[DFTF] The Classic Blunder...

[wireties]

Originally Posted by Peter Matteson

That's why you figure out a way to build a practice bot. You would be amazed what you can keep of the comp bot with 30 lbs to use for practicing until you have to go to an event.

Pretty sure he was kidding...

[Peter Matteson]

Originally Posted by wireties

Pretty sure he was kidding...

I know. I was just using Kevin's post to highlight a workaround people may not have thought of.

[Kevin Sevcik]

Believe me, I would love to have a practice bot, but I've yet to figure out a way for us to build one. Practice bots are nice in theory, but we've spent pretty much all of our $4000 robot budget already, and all of the time we had available to build at our shop. At this point of every season, we're pretty much completely tapped on budget and build time and simply don't have the resources to put a practice bot together. And yes, a practice bot will be just about as expensive as our full robot to be any good. We've got 10 Jags, 6 pneumatic wheels, a CIM-sim, 3 BB P60 transmissions, an entire kit chassis, two 6" performance wheels, poly cord, etc. etc. That adds up to a heck of a lot of money we don't have available for a practice bot.

[MrForbes]

I wish we had a good excuse for not having a practice bot, besides "we're lazy"....

I think we're already a few days past "burn out". At least our one robot does most of what it is supposed to do.

[Greg Leighton]

Originally Posted by Joe Johnson

We've got weight for it. We've got space for it. We even have a reasonable concept or two we've sketched on various napkins over the last few weeks. What we don't have is TIME.

Joe J.

Many have said that you should use your 30lb allowance to build your concept, I tend to agree. As to what you build, this time make sure it's something you can build with the time you have. Do what you can and make sure you have your priorities in order (i.e. make sure your ball pickup will work before you make a shooter, can't shoot balls you can't collect).

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

Believe me, I would love to have a practice bot, but I've yet to figure out a way for us to build one. Practice bots are nice in theory, but we've spent pretty much all of our $4000 robot budget already, and all of the time we had available to build at our shop. At this point of every season, we're pretty much completely tapped on budget and build time and simply don't have the resources to put a practice bot together. And yes, a practice bot will be just about as expensive as our full robot to be any good. We've got 10 Jags, 6 pneumatic wheels, a CIM-sim, 3 BB P60 transmissions, an entire kit chassis, two 6" performance wheels, poly cord, etc. etc. That adds up to a heck of a lot of money we don't have available for a practice bot.

I've seen the practice bot debated up and down CD, I tend to get the feeling people are considering it to be a complete replica of your competition robot when it doesn't have to be that close for it to help your team out. During any down time during the season, like when you're waiting for parts to be machined, you can be piecing together a practice bot from spare parts or old torn down bots you have. I can see just a chassis being valuable for practice or in some situations, autonomous programming. None of 2337's practice bots have been exactly like the comp bot, but they've made good use of them for programming and a little bit of drive practice.