Unusual, potential game pieces

[Jared Russell]

Originally Posted by Wayne TenBrink

I have been hoping for a cylindrical game piece for years. Capped and half filled would be an interesting challenge, but I would prefer to see thin walled, hollow tubes. Length, diameter, material, weight, and quantity TBD. The length-to-diameter ratio should be near 1:1. This would make it feasible to acquire the tube by several methods (grasp OD, skewer the bore, etc.) with no obviously "correct" method. Game pieces could lay on their side or stand on end, and the orientation of the robot to the game piece would affect the way the tube reacted during acquisition. There is a broad range of tasks options to challenge teams with different skills, and few robot mechanism ideas from previous games would be useful. Game piece placement options include: (easiest) move it into a defined scoring zone, (easy) place in bin, (moderate) toss it into a bin that is higher than the robot, (harder) hang it on a pin rack with more points for higher pins, or (harder yet) fit the game piece through a round hole with modest clearance to the tube OD for highest points. Color coded tubes? Different size tubes? Moveable goals? Options galore! Tubes could be cheap and readily available (PVC), robust, visible from the stands, wouldn't require inflation, and would fit thru a door.

Best idea in the thread

[EricH]

I, too, have been hoping for traffic cones.

That being said, we haven't had playground dodgeballs in a long while, probably due to the "inflatable" and "consistent characteristics" problems.

[holygrail]

Hula hoops could definitely present an interesting challenge. We invented a VEX game with foam rings and tall posts and teams got extra points for having the top ring on the post. It was probably my favorite game we have used for our VEX classes because it always kept the action moving around since teams were incentivized to score on a different post each time. Hula hoops would be an easy way to do something similar for larger FRC bots.

I also think the cylinder idea would be awesome. The GDC likely takes into account transportability, so I could see them using something like that but maybe more like a cone. They would stack for easy transportation and field reset and they would add the extra challenge of not rolling straight.

[Big Ideas]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

I'm still holding out for FIRST using these for game pieces.

YES!! Bumble Balls are the best! Robot gets extra points for turning them off when in possession. I figure about 50 on the field would be a gas.

[jajabinx124]

Originally Posted by The other Gabe

our most used robot for demos is by far 2012

Same with us, 2012 is pretty much our go to demo bot. (We try to use 2013 and others but it's a bit risky. The frisbees could break things or hurt someone, so we have to be extra careful when demoing 2013) Also we don't have to worry about accidentaly hitting other people with 2012 game pieces.

[SavtaKenneth]

About using pipes as a game piece. In Israel we hold each year a preparatory competition for teams called Falafel, this gives team a chance to practice another (more laid back) build season. Last year our game piece was PVC pipes and it was a great success for the following reasons

• Very cheap
• very easy to find
• Can handle rough contact from robots
• New challenge for FRC teams but it does have a few known solutions in the outside world

We got great feedback from teams about this game piece and it'd be pretty cool if FIRST used a similar game piece in the future.

If anyone is interested here are some videos from the final matches of the competition (The goal was to move as many pipes to the goals on the other end of the field and then hang during the end game)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpn_...DdAEER10c1ejz9

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by jajabinx124

(We try to use 2013 and others but it's a bit risky. The frisbees could break things or hurt someone, so we have to be extra careful when demoing 2013) Also we don't have to worry about accidentaly hitting other people with 2012 game pieces.

We used our 2013 robot for demos at the Monroe County Fair. There were many children injuries (many from them doing brutal things to one another chasing down frisbees) and one very scary moment where an eager toddler try to frontload the robot just before it fired and the launch was quickly aborted.

[efoote868]

I'm still in favor of a heavy game piece greatly changing a robot's dynamic. Most teams assume year in and year out that their robot will weigh 150ish lbs fully loaded, but if the game requires the robot to pick up and drop off 50-100 lbs of game items, drive trains will really require some thought, as well as manipulators.

Also the biggest crowd pleaser in recent game history was the bridges from 2012.
Heavy game object which can be un-scored + requirement to balance with game objects + robot v robot interactions would be awesome.

[hectorcastillo]

Originally Posted by chrisfl

American footballs

Another "good game piece" criterium: NOT inflated.

I think the New England teams would have an advantage in this game

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by EricH

I, too, have been hoping for traffic cones.

Please, in the name of Kamen, no.
We've already got gigantic tetrahedrons, trackballs, yoga balls, innertubes, basketball goals, and recycling cans taking up space in our workshop. Please no more enormous, useless game objects.

[Noudvanbrunscho]

Originally Posted by Taylor

Please, in the name of Kamen, no.
We've already got gigantic tetrahedrons, trackballs, yoga balls, innertubes, basketball goals, and recycling cans taking up space in our workshop. Please no more enormous, useless game objects.

Maybe u can use the traffic cones to fence the old game pieces?

[TDav540]

Originally Posted by Taylor

Please, in the name of Kamen, no.
We've already got gigantic tetrahedrons, trackballs, yoga balls, innertubes, basketball goals, and recycling cans taking up space in our workshop. Please no more enormous, useless game objects.

Well at least the recycling can you could repurpose

[marshall]

Originally Posted by TDav540

Well at least the recycling can you could repurpose

This happened a few times to us this past season unintentionally. Had to have a student clean it out at one point.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Taylor

Please, in the name of Kamen, no.
We've already got gigantic tetrahedrons, trackballs, yoga balls, innertubes, basketball goals, and recycling cans taking up space in our workshop. Please no more enormous, useless game objects.

You know the track balls, yoga balls, and inner tubes can be deflated right?

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Taylor

Please, in the name of Kamen, no.
We've already got gigantic tetrahedrons, trackballs, yoga balls, innertubes, basketball goals, and recycling cans taking up space in our workshop. Please no more enormous, useless game objects.

Why haven't you disassembled your tetras by now? Do you still do demonstrations with your 2005 robot?