FIRST is really looking into the Einstein problems

[Bruceb]

Here is an e-mail I just got from FIRST
Dear FRC Teams,

Please allow me to update you on our examination of the Championship final rounds.

As part of the examination, FIRST will evaluate the field and all robots that were on Einstein as a complete system—a system as comparable as possible to what existed at Championship. We have received and reassembled the Einstein field equipment at headquarters in Manchester, and we are in the process of retesting its functionality. In addition, we are asking each of the twelve teams that competed on Einstein to (1) allow FIRST to ship their robot to Manchester, (2) provide an adult representative to be present for testing, and (3) provide detailed systems information, including driver station logs and robot code. Each of the teams has acted with the utmost grace and professionalism, and for that we are truly grateful.

We also recognize that many of you have important information to share about your experiences this year. Thank you to those who have passed along such information in response to my April 29th e-mail. To make that process easier, we have set up an e-mail for you to share your experiences and expertise: 2012FRCfeedback@usfirst.org. Please know that while all of your feedback will be reviewed and considered, FIRST will not be able to respond to every e-mail.

We are also investigating the issues on Einstein with independent, outside experts as well as respected leaders in the FIRST community. We remain steadfastly committed to understanding the root causes of the issues and resolving them. I will continue to report our process, progress and eventually the findings of the examination.

Sincerely,

Jon

[R.C.]

Awesome,

Great step forward!

-RC

[Chris is me]

Whoa. This is fantastic. They're even acknowledging, potentially, the issues outside of Einstein field by soliciting input from teams. What a great step forward.

[Jon Stratis]

The lengths their going to get this figured out is certainly impressive. I really feel for the difficulty of their job here... It's quite possible they get the robots on the field and run all day and have no issues. What if the problem was a loose wire that's now tight since the field has been disassembled and reassembled? What if it was having thousands of cell phones in the arena next to the field? What if it was some specific environmental problem in the dome that isn't present now? Hopefully bringing back those same teams helps them reproduce the issue reliably!

[JB987]

Now that the cat is out of the bag...
Headquarters has actually told teams that they can also send one student team member with an adult if that student is a critical part of the programming/control of their robot. We are sending our programmer/driver and our programming mentor to assist with the effort taking place on June 9 and 10. It's a long way from Vegas but it will be worth the trip if the effort provides useful information.

[dag0620]

Bravo FIRST. Bravo.

[JVN]

Kudos to all the Einstein teams for their support of this process! I guess no one should be surprised that the "final 12" would all be pinnacles of professionalism.

[IKE]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

The lengths their going to get this figured out is certainly impressive. I really feel for the difficulty of their job here... It's quite possible they get the robots on the field and run all day and have no issues. What if the problem was a loose wire that's now tight since the field has been disassembled and reassembled? What if it was having thousands of cell phones in the arena next to the field? What if it was some specific environmental problem in the dome that isn't present now? Hopefully bringing back those same teams helps them reproduce the issue reliably!

Remember, this is an effort (a huge effort) to either find a solution, or remove a lot of "what-ifs".
I am really impressed by the efforts from all.

[Steven Donow]

Awesome job FIRST! I never had a doubt in my mind that FIRST would go to such great measures to solve this problem.

[CalTran]

Is there a "like thread" button somewhere?

[normpear2]

Is it possible if we can get a list of what regionals, if any, the Einstein Field was used at?

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by normpear2

Is it possible if we can get a list of what regionals, if any, the Einstein Field was used at?

I wasn't used at any regional. It was kept in reserve in Memphis for emergency purposes.

[Grim Tuesday]

Originally Posted by normpear2

Is it possible if we can get a list of what regionals, if any, the Einstein Field was used at?

Einstein Field was never used at a regional. It spent the season stored in Tennessee, waiting for the catastrophic failure of another field, to replace it if need be.

[CalTran]

Originally Posted by Grim Tuesday

Einstein Field was never used at a regional. It spent the season stored in Tennessee, waiting for the catastrophic failure of another field, to replace it if need be.

Ironic, all things considered.

[dcarr]

Originally Posted by normpear2

Is it possible if we can get a list of what regionals, if any, the Einstein Field was used at?

The Einstein field is kept as a backup and not used until Championship, if I'm not mistaken...

Props to FIRST for taking these steps, there sure was a lot of criticism after the Championship and I'm glad their serious about figuring out the problem. It it means a serious overhaul of FMS and utilizing something better than consumer-grade WiFi radios, I'm all for it-hopefully they're willing to take that step, if necessary.