Which 3 robots would form the most overpowered alliance?

[asid61]

Originally Posted by magnets

This seems to be an accepted fact from many users, but I'm not convinced. A single team which can grab 4 containers as quickly as any other grabber would be hugely desirable, so teams are going to make robots that can get 4 very quickly.

I agree, a 4-can is better than a 2-can. The main issue is that you have to reach from the center of the field to the edges of it. This leaves you three options:
-Swing your arm out in autonomous
-Swing your arm out during the 60s setup time and retract them later
-Swing your arm out during setup an dnever retract it.
The first option is inherently slow; you would have to devote way too many resources to ensure that the 4-can grab is faster than the opponent's 2-can.
The second option is better, but the sheer weight of the assembly, plus the setup time could make it too slow or unreliable.
The last option can be light, as it does not need any type of retraction mechanism. However, it guarentees that you can't effectively play the game anymore.
I think it's possible, but it is much harder than just dropping two 72" rods down to grab if you want to match speed. And you would have to be faster than any two-can.