Transformers?

[bh202548]

So since robots are constrained in size during transportation and not during the game has anyone thought of any ways to make the automatically transform on the field? Like maybe power something with a drill that will cause it to unfold the robot into a larger configuration? Any ideas?

[GeeTwo]

It has certainly been done before. The most dramatic case I've heard of was a Lego League robot that unfolded itself into a conveyor belt that reached all the way across the field, allowing them to ferry a succession of game pieces much faster than they could have carried them. After this, the rules committee created a "sprawl rule".

[protoserge]

Just keep in mind it's not your playing field, so be sure that you will allow for the other alliance members to navigate and score.

Aside from that, I expect to see all sorts of robots: conveyors, multi-stack handlers, container collectors, etc.

Marking out the field with tape might help visualize how some ideas that are first thought to be genius turn out to impede the flow of the game and/or cause great risk of knocking down your own stacks.

[GeeTwo]

I suppose you could build a robot that sits just off the left end (from the driver's perspective) of the scoring platform with an upside-down ramp to mate up with the platform. Then, it would unroll a conveyor belt out to the loading station, reel them in, stack them in place with a "boat launch" bottom stacker, and finally push the stack to the right, onto the platform. Each stack would push the preceding ones. 60 points for 30 totes. Alliance partners could put a loaded recycle bin on selected totes to score those points. If you were willing to give up contributing to any autonomous points, you wouldn't even need wheels, except on your cart.

[bh202548]

I think if someone made a conveyor belt without wheels that could make tall stacks on scoring platforms that would be hilarious. Just keep loading from the player station and then convey them to where they need to be.