[FRC Blog] Pit Set-Up and Trophies

[Jon Stratis]

The big concern with this change and bag and tag is someone accidentally unbagging early, and then having to go through some visible process with the LRI so that everyone knows things are fair.

At past events (at least in MN), we've visited each pit after that team is finished loading in and out a nice big green or red sheet on the robot saying they could unbag or that there is a problem they need to resolve first (like taking the bag and tag sheet back to the hotel with them instead of leaving it with the robot as requested). It provides a nice, obvious reminder for teams when they actually get to the venue to do work, and as a system has worked quite nicely. It also reduces pain all around as most teams get checked off the night before, and we only have to worry about a couple of teams the morning of.

With this change, teams will be hanging out in their pit the night before. Sure, they'll set up... And then they'll want to walk around, talk to other teams, check out other robots. Do we try to regulate or stop that? It'll be just like the chaos that normally happens when pits open for work on the first day. If we use the same red and green sheets, someone will undoubtedly see green and snip the ziptie without thinking. If we wait until everyone leaves, then the volunteers have to stay longer to finish the job.

And most of our venues don't have room for a "robot jail". It's something we've used for our state event before, but that event is only 30 teams held in a venue that holds a 63 team regional earlier in the season, which gives us plenty of room.