Suggestions for resolving stuck balls

[Adam Freeman]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

This is very simple. Return the E-Stop rules to the pre-2011 configuration. No red cards for using the E-stop. That's absolute nonsense. No one should ever have to stop and think if it's a good idea to hit a button that is partly intended for emergencies. There may be occasional strategic advantages to an E-Stop, but I don't see the penalty in allowing them to exist.

I agree with Chris's opinion on this one.

Every team from the very ELITE all the way too last years rookie teams have experienced some sort of "dead" robot at one point or another, either by their doing or the fields. To suggest that any robot that isn't designed such that the ball easily falls out of the robot when power/control is lost is a poorly designed robot is just ridiculous.

Almost any effective ball collector and ball security system worth it's weight is going to be designed such that it has a really good grip (#TouchItAndOwnIt). Not too mention really effective ball catchers, which would be designed to effectively contain the ball when it enters the robot.

It seems that the design your robot to "never be stuck with the ball" and the design your to be "effective at playing a sound strategy" are on opposite sides of the spectrum.

Pretty much losing a match for your alliance seems like a high penalty for designing a robot that is effective at playing this game.

We will do our best to ensure our design causes the least risk to our alliance for this rule, but not at the expense of effective strategy/design for the 99% of the time the robot is fully operational.

-Adam