Petition to end the shouting of ROBOT

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Daniel_LaFleur

The team pushing the robot did not yell anything (especially not "robot") and the person in question backed out of a pit (was not directly in front of the robot).

1: A team pushing a robot should not be yelling anything. The risk to others is at the front of the robot, where the robot will be in a moment, not where the robot has already been. A vanguard or two should be walking ahead of the robot, calmly making sure people know that a robot is coming through.

2: Someone backing out of a pit without looking isn't likely to be magically protected from tripping backwards over something by a shout of ROBOT!, especially if he wasn't paying enough attention to his environment to hear a preceding warning, but I agree that it makes sense to call attention to the imminent collision.

[Miss157]

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but first of all, at WPI this weekend, I was absolutely appalled to see teams rushing through the pits, yelling robot. Maybe my memory over exaggerated this but the speed that people were going, robot in tow, was just astounding.

Also, as for the Safety Award, 157 got runner-up for Safety at WPI and we do not yell robot on our team when escorting. Maybe that was the particular judges at WPI this past weekend, but food for thought.
(Also, I spoke to the judges and I know that not yelling robot was not the reason we received runner-up.)

[Safety Sophie]

I believe that "ROBOT" should only be yelled if teams are not responding to team members kindly asking them to get out of the way. "ROBOT" has turned into a sort of white noise at this point..
Of course, teams should still notify all people around them that a robot is in transit. I'm just not sure if this is the way to do it. The Safety Manual states:
Transporting:
o Make sure the robot is stable on the cart before transporting.
o Keep the cart under control at all times, especially when removing or placing the
robot.
o Do not include music on your robot cart.
o Use patience and control when moving the robot, especially in crowded areas. Do not run.
o Ensure that the cart will not roll away or pose a hazard, especially upon robot
removal. Use a chock block if necessary.
o Use the gate opening when entering/exiting the playing field. Climbing over the railing is prohibited.

There is nothing in the transportation rules that demand teams to yell "ROBOT" in the pits. There is, however, a rule which states that teams may not play music on their carts. Just something to think about.

SAFETY FIRST

[Oblarg]

Originally Posted by Safety Sophie

"ROBOT" has turned into a sort of white noise at this point.

No kidding; people were shouting simply for the sake of shouting it at the NC regional. I even overheard a few mentors encouraging their students to shout louder, when the path was completely clear and there was no reason to alert anyone of anything.

[robochick1319]

Originally Posted by Oblarg

No kidding; people were shouting simply for the sake of shouting it at the NC regional. I even overheard a few mentors encouraging their students to shout louder, when the path was completely clear and there was no reason to alert anyone of anything.

In contrast, one of the biggest problems I saw at the NC Regional was the lack of people guiding their robots or even saying something polite about "robot coming through." I was nearly clipped several times each day by teams that had no one out front and no one saying anything. I even saw several teams almost bulldoze their own members as they entered/exited their pit without saying anything.

Between the two extremes of yelling for no reason and not saying anything, I have to say I prefer yelling. Annoying, somewhat. But not nearly as annoying as almost being run over time after time after time.

[Nate Laverdure]

Originally Posted by Oblarg

No kidding; people were shouting simply for the sake of shouting it at the NC regional. I even overheard a few mentors encouraging their students to shout louder, when the path was completely clear and there was no reason to alert anyone of anything.

I confronted the Safety Advisors about this at the NC Regional but was shrugged off. This kind of behavior was then explicitly reinforced during the awards ceremony. Frustrating.

[Leav]

Everyone who doesn't like to hear "ROBOT! COMING THROUGH!" is invited to the Israeli regional next year, that practice thankfully didn't make it over the pond to us! (yet! )

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by Leav

Everyone who doesn't like to hear "ROBOT! COMING THROUGH!" is invited to the Israeli regional next year, that practice thankfully didn't make it over the pond to us! (yet! )

Or come to Boilermaker this weekend. If you shout robot here you will be quickly corrected

[Zebra_Fact_Man]

Is there any actual realistic endgame to this thread? Or are we talking to talk (like in other threads)? You can't MAKE people stop doing something regardless how hard you try, ESPECIALLY if people feel justified that they're doing it in the name of safety. Good luck trying to convince them otherwise; you're fighting a nearly impossible uphill battle.
At first I found this thread interesting, then humorous. Now it's just sad. There are some people that are gunna keep yelling robot and that's the way of things.

[gabrielau23]

I think ROBOT!!!!!!! should really only be used as a last resort. If tapping people on the shoulder, or kindly telling them, "Excuse me, there's a robot coming through," with a person or two in front of the main robot entourage, you might just have to in order to avoid running them over.

[mc153]

That sounds good. If anyone is reading my comment. .... Flub...flub blub flub

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Zebra_Fact_Man

Is there any actual realistic endgame to this thread? Or are we talking to talk (like in other threads)? You can't MAKE people stop doing something regardless how hard you try, ESPECIALLY if people feel justified that they're doing it in the name of safety. Good luck trying to convince them otherwise; you're fighting a nearly impossible uphill battle.
At first I found this thread interesting, then humorous. Now it's just sad. There are some people that are gunna keep yelling robot and that's the way of things.

You can't use correlation to imply causation, but since the publishing of this thread, I have heard "ROBOT!" shouted way less. This idea has informed Chief Delphi posters and lurkers of the downsides of shouting ROBOT! - they may not have even considered it before. This thread has informed teams on alternate, safe ways to clear a path through the pits. And even now, people are posting and changing their minds on this issue. Just because you've gotten the message doesn't mean everyone has.

[themccannman]

This is a silly thread.

[Georgiawho]

I also think the yelling of ROBOT is a tradition. No one gets hurt by yelling, and yelling ROBOT prevents people from running into the robot, getting hurt, etc. I think it's all part of the game process, and it's all in good fun.

Originally Posted by Jay O'Donnell

I personally find the yelling of ROBOT as tradition. its not hurting anyone, and it gets the job done faster than quietly asking everyone to move. If you tried to get through the pits of GSR by quietly asking every single person to move, it would take 10 minutes to get through. Its just one of those things that makes a competition what it is.

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by themccannman

This is a silly thread.

Originally Posted by Georgiawho

I also think the yelling of ROBOT is a tradition. No one gets hurt by yelling, and yelling ROBOT prevents people from running into the robot, getting hurt, etc.

Agreed! It's tradition, and no matter what anyone believes, it works.

I disagree with just yelling ROBOT, but yelling "ROBOT COMING THROUGH" is much more effective.

As the "District model" takes precedence and slowly becomes the norm, the pits become smaller and smaller and more people (or even the same amount of people as Regionals) make a more congested area for robot transportation.

Rudely yelling ROBOT should be discouraged, but yelling something to grab the attention of all those darn people in the way as robots are trying to queue up, is necessary!

I for one will NOT be signing this silly petition.

But then again, I'm old school.
I have learned that (even at the team event years ago at the Altlanta Aquarium) yelling ROBOT makes robotics folks move out of the way even when not at the competition site.
We've all been trained well in that regard.