[FRC Blog] Surprise!

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by Hallry

What could go wrong?
Disclaimer: For those who haven't seen this picture before, no, it's not a game hint, it was a spoof made by Dave Lavery way back in 2005: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/22422

OMG OMG

... poor Dozer, always getting into trouble.

[Nathan Streeter]

2016 Contents & Weights:

2016 Kickoff Kits will consist of the following items for all teams (sizes and weights are approximate):

1. One set of items, collectively, 27 in. x 17 in. x 13 in., 48 lbs.
2. One set of items, collectively, 2 in. x 2 in. x 48 in., 5 lbs.
3. One item, 8 in. x 3 in. x 7 in., 14 lbs.

2016 Kickoff Kits will include the following additional items for Rookie Teams only:

4. One set of items, collectively, 27 in. x 17 in. x 13 in., 33 lbs.
5. One item, 8 in. x 3 in. x 7 in., 14 lbs.

Teams who did not opt out of the Drive Base Kit will also receive the following item:

6. One set of items, collectively, 7 in. x 7 in. x 34 in., 28 lbs.

Teams who opted into receiving an additional Kickoff Kit’s worth of game pieces will receive:

7. (redacted)

2015 Contents & Weights for Comparison:

2015 Kickoff Kits will consist of the following items for all teams (sizes and weights are approximate):

A) One set of items, collectively, 27 in. x 17 in. x 17 in., 60 lbs.
B) One item, 8 in. x 3 in. x 7 in., 14 lbs.
C) One set of items, collectively, 29 in. x 22 in. x 22 in., 9 lbs.
D) One set of items, collectively 3 in. x 3 in. x 60 in., 6 lbs.

2015 Kickoff Kits will include the following additional items for Rookie teams only:

E) One item, 27 in. x 17 in. x 13 in., 26 lbs.
F) One item, 8 in. x 3 in. x 7 in., 14 lbs.

Teams who did not opt out of the Drive Base Kit will also receive the following item:

G) One item, 34 in. x 6 in. x 7 in., 24 lbs.

My guesses...

1. One set of items, collectively, 27 in. x 17 in. x 13 in., 48 lbs.

- A tote with the majority of the kit components... potentially including smaller or inflatable/squishable game pieces

2. One set of items, collectively, 2 in. x 2 in. x 48 in., 5 lbs.

- Donated extrusion/raw materials (weight is right for 4 pieces of 1x1x.0625 aluminum box) or a game piece or unique field element

3. One item, 8 in. x 3 in. x 7 in., 14 lbs.

- A battery

2016 Kickoff Kits will include the following additional items for Rookie Teams only:

4. One set of items, collectively, 27 in. x 17 in. x 13 in., 33 lbs.

- Tote of more kit components for rookies...

5. One item, 8 in. x 3 in. x 7 in., 14 lbs.

- A battery...

Teams who did not opt out of the Drive Base Kit will also receive the following item:

6.One set of items, collectively, 7 in. x 7 in. x 34 in., 28 lbs.

- AM14U3 (4 pounds heavier than 2015)

Teams who opted into receiving an additional Kickoff Kit’s worth of game pieces will receive:

7. (redacted)

- This could be the game piece(s)

[GreyingJay]

AM14U3 is four pounds heavier than AM14U2? Uh oh. I just convinced my team to order an AM14U2 from a recent Andymark Deal of the Day for possible use as our practice bot. The hope was that given the profile drawings the two kits would be extremely similar.

Guess we will soon see...

[Sperkowsky]

Ok so the game piece is a battery! No? Bad idea? Serisouly though guess the game piece is probably in the tote.

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

Ok so the game piece is a battery! No? Bad idea? Serisouly though guess the game piece is probably in the tote.

Unless there is no game piece...

[EricLeifermann]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

Unless there is no game piece...

Where we're going we don't need game pieces.

[Zebra_Fact_Man]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

Unless there is no game piece...

Surprise! The robots are the game pieces. First year robots can grab each other.

[MrForbes]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

Serisouly though guess the game piece is probably in the tote.

You can easily fit several small rocks into a tote full of robot parts.

[Nathan Streeter]

Originally Posted by GreyingJay

AM14U3 is four pounds heavier than AM14U2? Uh oh. I just convinced my team to order an AM14U2 from a recent Andymark Deal of the Day for possible use as our practice bot. The hope was that given the profile drawings the two kits would be extremely similar.

Guess we will soon see...

It very well could be that the other 4 pounds are just differences in wheels (up to 6" wheels maybe?), fasteners, 'optional' frame parts, and the like...

Originally Posted by Zebra_Fact_Man

Surprise! The robots are the game pieces. First year robots can grab each other.

Oh man...

[Deke]

Item 2 is clearly the pole for CTF.

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by Zebra_Fact_Man

Surprise! The robots are the game pieces. First year robots can grab each other.

AFAIK, there has not been a rule against robots on the same alliance grabbing each other, just the opposing alliance.

And item 7 is pretty definitely game pieces - read the header above. The other possibility is that it is "Nothing!" (recalls French Revolution marketplace in History of the World Part I)

[BotDesigner]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

Ok so the game piece is a battery! No? Bad idea? Serisouly though guess the game piece is probably in the tote.

What if it is the tote? Who wants to use siege weapons on a row of six-stacks. Recycle Rush would have an entirely new meaning...

[Eric Scheuing]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

AFAIK, there has not been a rule against robots on the same alliance grabbing each other, just the opposing alliance.

R37b: Each robot must be one part of Voltron.

[Zac Schofield]

I cant wait for our denim game pieces.
#DenimDerbyConfirmed

Nice to see that the 550 and 775 are gonna stay with us for another year!

No brakes on the kickoff hype train!

[M. Mellott]

Since we couldn't get a representative to a pickup site, we're having our KOP shipped to my work site. Back in December, our team contacts received an email from FIRST--here's a portion:

Greetings Teams:

Your team has selected to have your Kickoff Kit delivered via individual kit shipment (MySite) to your location rather than collecting the Kickoff Kit at one of the available Local Kickoff Locations. This year, each team’s MySite shipment is being sent on its own small pallet via ground freight where possible and via airfreight where needed. On behalf of the teams, to reduce freight cost, we have negotiated very special rates with FedEx to help you receive your Kickoff Kit as cost effectively as possible. Continental USA and Canada MySite teams will be charged $200 and other teams requiring airfreight (because of the large water between us) will be charged $600. We quoted multiple freight companies and shipping methods and this is the best way. The appropriate amount has been posted to your TIMS account and needs to be paid to FIRST by December 21st to avoid shipment delay of your Kickoff Kit.

My question is if the non-rookie KOP is only one tote and two boxes, why did it need to be shipped strapped to a pallet, and why does a 48-lb. shipment run $200? "Best way"? I might see a need for the pallet for overseas shipment, but not within the Continental US. Shipping three boxes, each with its own shipping label, would have been a lot cheaper...very disappointing.