybe it's nothing related to the supplies, but the name of the company, Rockwell. Bill's other post was titled Over the River and Through the Woods...and now "rock"well...just my 2 cents.

[pandamonium]

Were those the same Green lights used with the camera in the past or different? I am interpreting the sensors to indicate small ball game.

[Zstack836]

Well the first thing that caught my eye was the word "touchscreen", I figured it was just for the score keepers but I wanted to take a look at it anyways.

Pulled up a picture and it does not look like the same touchscreen that they have used in years past. Maybe we will have some sort of touchscreen field-interface? Maybe we control parts of the field this year?! That would be kinda cool..

[skimoose]

Originally Posted by thefro526

252 of them, at that.

Would equate to 10-12 per field, depending on how many spares kept on hand.

Brings back memories of the good 'ol days of jamming goals with balls...

My first thoughts too. Another rapid fire Aim High style game with more goals!

[johnr]

It's not the parts, it's the thought that counts. You will "generously donate" your game pieces into your opponent's goal.

[pandamonium]

Originally Posted by skimoose

My first thoughts too. Another rapid fire Aim High style game with more goals!

<- This. I am going to make an educated guess as this is the 20th game... We started with Tennis balls and I think this may be the year of their glorious return...

[FIRSTtm134]

Originally Posted by Hallry

That PHOTOSWITCH Photoeletric Sensor is interesting...infrared? Hmm...

the Kinect see's infrared.. Advanced imaging for the robots using the kinect?

[Josh Drake]

Originally Posted by pandamonium

<- This. I am going to make an educated guess as this is the 20th game... We started with Tennis balls and I think this may be the year of their glorious return...

My thoughts too, somebody on our team brought that up earlier. Maybe she has ESP?

[Steve Howland]

Originally Posted by pandamonium

<- This. I am going to make an educated guess as this is the 20th game... We started with Tennis balls and I think this may be the year of their glorious return...

That could explain the heavy field. If we are firing something dangerous like tennis balls, perhaps the field will be enclosed with plexiglass to prevent them from injuring referees/spectators/human players.

Though I would worry about team injuries throughout the season with such a challenge.

[thefro526]

I highly doubt we'll ever see regular sized tennis balls used as an FRC game piece again. They're far too small for FRC sized bots, and they'd make field reset take forever.

[linuxboy]

Originally Posted by Zstack836

Well the first thing that caught my eye was the word "touchscreen", I figured it was just for the score keepers but I wanted to take a look at it anyways.

Pulled up a picture and it does not look like the same touchscreen that they have used in years past. Maybe we will have some sort of touchscreen field-interface? Maybe we control parts of the field this year?! That would be kinda cool..

The CE 1000 looks to me like what was used on the field this past year for the scorers, I can't remember the model number from the ones on the field but they don't look different to me.

Also, I can't think where there would be a limit switch in the standard field. I wonder what that will be used for? Maybe another minibot race ?

[Chuck Glick]

Originally Posted by thefro526

I highly doubt we'll ever see regular sized tennis balls used as an FRC game piece again. They're far too small for FRC sized bots, and they'd make field reset take forever.

Not necessarily true. If they were to be done by volume (i.e. a 50gal trash can filled to the brim) they accuracy in terms of numbers isn't as important. As long as roughly the same volume is on the field at all times you are good to go.

As for the "field reset would take forever" arguer... I present to you the solution for fast resetting of a field covered in tennis balls: http://tinyurl.com/7x5l8bs

Hand that to a team of re-setters and you are off to the races.

[pandamonium]

Why does the size of the ball exclude it as an option? I think it is the perfect size. Several people thought Track Balls were too big. The function the balls will be used for and the quantity also play a factor. Also small ball games seem to tend to have challenging field structures such as regolith, stares, ramps, platforms, tunnels... been a while since stairs...

That's my guess Tennis balls and stairs

[ouellet348]

On the Touchscreen interfaces :

I volunteered a number of times last year, several times as an official scorer between regionals and post-seasons. I can't tell the difference and it seems that they are using the same model. We had to disassemble them when I was an FTAA at BattleCry and those seem to be the exact same model, I may be wrong but I'd assume their being using in the same capacity. I wouldn't count on teams using them. My guess would be they are being using to score autonomous or penalties same as last year.

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by Chuck Glick

Not necessarily true. If they were to be done by volume (i.e. a 50gal trash can filled to the brim) they accuracy in terms of numbers isn't as important. As long as roughly the same volume is on the field at all times you are good to go.

As for the "field reset would take forever" arguer... I present to you the solution for fast resetting of a field covered in tennis balls: http://tinyurl.com/7x5l8bs

Hand that to a team of re-setters and you are off to the races.

I'm still not convinced Chuck.

Imagine an FRC field with 100 tennis balls on it and teams attempting to drive around competently... (Running over tennis balls, getting them stuck in drives, high centering on a ball)

Would be worse than Lunacy, IMO.