[FTC]: 2014-2015 Game Manual Part 1 Now Online

[CENTURION]

Originally Posted by MattRain

They are awesome. But, as a team who loans their full field out, we hate them chewing up our mats.

Huh, we ran them for one regional, two scrimmages (think slightly-smaller-regional), and a couple outreach events on our mats (actually, all those events were on the same mats, we provide two fields for the regional, and run the scrimmages), never had any damage.

I guess you'd see more damage if teams are running them without a dropped-center?

What kind of damage were you seeing? Do you know how the wheel caused it?

[MattRain]

Chucks or rips here and there. Part of it was probably the non dropped-center robots. We only had a little bit of damage, but we would like to get a few seasons out of one set of pads and we are on our third set now.

[Recondelta090]

From what I saw, previous rule, 2013-14 Game Manual Rule <R08>n.6 was not included in this year's game manual.

vi. The processor included in the Prototype Board may not be reprogrammed.

Although, it says nothing in the rules about it being allowed to be programmed either.
Also, I think it may be helpful in some cases that a 9V battery can be used to power the Prototype Board.

[ehochstein]

I grabbed some pictures from IRI of the new motor and a 2 speed shifting gearbox!

[CENTURION]

That's really cool and all, and I'd love to use it in a drivetrain just for cool factor. But holy whoah it's huge. Can you even fit two of those across from each other in a robot?

Honestly, with the size of the field, and the amount of stuff that's on it, I don't see a need for shifting. There's not enough space to really get up to speed anyway.

[Nemo]

Originally Posted by CENTURION

That's really cool and all, and I'd love to use it in a drivetrain just for cool factor. But holy whoah it's huge. Can you even fit two of those across from each other in a robot?

Honestly, with the size of the field, and the amount of stuff that's on it, I don't see a need for shifting. There's not enough space to really get up to speed anyway.

In my opinion, there is a place for shifters in FTC. A heavy FTC robot with decently grippy wheels (such as rubber lego tires) has to be geared really slow to be traction limited.

[atucker4072]

I was also at IRI and was told by someone who worked on the new motor that all the gears were metal and there was no plastic gears.

[wgardner]

Originally Posted by atucker4072

I was also at IRI and was told by someone who worked on the new motor that all the gears were metal and there was no plastic gears.

I hope you're right. The AndyMark datasheet specifically says that the first stage is plastic and the rest are steel, but maybe they're still early in their design and can be convinced to make them all steel, given the issues that Tetrix had with plastic gears last year?

[safiq10]

Originally Posted by CENTURION

That's really cool and all, and I'd love to use it in a drivetrain just for cool factor. But holy whoah it's huge. Can you even fit two of those across from each other in a robot?

Honestly, with the size of the field, and the amount of stuff that's on it, I don't see a need for shifting. There's not enough space to really get up to speed anyway.

I also agree with you in that the field is too small for a shifter. But I can see it being used in mechanism designs. The most immediate design would be a winch system that FRC used this year.

[atucker4072]

Originally Posted by safiq10

I also agree with you in that the field is too small for a shifter. But I can see it being used in mechanism designs. The most immediate design would be a winch system that FRC used this year.

Say the game calls for speed like Block Party did. That's great you realize it and you build a fast robot that can zip around the field. Okay someone plays defense on you. Would you rather have to try and make a move around them and possibly have to around to the other side of the field or would you rather shift and be able to just push them out of your way?

[JohnFogarty]

Originally Posted by atucker4072

Say the game calls for speed like Block Party did. That's great you realize it and you build a fast robot that can zip around the field. Okay someone plays defence on you. Would you rather have to try and make a move around them and possibly have to around to the other side of the field or would you rather shift and be able to just push them out of your way?

If your image is some insane resolution could you just link the image instead of embedding it....the image is too big for my browser even in 1080p mode.

Coming from someone who has used shifters in FRC before. You would much rather design a system that can escape pushing as opposed to something that could just plow through something.

There's no glaring need for shifters in the FTC drivetrain, but I can see it being useful in mechanism design. I hope those gears in the AM motors are all metal. I don't want to have to experience the plastic any-more.

[ehochstein]

Originally Posted by JohnFogarty

If your image is some insane resolution could you just link the image instead of embedding it....the image is too big for my browser even in 1080p mode.

I apologize for that, uploaded a few minutes after taking them on my cell phone and by the time I had time to go back and fix it, the edit button was gone...

[MattRain]

There is not a limit this year to the size of the wheels. 4in limitation is gone.

[orangemoore]

Originally Posted by MattRain

There is not a limit this year to the size of the wheels. 4in limitation is gone.

That is so awesome!

[Neutrinos6433]

Originally Posted by atucker4072

Say the game calls for speed like Block Party did. That's great you realize it and you build a fast robot that can zip around the field. Okay someone plays defense on you. Would you rather have to try and make a move around them and possibly have to around to the other side of the field or would you rather shift and be able to just push them out of your way?

Are we sure a shifting gear box is legal? I would think it is a COTS with more than one degree of freedom. Only COTS with one degree of freedom are allowed. In a shifting gearbox, one degree of freedom is rotational and the other degree of freedom is translation (for shifting).

In fact a non shifting gearbox could be considered having more than one degree of freedom as each gear has its own axis and different rotational direction. All this will have to be clarified in the official forums, but your comments at this time will be appreciated.