December Design Competition 2014: Tubular Touchdown

Originally Posted by pabeekm

With 100 footballs at their disposal, it seems very feasible that someone could make a team 71 in 2002 type bot, just pull a goal (or both) up to the feeder station, lock in place, and for the entire time before fourth down just funnel/chuck in balls.

What made 71 so deadly wasn't just the design, but the execution. These days with the added robots and the more powerful drive systems I don't think a 71 style robot would be effective in this game. It was something we all discussed before choosing it. I am in no way saying that it is better to go with a safer design, but a risky design like 71's requires proof of perfect execution to be successful, and that's proof that is hard to conjure in a design competition such as this one.

[Whippet]

It looks like about 190 footballs will fit in the rolling goal. I have simulated it and got 184 to fit. Anyone willing to verify that?

[Chris is me]

Can multiple HEPTAGONAL INNER TUBES be scored per PEG? IE, even though there are only 24 tubes, can all 33 of your starting tubes be put on your own Mobile Goal?

[AllenGregoryIV]

Originally Posted by Andrew Lawrence

There is no rule specifying how game pieces may be entered onto the field.

This seems like an odd answer. Can they be thrown around the side wall of the driver station? Can the human players walk to the sides of the field and throw them in? Can they be entered through the goal post? To the extreme can a human player bring a quad copter to the driver station and fly the game pieces to the center of the field (clearly illegal, I'm just saying this rule can dramatically effect robot design and game play)

Originally Posted by Chris is me

Can multiple HEPTAGONAL INNER TUBES be scored per PEG? IE, even though there are only 24 tubes, can all 33 of your starting tubes be put on your own Mobile Goal?

Yes.

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

This seems like an odd answer. Can they be thrown around the side wall of the driver station? Can the human players walk to the sides of the field and throw them in? Can they be entered through the goal post? To the extreme can a human player bring a quad copter to the driver station and fly the game pieces to the center of the field (clearly illegal, I'm just saying this rule can dramatically effect robot design and game play)

The intent was that all humans be behind the alliance walls at all times. G19 has been added to clarify this intention.

Regarding the quad copter....that would be pretty cool. You are right though that like many things you have pointed out - these limitations were an oversight that were not included due to the intended nature of the design competition. We figured that if it became important in the eyes of someone else, someone would ask, and we would provide an official answer. We wanted to make the manual small and simple in exchange for rules and clauses that we decided were either too situational to require an immediate rule or too unlikely/irrelevant to affect how teams approach their design.

[Chris is me]

G1: When placed on the field, each robot must be:
Confined to its STARTING CONFIGURATION
Positioned so that they are facing their GOAL POST with the field guardrail to their left

What does "facing" mean? Is there a defined "front" of the robot? Isn't there always a field guardrail to the left of a robot? I have no idea what this rule is trying to say.

[Jay O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

What does "facing" mean? Is there a defined "front" of the robot? Isn't there always a field guardrail to the left of a robot? I have no idea what this rule is trying to say.

It means that if one were to face their goal's side, their robot has to be on the left side of the field. Think of Breakaway's autonomous mode starting positions.

[IronicDeadBird]

So I hear defense is an option...
Since the footballs aren't (or at least I do not believe they are not) designated to a team does that mean you can interact with game pieces that your opponent are in possession of?

Originally Posted by IronicDeadBird

So I hear defense is an option...
Since the footballs aren't (or at least I do not believe they are not) designated to a team does that mean you can interact with game pieces that your opponent are in possession of?

Footballs are not alliance specific, so if you can find a way to retrieve footballs from another robot in a way that ensures the other robot is not damaged, it will not be against the rules. That being said as a judge I wouldn't say it's a particularly smart strategy.

[Orion.DeYoe]

Not sure if I'm interpreting G4 correctly however doesn't the part against breaking the plane of the floor make it impossible to pull the goal over the speed bumps without incurring a 9001 point penalty?

[Orion.DeYoe]

Are footballs scored in the mobile goals in autonomous considered scored like teleop?
This question leads to another: when are scores assessed? Are they assessed when the match ends or as events take place? If you knock a tube off the peg (not unlikely by any standard) is it descored?

Originally Posted by Orion.DeYoe

Not sure if I'm interpreting G4 correctly however doesn't the part against breaking the plane of the floor make it impossible to pull the goal over the speed bumps without incurring a 9001 point penalty?

It says nothing about breaking the plane of the floor, but that the plane of the base may not intersect the plane of the floor. While I did not add that part to the rule, I believe this was added under the assumption that the plane of the base was limited to the surface area of the base, essentially saying "the base cannot touch the floor", with the intent being that the goals should not fall down or be tipped over.

Originally Posted by Orion.DeYoe

Are footballs scored in the mobile goals in autonomous considered scored like teleop?
This question leads to another: when are scores assessed? Are they assessed when the match ends or as events take place? If you knock a tube off the peg (not unlikely by any standard) is it descored?

There are no points awarded to footballs scored in the mobile goals during the autonomous period. Scores are to be assessed at the end of the round per usual, and G7 has been added to the rules to clarify this.

[Chirag]

First of all, this is awesome! Now I have something to satisfy my designing urges until build season.

A couple of questions. Can the mobile goals be intentionally moved or grasped during autonomous and/or teleop period/before the Fourth Down period? Can you move your goal or your opponent's goal to one side of the field or another? Also, are you able to grab the opponent's goal?

I only skimmed through the rules earlier and haven't had time to thoroughly read them so I apologize if my questions were already answered in the rules.

Originally Posted by Chirag

First of all, this is awesome! Now I have something to satisfy my designing urges until build season.

A couple of questions. Can the mobile goals be intentionally moved or grasped during autonomous and/or teleop period/before the Fourth Down period? Can you move your goal or your opponent's goal to one side of the field or another? Also, are you able to grab the opponent's goal?

I only skimmed through the rules earlier and haven't had time to thoroughly read them so I apologize if my questions were already answered in the rules.

We are glad you like our game! Everything you said is legal. Keep in mind that you need to predict how your opponents will play the game and respond to each of your actions. Some strategies seem really easy until you realize that there are robots who won't let you just do what you want willingly.

[Whippet]

Do the casters on the bottom of the mobile goals swivel or are they fixed?