Why is FIRST doing this???

[Harrison]

Why is FIRST making us use the solenoid that comes in the kit if we want to use pneumatics? (or at least one identical to it).

The one that comes in the kit is alright, but I bet for lotsa teams purposes it is MUCH to big (maybe even too small).

If we are allowed 4 total, why not let us get 4 that we want? Rather than 1 we have to use, and 3 we want?

[Joe Matt]

It's newer, simpler FIRST. Build a frame in an hour, get it rolling in 2 days. They want the rookies to be able to compete yet not have vets to totaly smash them with kick-rear things, like bigger pnumatics or smaller ones to do lots of things.

[Harrison]

Well i can understand giving the teams more stuff so they can get started, BUT...why make us HAVE to use the stuff?

[Josh Hambright]

to make it challenging...
some teams have the bank roll to just go out and buy everything they could possibly dream off for their robots...
but other teams have to scrounge and save and cut corners to get their robot done...

i know on my team buying solenoids would probably be considered buying a luxery item in comparision to say buying gears...since the solenoids we have work and the gears have to be specialy made for many of our applications.

[Joe Matt]

Originally posted by Harrison
Well i can understand giving the teams more stuff so they can get started, BUT...why make us HAVE to use the stuff?

Remember the whole speech that Dean gave us about 'fair'?

[Katie Reynolds]

Originally posted by Harrison
Well i can understand giving the teams more stuff so they can get started, BUT...why make us HAVE to use the stuff?

Like oneangrydwarf said, to make it more of a challenge. Look at FIRST Lego League; they are only allowed to use the parts they get - they can't order or use anything outside of the kit that they are given.

In the "real world", you are given design constraints ... you can only use so much of this, only these parts, only parts from this company, only this much weight, only this much space, only this much time to complete it - the list goes on and on. That's what FIRST is - a simulation of the "real world". Of challenges that will be placed before you in the future. We need to learn to accept limits like this now, so we can be more productive in the future - whether in FIRST, college or our careers.

/me gets off of her soapbox

- Katie

[Josh Hambright]

yah u put it more eloquently then how i said it

[Jim Meyer]

I thought I had seen where FIRST said you did not have to use the cylinder in the kit. Their replies seem confusing but I think you only have to use it if you want 4 cylinders.

[Bduggan04]

Originally posted by Jim Meyer
I thought I had seen where FIRST said you did not have to use the cylinder in the kit. Their replies seem confusing but I think you only have to use it if you want 4 cylinders.

You only have to use it if you are using four cylinders. If you are using 3 custom cylinders (3 cylinders, total) you aren't required to use the one in the kit.