IRI Rule Changes - 2012

[Adam Freeman]

Originally Posted by Tetraman

At the beginning of the FIRST season, teams built their robots to a specific set of rules - one of those rules included additional points to those teams who can co-op with their opponent on the white bridge.

What did any team do in their design process that was specifically pointed at performing a Coop balance? I have seen very few teams that do anything other than drive on the bridge and hope it balances.

If you looked back at the beginning of the season, most teams didn't even attempt a coop balance.

We designed and built our robot primarily for balancing, and I still wouldn't say if was specifically for a Coop balance. It was more designed for effective triple balancing.

I see nothing in these rule changes that, at this point in the season, changes the design of any robot. Most teams have already added some type of balance assist mechanism to triple balance.

You could say that if we could have tripled in quals during the season, then more teams would have built wide instead of long. I would disagree with that statement, since triple balancing was always a possibility in elims, where it is most important to win. Teams either valued it highly or didn't in their design process. The possibility of completing a triple in quals is even lower than the possibility of doing it in eliminations.

I think these rule modifications change some strategy options...but not designs.

I am excited to play this IRI version of Rebound Rumble... I think there will be a lot of excitement, successful triples, failed triples, extreme scoring bursts, etc...