Team Update 1-15-2013

[efoote868]

Makes the stair chair strategy viable.

[THE DYNAMO]

what is this 'stair chair' you speak of?

[efoote868]

http://www.bigskymobility.com/ManStairChair.jpg

Bring another "person" up with you.

[s_forbes]

Our climbing solution is now illegal.

We had clearly defined parameters at the beginning of the build season. Why on Earth would they change now?

[yarudl]

I hate everything 3 times.... Just kidding, this makes things easier but also more difficult. it means that our previous strategy is now illegal but simpler strategies are now legal and can be made lighter, cheaper and safer.

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

Robot relative typically means relative to your starting/inspection configuration. Whatever orientation is vertical when you start the robot is the vertical direction for your robot throughout the match.

I know that's a common and plausible definition, but I don't think it's necessarily obvious or universal. The flop-bots and unfolding robots of yore are great thought exercises. Which side is really "up"?

FIRST should ask teams to designate a co-ordinate system relative to some component (e.g. with a sticker).¹ All robot-relative restrictions should be measured with respect to that. Alternatively, starting/inspection configuration can be defined, and robot-relativity defined in relation to that.

Failing that, robot-relativity is ambiguous.

¹ Don't use the frame perimeter. It's a trap. The definition allows for skew polygons and planar polygons not parallel to the floor.

[commodoredl]

I can't stand when FIRST does this. Why make it part of the rules if you're going to change said rules after a week? Crucial design elements are being set.

The one benefit I see from this is that it mirrors real world projects more closely as a learning tool, but man is it frustrating! Back to the drawing board!

[Adam Freeman]

Originally Posted by s_forbes

Our climbing solution is now illegal.

We had clearly defined parameters at the beginning of the build season. Why on Earth would they change now?

Yep...our's too. 10 days in the game changes.

[chadr03]

I do not like this at all. I know it was difficult but we designed, prototyped, had a lot of the CAD work done, and had parts list ready to order in the morning. All for not, because our whole design is shot thanks to a mid-season rule change. Sorry move my the GDC in my opinion. Back to the drawing board I guess... ARRRRRG

[Basel A]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

¹ Don't use the frame perimeter. It's a trap. The definition allows for skew polygons and planar polygons not parallel to the floor.

Vertical is the normal to the plane of the ground relative to a robot on the ground at the start of the match. Besides, notice that flop-bots and unfolding bots haven't been used since the current era of bumpers (2009+). You could just use bumpers..

[Littleboy]

We find out that the bumpers count in the 54" cylinder.
Design Change.
Now we find this out.
And another design change is needed. At least this one will hopefully not be too drastic of a change.

[pfreivald]

Should I be worried that our design didn't change?

[DampRobot]

Why changes the rules at this point? Did the GDC just realize that climbing for 30 was hard? Luckily, this didn't change much for us, but it totally redefines the design challenge.

[David Doerr]

Aaaarrrrrrg! Blows our climbing design - and our chassis design - out of the water...

[dellagd]

Originally Posted by pfreivald

Should I be worried that our design didn't change?

Neither does ours.

Even though this actually makes it easier for us, I cant believe FIRST is making such a huge change that actually makes some designs ILLEGAL after a week and a half. Unbelievable.