FRC Blogged - KOP Evolution

[mwilbur]

All of the teams that don't use the Kitbot are big winners on this one. Since the PDV are considered KoP items, which don't count against your $3500 robot budget, I think that all of our robot budgets just effectively jumped from $3500 to $3950. This is good news for our team, whcih has been looking at alternative designs that we will probably implement this build season. This eases some of the concerns that I had had over the robot budget restrictions.

It sounds like the teams that do use the Kitbot are big winners, too, because of the lighter drive train and improved buildability.

This is great!!

[EricH]

And the teams that don't use the Kitbot in competition but use it as a testbed are also winners--they don't have to build another testbed.


Some good ideas with the KOP the last few years: FIRST Choice, and now this! Wonder what other good ideas they'll come up with...

[Jared Russell]

Wow! These are great changes.

[Jon Stratis]

I think this is an awesome move for FIRST that also hugely benefits teams. From FIRST's perspective, it lets them move a significant chunk of the KoP costs into a voucher, which is much easier for them to modify in future years should they encounter budgetary or donation constraints as the program grows. From a team perspective, it doesn't take anything away from teams who opt not to use the voucher, and it provides a nice chunk of financial support for teams who don't want the KoP chassis.

[Steven Donow]

Awesome news!

[Tom Bottiglieri]

This change is a winner.

[Nick Lawrence]

Fantastic news.

FRC: Doing things right now.

-Nick

[Gary Dillard]

10/1 - 10/18, How do I know whether or not I want to use the kitbot drive system if I don't know what the game is?

[Ether]

Originally Posted by Gary Dillard

10/1 - 10/18, How do I know whether or not I want to use the kitbot drive system if I don't know what the game is?

Can you use your voucher to buy the parts needed to build a kitbot?

[Mk.32]

Originally Posted by Gary Dillard

10/1 - 10/18, How do I know whether or not I want to use the kitbot drive system if I don't know what the game is?

Well you could still use the $450 buy a Kit Frame, with modified components even. Also if you team has a habit of building custom drives every year you probably aren't going to use the kit frame anyways.

This is really great imo. Our team just finished up on building our first WCD and we love it. And plan to over the season and $450 to go to components would be awesome! I hope Andymark has some pulleys we can use with a live axle setup...

[David Doerr]

I'm leading a rookie team in 2013 and we've been active for the past month or two trying to prepare for the season. I submitted a reply to the FRC blog and I did my best to be diplomatic. I'm going to be more candid here.

I think it stinks that rookies don't have the same opportunity for a voucher that veteran teams do.

[Mk.32]

Originally Posted by David Doerr

I'm leading a rookie team in 2013 and we've been active for the past month or two trying to prepare for the season. I submitted a reply to the FRC blog and I did my best to be diplomatic. I'm going to be more candid here.

I think it stinks that rookies don't have the same opportunity for a voucher that veteran teams do.

Well to be blunt as a rookie team do you guys have the abilities to custom fabricate a drive train that is solid and proven for your first year of competition? And the KOP drive you will be getting will be more solid then ever with toughboxes and a belt drive.

Even if rookies could choose the $450 of AM parts wouldn't most of them just use it all up buying drive parts that the Kit Frame gives them in the first place?

[F22Rapture]

Originally Posted by Mk.32

Well to be blunt as a rookie team do you guys have the abilities to custom fabricate a drive train that is solid and proven for your first year of competition? And the KOP drive you will be getting will be more solid then ever with toughboxes and a belt drive.

Even if rookies could choose the $450 of AM parts wouldn't most of them just use it all up buying drive parts that the Kit Frame gives them in the first place?

Not to mention that frankly, the kitbot/kitbot on steroids is a superior drivetrain to many if not most of the custom drivetrains many teams build from scratch. Excluding of course some of the teams that have been working at it for several years such as 254, etc.

[Nemo]

This is fantastic. Really, really good move.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by David Doerr

I'm leading a rookie team in 2013 and we've been active for the past month or two trying to prepare for the season. I submitted a reply to the FRC blog and I did my best to be diplomatic. I'm going to be more candid here.

I think it stinks that rookies don't have the same opportunity for a voucher that veteran teams do.

I run a good team and know a great deal about drivetrains. 973's drivetrains are top tier.

If I walked today and started a rookie team, even with experienced students/mentors and a stocked shop, I would run the KOP drive as a rookie.

I think preventing rookies from accidentally making the wrong choice is a great decision.