FRC Blog - Australia Regional Event Logistics

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by tcjinaz

The multiple robot thing would take some real close inspection of the rules. Bag & tag two, one for competition in North America, and another for the Antipodes?

The rules, as they were written last year, wouldn't allow this. Per R1 "Each registered FRC team may enter only one (1) ROBOT (or ‘Robot’, which to a reasonably astute observer, is a Robot built for FRC) into the 2014 FRC." That's not to say the rules can't change, and personally I think it's a great solution to a complicated problem. It would require some serious discussion with FIRST to get the rule changed, and I bet there would be additional caveats in place as well - you can't just build two robots, they have to be built identical, you can only do it if you get exemption from FIRST ahead of time (to prevent teams from building two just to go to two different near-by regionals and trying to get some gain from that), etc.

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

The cheaper solution is to register two teams. One for Australia could only cost $5000 (as a vet team).
Better yet, order the parts delivered to Australia and do that build there as a robot-in-one-day on Thursday of competition.
Then you don't have to rush back.

This... could very well be 100% legal. It doesn't violate any robot rules (each "team" is only entering one robot), and we already have precedence for teams splitting into two, schools hosting multiple teams, and teams working together to produce nearly identical robots.

Of course, it gets extremely interesting if you consider both "teams" earning a spot at champs - do they both compete? Could we possibly see them in different divisions and facing off against each other on Einstein? And since we're talking about a Hall Of Fame team... does the "new team" get to go after Chairman's, potentially resulting in a "double HoF"?

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

The cheaper solution is to register two teams. One for Australia could only cost $5000 (as a vet team).
Better yet, order the parts delivered to Australia and do that build there as a robot-in-one-day on Thursday of competition.
Then you don't have to rush back.

That's actually a great idea.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

And since we're talking about a Hall Of Fame team... does the "new team" get to go after Chairman's, potentially resulting in a "double HoF"?

The chances of this happening are practically nil. Winning RCA requires showing sustained culture change. This is especially hard for a new team to do. You COULD see them winning EI as that lacks the requirement of sustained culture change.

There is also already a double HoF (191 if I recall, won in 1992 and 1994). And it's possible again (HoF teams can compete 5 years or more after their induction).

Edit: The new team wouldn't be eligible for rookie awards either as they would likely not meet FIRST's definition of rookie.

[Lil' Lavery]

Worth noting that if you follow the guidelines posted by FIRST, it would be impossible for a district team to compete in Australia, as it only leaves one weekend left to compete back home (week 6).

[Wetzel]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Worth noting that if you follow the guidelines posted by FIRST, it would be impossible for a district team to compete in Australia, as it only leaves one weekend left to compete back home (week 6).

Whilst likely undesirable, you could choose to only participate in one district event.

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by compwiztobe

Ok so I saw the mockery coming a mile away. No, its not cheap. But remember FIRST does have the support of Fedex, who already supplies 1 or 2 thousand to each CMP team every year (and used to do a heck of a lot more!). I think $6000 market value is not a totally unreasonable number for FedEx, FIRST, and 359 to work out between themselves, when FedEx donates millions in robot shipping annually, and FIRST and 359 are no strangers to shipping robot crates overseas.

But I'm a member of none of these parties, so I'll stop talking.

FedEx Hawaii has already provided support in the past to teams that go to and from Hawaii, to other events. Its the same support that has allowed the international teams to participate here in Hawaii, as I was told.
We were already informed by our Hawaii group that we would receive support on shipment if we participate in Australia.
Our main concern is the robot getting to the Sydney event on time from a week 1 regional in California.

[JB987]

Glenn,
Glad to hear FedEx is supporting your shipping effort to Australia and other parts. Shipping robots and pit stuff internationally itself doesn't take so long...the biggest time sink is with customs (or so it was for the four team crates we shipped to/from China). Something tells me you will be able to get through customs faster in Australia though

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by JB987

Glenn,
Glad to hear FedEx is supporting your shipping effort to Australia and other parts. Shipping robots and pit stuff internationally itself doesn't take so long...the biggest time sink is with customs (or so it was for the four team crates we shipped to/from China). Something tells me you will be able to get through customs faster in Australia though

Thanks Joe!
Our Hawaii RD is the reason why we get the support.
Has nothing to do with the FIRST Fedex support.

We need the FIRST Fedex support when we do IE week 1.

Good luck in Dallas!

Glenn

[waialua359]

We are currently waiting more information on the shipping logistics for shipping to and from this event, and have been in continuous contact with the organizers.

If it cant be worked out, then I guess see everyone who is going to be in Madera week 2.

[lucas.alvarez96]

Originally Posted by compwiztobe

I'm glad someone's taking me seriously...

Note that airfare for one team member is also in the ballpark of a few thousand dollars.

*sigh* That reminds me of when my team had to raise 60k in under 3 weeks to get to St. Louis after winning the LA Chairman's award.