Our answer to the long range shooter

[GaryVoshol]

Anybody else see a blocker added during a 6-minute time-out between back-to-back matches?

[EricVanWyk]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

Anybody else see a blocker added during a 6-minute time-out between back-to-back matches?

Yes.

Friendly reminder: all modifications require re-inspection.

[bs7280]

Originally Posted by EricVanWyk

Yes.

Friendly reminder: all modifications require re-inspection.

Not true. They said we could take ours on and off whenever we please. Official descision was made by head refs at first.

[andres20perez]

I have seen many ways to block full court shooters.
This by far looks like the most effective method. It
doesn't look too difficult to implement. Just about
any team could modify their bots to mount it.

[vikesrock777]

Originally Posted by bs7280

Not true. They said we could take ours on and off whenever we please. Official descision was made by head refs at first.

Yeah, this is likely true for your position per rule T08

T08

At the time of Inspection, the ROBOT must be presented with all MECHANISMS (including all COMPONENTS of each MECHANISM), configurations, and decorations that will be used on the ROBOT during the entire competition event. It is acceptable, however, for a ROBOT to play MATCHES with a subset of the MECHANISMS that were present during Inspection. Only MECHANISMS that were present during the Inspection may be added, removed or reconfigured between MATCHES. If MECHANISMS are changed between MATCHES, the reconfigured ROBOT must still meet all Inspection criteria.

It sounds and looks as if your blocker is one that you've at some point presented to an inspector, and are just discussing adding and removing it as is necessary.

In order to be able to add and remove it at will, you must have at some point presented it to an inspector. Many improvised blockers being seen are created during elim matches as a response to a full court shooter and as such were not presented at a previous inspection. If doing this, teams need to make sure to get it inspected to be legal. I believe this is what Eric was referring to (though feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.)

[EricVanWyk]

Originally Posted by vikesrock777

Yeah, this is likely true for your position per rule T08

It sounds and looks as if your blocker is one that you've at some point presented to an inspector, and are just discussing adding and removing it as is necessary.

In order to be able to add and remove it at will, you must have at some point presented it to an inspector. Many improvised blockers being seen are created during elim matches as a response to a full court shooter and as such were not presented at a previous inspection. If doing this, teams need to make sure to get it inspected to be legal. I believe this is what Eric was referring to (though feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.)

Yep, exactly. Inspected mechanisms can be removed/added at will. New bits need to be inspected.

[Siri]

I've seen what I think are two different "blocker" philosophies: walls that stop discs dead, and flexible deflectors that just changes flight paths. High weight and CG for the wall, more potential to break. Deflection might not work well enough, and still feeds a floor loader if there is one. (Not the rigid-flexible distinction I'm making refers to the mounting of the wall/sheet rather than the material forming it.)

My question (other than'is this about right') is how some of these flexible deflectors are mounted. What are people making their frames out if? 1811 has one that looks like it could go under they pyramid passively! (Just looks like it; never saw but still cool.) Granted that might cause a 54" problem drowning on how it collapses. 714 seems to use similar thugs as 'pyramid touchers'. Tres neat.

[bs7280]

I want to see a team that has an adjustable one (up or down) so that you can go across the field if needed.

[qzrrbz]

Originally Posted by bs7280

I want to see a team that has an adjustable one (up or down) so that you can go across the field if needed.

Check out the third guy on the SVR winning alliance - 1967. PVC, and it went up and down! Pretty important to the 254/118 win!

[Bstep]

Originally Posted by bs7280

I want to see a team that has an adjustable one (up or down) so that you can go across the field if needed.

We have one that goes up to 74 inches via our climber, and can be retracted to 60. We have only used it once because our robot is primarily offensive, but at each regional we went to we got clearance from the inspectors to take it on or off depending on who we were up against.

We faced 4030 at Seattle and Spokane and their blocker was very effective. It had the widest blocking area I've seen and could be raised up (I don't know what the max height was). The best part about 4030's blocker was that it had the "You shall not pass" meme on it.

[Travis Hoffman]

I think seeing this on a blocker would make my day:

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/C_0fyUYB3cA

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by bs7280

I want to see a team that has an adjustable one (up or down) so that you can go across the field if needed.

Ours goes up to about 78 inches, and down below 28 inches, so we can block, and then follow the team under their own pyramid. Unfortunately, we only ever got to use the blocker once in a real match.

[bs7280]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

Ours goes up to about 78 inches, and down below 28 inches, so we can block, and then follow the team under their own pyramid. Unfortunately, we only ever got to use the blocker once in a real match.

How did you build it to make it adjustable

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by bs7280

How did you build it to make it adjustable

We had two degrees of freedom. An extension that went above 60, and a rotation that went from 60 to below 28. Start position was at 60, but our normal playing configuration was rotated down below 28.

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by bs7280

Not true. They said we could take ours on and off whenever we please. Official descision was made by head refs at first.

Were you substituting another mechanism when you weren't using the blocker? If so, did the combined weight of the blocker, the other mechanism and the rest of the robot exceed 120 lb? Also, did the blocker receive inspection at least once in its final configuration?