[FRC Blog] Kit Hints?

[Nuttyman54]

Maybe it's materials for a "build-your-own sizing box"? They did say big changes could coming. Qty 4 of 60" lengths of 1"x1"x 0.125" aluminum angle comes in right around 5.5lbs. That's the amount you'd need to build a nominal cube sizing box 28"x28"x28" with an open bottom (4 horizontal lengths make the square base, plus 4 vertical legs). Maybe some corner connectors are included

It expands on the recent changes to the 112" perimeter rule. Now you would make your sizing box whatever size you want with the material provided. Bring it with to inspection, show that your robot fits.

Crazy? Yes. Cumbersome? Definitely. A good idea? Almost certainly not. But it checks all the boxes (pun intended):
-Required for every team
-Cannot be packed in a shorter box
-Multiple items
-6lbs
-Big change

[StAxis]

Originally Posted by Nuttyman54

Maybe it's materials for a "build-your-own sizing box"? They did say big changes could coming. Qty 4 of 60" lengths of 1"x1"x 0.125" aluminum angle comes in right around 5.5lbs. That's the amount you'd need to build a nominal cube sizing box 28"x28"x28" with an open bottom (4 horizontal lengths make the square base, plus 4 vertical legs). Maybe some corner connectors are included

It expands on the recent changes to the 112" perimeter rule. Now you would make your sizing box whatever size you want with the material provided. Bring it with to inspection, show that your robot fits.

Crazy? Yes. Cumbersome? Definitely. A good idea? Almost certainly not. But it checks all the boxes (pun intended):
-Required for every team
-Cannot be packed in a shorter box
-Multiple items
-6lbs
-Big change

This is a surprisingly reasonable, but I refuse to accept it as I am not ready to give up on my wild theories just yet.

[Jared]

If it's a game piece, it likely isn't fully assembled. I have a hard time imagining a safe, interesting 60 x 3 x 3 game piece that isn't impossible to manipulate.

[AllenGregoryIV]

Originally Posted by StAxis

This is a surprisingly reasonable, but I refuse to accept it as I am not ready to give up on my wild theories just yet.

As an LRI its hard enough to get every team to bring bumpers to competition. Trying to get them to bring a sizing box would be a nightmare.

[cgmv123]

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

As an LRI its hard enough to get every team to bring bumpers to competition. Trying to get them to bring a sizing box would be a nightmare.

Not to mention that sizing boxes are basically empty space, which there isn't room to store one for every team of at most events.

[AllenGregoryIV]

Originally Posted by cgmv123

Not to mention that sizing boxes are basically empty space, which there isn't room to store one for every team of at most events.

I assumed they would bolt together in some fashion, so they would store flat when you weren't using them.

[Nuttyman54]

Originally Posted by StAxis

This is a surprisingly reasonable, but I refuse to accept it as I am not ready to give up on my wild theories just yet.

To be fair, my idea is an an absolutely terrible idea, IMHO. As Allen Gregory pointed out, LRI's still have trouble getting teams to build bumpers correctly and bring them, even though they've been mandatory since 2008. Dealing with ensuring that all sizing boxes are compliant with the rules prior to allowing a team to demonstrate that their robot is compliant with the sizing box is several times as much work, and a recipe for disaster.

That's not to say that "choose your starting volume shape" option isn't doable, but I would hope it's implemented better than every team fabricating their own sizing box.

[StAxis]

Originally Posted by Nuttyman54

To be fair, my idea is an an absolutely terrible idea, IMHO. As Allen Gregory pointed out, LRI's still have trouble getting teams to build bumpers correctly and bring them, even though they've been mandatory since 2008. Dealing with ensuring that all sizing boxes are compliant with the rules prior to allowing a team to demonstrate that their robot is compliant with the sizing box is several times as much work, and a recipe for disaster.

That's not to say that "choose your starting volume shape" option isn't doable, but I would hope it's implemented better than every team fabricating their own sizing box.

I didn't say it was a good idea, just a reasonable guess Probably isn't it, it's probably (and hopefully) something we'll never see coming. Can't wait to find out on January 3rd though!

[JimWright949]

I think it’s a pipe that has a specific coating on it. Something like the pipes in the game with mini-bots, however, since the coating is specific to the game, a sample with the exact coating is given to each team.

[x86_4819]

A pole with some kind of fancy vision target on it?

[dellagd]

About D:

Has FIRST ever given teams part of the field in the KOP? In my short time I haven't seen it, they've always had you buy cheap alternatives to the field elements yourself, and there have been plenty of poles used in the games.


Therefore I have to conclude that it is for some reason special, so doubt about that. I'm not quite sure how special a pole can get, and I can't think of any "coating" that would make it special either. I doubt they'd do mini-bots again, that wouldn't make sense to reuse such a specific end game after only 4 years.

That really only leaves some kind of surface rolled up... fabric would be my guess, maybe because they've added something more to the bumpers this year, I don't know.

The other option is a field surface... And the only surface that really matters is the floor during the competition...



PLEASE. DON'T! My team was just starting to make awesome progress with drive trains... I don't want to drive on regolith...

[GUI]

The game piece is a fluorescent light bulb, the long package is a bundle with a few spares to account for expected breakage.

[mrnoble]

By far the most reasonable explanation is a roll with two or more colors of fabric. Spooling fabric is the quickest, safest and most practicable way to package and ship large amounts of material. Six pounds, including the center roll and the box, is totally within reason.

It's been clear to me for a while that bumpers are an area of the competition where two problems are developing for FRC. One is the constant frustration and occasional danger that is caused by teams that come to competition with incomplete or insufficient bumpers. It is often the last thing that young teams consider in build season, and with the goal being to get all teams to pass inspection, I've seen questionable bumpers okayed for play. The other is teams that are using bumpers to gain advantage through materials and construction that augment the original purpose (protection). See this year's sailcloth experiments.

All that is to say I would not be at all surprised if bumpers were standardized, and even increased in size. Three pool noodle height, perhaps? That would also increase protection, as well as the visibility of the (larger) team numbers, both of which would be highly desirable. I'll bet that the light 29" box is also bumper material.

[mrnoble]

Jinx, Chris.

[Oblarg]

Originally Posted by mrnoble

All that is to say I would not be at all surprised if bumpers were standardized, and even increased in size. Three pool noodle height, perhaps? That would also increase protection, as well as the visibility of the (larger) team numbers, both of which would be highly desirable. I'll bet that the light 29" box is also bumper material.

I could get behind these changes.

I, too, think standardized bumpers are by far the most plausible explanation.