Opinion Poll: Proliferation of Prefbricated Parts

[MrJohnston]

Originally Posted by Ginger Power

There will never be a day when 'Company A' sells a game specific solution that will be more optimized than, the 254's and 1114's of the world..

I disagree. There is no doubt that there are a number of teams that annually produce some very impressive robots. However, by the nature of FRC teams, all their pieces and parts are, to one degree or another, designed and built by students. I am convinced that a group of professional robotics engineers could work together to produce a better product than any team where students are an integral part of the design or fabrication of parts. If it is permitted, we will see an improvement of ready-made parts in time. Our suppliers are trying to make a profit (that's fine, of course); if their is a profit in creating better-performing pieces and parts, they will do so.

There does need to be a line - such as the FTC rule mentioned previously... I know I like the fact that we can start with the Kit Bot. I do wonder if the Rhinos go too far... I suppose I don't mind if pieces such as the AndyMark Intake are available, if they are not particularly good in comparison to what the average veteran FRC team can do on their own? (Kind of like the Kit Bot - it will roll around, but don't don't expect too much speed, pushing power, etc. without some refinement.) In other words, the struggling team can get something on the field and play the game, but will not be in a position to be stronger than teams with some know-how. )

Perhaps one differentiation could be here: Gearboxes, Actuators, etc. are not game-specific solutions. It is still up to teams to figure out how to use them. The Rhino drive and the intake are something more than that...