FIRST is really looking into the Einstein problems

[linuxboy]

Originally Posted by Fletch1373

Yes, there was a large number of phones in one area, many of which I'm sure were using wireless. The robots, however, connect to the field on the 5GHz band, as opposed to the 2.4GHz band that most devices use(I don't think I've ever seen a phone that can connect on 5GHz)



What you're seeing is actually the Wireless SSID's that the field is broadcasting, not the robots themselves. You're unable to connect because of the WPA2 encryption that every team has to put on their robot's radios(via the radio kiosk) before they can compete. The field is configured with those encryption keys and any device connecting to it must have it as well.

The SSID is broadcast on the same frequency as the network it represents, so I imagine his phone is 5GHz capable, but as stated, this is the exception, not the rule.

[Rosiebotboss]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

From what I heard, they have done this. 5-why, Six Sigma, Root Cause experts have been brought in to help with this. Some are FIRST experts, some are new eyes to the situation.

I'm excited to hear how things go this weekend, and wish everyone the best of luck and good fortune to find out the most they can.

Sincerely,
Andy Baker

Not to belabor this, but I am at FIRST HQ now for the FLL/RD/FTC partners conferences and had the opportunity to talk face to face with Bill Miller last night at dinner. (And yes, he reads ALL these posts and is VERY AWARE of the conversation ongoing here on CD)

My point is this: FIRST is doing all the right things. All the key FTAs are here, all the key Vols are here, OUTSIDE engineers that have nothing to do with FIRST are here, (some have been here all week) and the teams are here. (or coming in today) along with FIRST Staff.

Let them do there job and dive in. I am as anxious as the next guy to find out what went wrong. It will take time.

[CalTran]

Originally Posted by Rosiebotboss

My point is this: FIRST is doing all the right things. All the key FTAs are here, all the key Vols are here, OUTSIDE engineers that have nothing to do with FIRST are here, (some have been here all week) and the teams are here. (or coming in today) along with FIRST Staff.

Let them do there job and dive in. I am as anxious as the next guy to find out what went wrong. It will take time.

Quoted for truth. They're doing everything they can to figure out just what happened. They've brought people in from the outside and they funded getting all 12 teams robots and key members of each team to FIRST HQ. <- That tends to require money, and FIRST is paying for all of it.

Just be patient.

[CalTran]

I see 2/3 of the "Eh-Team", namely my favorite blue and red box of a Canadian team...
Looks like it will be an interesting weekend. (Anybody else think the field looks oddly empty without the bridges?)

[Gregor]

I like the nice addition of the garbage can to the field. 30 points of you can balance it on a bridge?

[ratdude747]

All they need now is a large tesla coil to simulate the lightning outside

[Astrokid248]

Originally Posted by potbelliedyeti

...and the confetti has been removed from the field pieces.

I think we all know that this is the most important part of testing right there!

[RyanN]

I wish FIRST, the teams there, and everyone involved, a good luck replicating and finding the problem so it will never happen to another team again.

I'm anxious to find out what causes this problem and hope it will clear up te problems we faced at the Bayou Regional.

[Bruceb]

Hmm no updates or did I miss something?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Bruce,
The experts are still reviewing data and filing reports. It will likely be a few weeks before the final report can be compiled. Please be patient.

[Peter Matteson]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Bruce,
The experts are still reviewing data and filing reports. It will likely be a few weeks before the final report can be compiled. Please be patient.

I don't think we are worried about seeing a final report right now. I think the general question is, were the problems replicated?

We can appreciate it will take time to go through the data and come to any real conclusions or resolution.

[Bruceb]

This from FIRST

Dear FRC Teams:



Thank you for your continued support as we conduct our examination of issues surrounding the Einstein matches from Championship.



This past weekend we duplicated, to as great an extent as possible, conditions as they were on Einstein in St. Louis. All Einstein robots and one to two representatives from each team were present. Matches were run in the same order, with teams in the same driver stations, as at Championship. In addition to 1-2 representatives from each team and FIRST staff members, highly respected independent experts and key volunteers participated in and contributed to the evaluation. Additional specialized tests were also conducted.



The FIRST staff were in awe of the Gracious Professionalism exhibited by all participants. At each turn, teams illustrated camaraderie – loaning parts, helping carry and set up others teams' robots, and even helping drive competitors’ robots when necessary.



We have learned a great deal, and have much more to learn. With the large data set to be analyzed, and a few additional tests still planned to be run, it will be several more weeks before we are prepared to draw and share our initial conclusions.



We have asked all weekend participants not to disclose details concerning weekend testing until our additional testing, results and initial conclusions are available to the entire community. The FIRST Engineering staff, with support of the external experts and the FIRST community experts are working with all deliberate speed on their analysis and recommendations. We understand everyone's desire to hear initial results and appreciate your continued patience.



Please continue to provide your experiences, thoughts, questions and concerns as we move through this process. We are checking the 2012frcfeedback@usfirst.org in-box and teams' input has already played an important role, including being the inspiration for some of the specialized testing we performed this past weekend.



Sincerely,



Jon

[Jim Wilks]

Originally Posted by Bruceb

This from FIRST

We have asked all weekend participants not to disclose details concerning weekend testing until our additional testing, results and initial conclusions are available to the entire community. The FIRST Engineering staff, with support of the external experts and the FIRST community experts are working with all deliberate speed on their analysis and recommendations. We understand everyone's desire to hear initial results and appreciate your continued patience.

I always see the "not to disclose details" card played when things didn't go well. I guess there was no aha! moment when the problem showed itself again. If there was truly good news, it would be shared immediately.

Just my $.02 worth.

[IKE]

Originally Posted by Jim Wilks

I always see the "not to disclose details" card played when things didn't go well. I guess there was no aha! moment when the problem showed itself again. If there was truly good news, it would be shared immediately.

Just my $.02 worth.

Or if you have a few likely contributors that you are trying to sort out. Or if you have a problem that you can have a solution to shortly. Or if you have a problem with no current solution and feel you need a proposed solution before you scare teams into not competing or...

There are a whole lot of reasons to not prematurely release ideas/data/anedotes. This reminds me of a neat story I read in WIRED a few years back.

[Mike o.]

Originally Posted by Jim Wilks

I always see the "not to disclose details" card played when things didn't go well. I guess there was no aha! moment when the problem showed itself again. If there was truly good news, it would be shared immediately.

Just my $.02 worth.

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that there was no good news out of this past weekend. It is not an uncommon step in any engineering project/analysis to not disclose information until the analysis phase has been fully conducted. Sharing information, and especially having it go through the many phases of word of mouth can just add more confusion while they are in the concluding steps of confuting the testing and analysis. As someone who is very curious and anxious to see what has come of this investigation, I truly believe that we do need to be patient and let them fully get their work done so that we can get an accurate and concise conclusion and findings from all of this.