FRC Blog- Frank Answers Friday: Pool Noodles

[Owen Busler]

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr...y-Pool-Noodles

Today’s good question comes from Billfred (not his real name, but we’re rolling with it) Leverette, a mentor on FRC Team 4901, Garnet Squadron, from Columbia, South Carolina, USA:

Question:

Should we buy pool noodles this fall?

--Billfred Leverette
Head Bot Coach and Eternal Optimist
FRC 4901 (Garnet Squadron)

Answer:

Hi Billfred,

Yes, you should buy pool noodles. For your bumpers, this time.

Frank

Yes.

[Thad House]

Best news to come out of FIRST in a while.

Never thought I'd be this excited about bumpers...

[MysterE]

Yaaaaaaaaaas.

[FrankJ]

I had a dream last night that it was a water game. Maybe the drivers will use pool noodles to float.

Best game hint ever.

[Owen Busler]

Originally Posted by FrankJ

I had a dream last night that it was a water game. Maybe the drivers will use pool noodles to float.

Best game hint ever.

Really. Only three replies and its already at a water game.

[Darkseer54]

This calls for a celebration! Though I never thought the CD community would be so happy to see more defense.

[marshall]

Thankfully we have some green ones left over from last year. I hope. Unless someone had a pool party with them.

Useful link for new teams:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...p age_o00_s00

[carpedav000]

Ah, yes. Defense means gearboxes and eight wheel tank drive and all things wanderful.

[Matthew2468]

Best post I have ever read by far🎉

[Nathan Streeter]

Now that is a clear game hint!

[jvriezen]

I predict the 2016 game field will not be divided into two halves by an impassible barrier.

[Alpha Beta]

Originally Posted by carpedav000

Ah, yes. Defense means gearboxes and eight wheel tank drive and all things wanderful.

It also means opportunity for higher current draws in pushing matches between high powered drive-trains. Good time to look over the brownout specs (page 7) on the roboRIO.

[carpedav000]

Originally Posted by Alpha Beta

It also means opportunity for higher current draws in pushing matches between high powered drive-trains. Good time to look over the brownout specs (page 7) on the roboRIO.

Yeah, as a mechanical monkey I frequently forget about these things...

[Jon Stratis]

I challenge everyone celebrating this news (including myself!) to go out there and make an effort to teach another team how to make good looking bumpers that attach easily and securely. It's always been a headache at an event, and will be doubly so this year, as we'll have two years worth of rookie teams who have never made bumpers... Not to mention the team's that have forgotten how to make them, or had the key person who made them graduate last year without passing on the knowledge!

[pabeekm]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

I challenge everyone celebrating this news (including myself!) to go out there and make an effort to teach another team how to make good looking bumpers that attach easily and securely. It's always been a headache at an event, and will be doubly so this year, as we'll have two years worth of rookie teams who have never made bumpers... Not to mention the team's that have forgotten how to make them, or had the key person who made them graduate last year without passing on the knowledge!

Better yet, teach them about easy, powerful drivetrains.