Wall 'o Boxes

[JVN]

Originally posted by GregT
I see a few things missing from this thread:
3) A tank bot is not neccissarily more powerful then a stacking robot. You catorize stackers as weak... almost all FIRST robots are friction limited. Stackers can gain a 10 - 20 lb weight advnatage easy; possibly upwards of 40lbs. Assuming your talking about robots with tracks, they do worry me (wheeled robots can't gain a sufficient advantage over other wheeled robots).

I know this doesn't describe all tracked robots, but in general they tend to be slower and less manuverable then wheeled ones. They have an advantage only on the carpet, no advantage on the HDPE.

4) I dont see how you can expect to hold the HDPE. You have less traction then robots coming up the mesh AND your being acted on at an unfavorable angle. Think about it.

In #3 you mentioned how everything is dominated by friction, and it is unfair to characterize a type of robot as weaker.
Then, in #4 you went on to say how a robot on the HDPE has less traction than one on the mesh... It's just like you said above. A robot that gets a 1.2 coeff on the HDPE will beat a robot that gets a 1.0 coeff on the mesh... the mesh is easier to get a good "grip" on, but there are plenty of teams that have taken the time to "grip" the HDPE just as well, or better.

I think it will be harder than most people realize to "unseat" robots from the top of the ramp. Or at least the ones that have designed to stay up there. Even if you can dislodge a robot from the top, that doesn't necessarily mean you can get on top yourself.

I can't wait to see some of the epic battles for the HDPE.
FIRST truly has made a game that is more audience friendly. Falling boxes, loud noise, robots colliding.

Just $.02