COTS: How far should it go?

[MrJohnston]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

. Going out and going 0-12 blows. It beats you up and you start to question if you're good enough. You start to think "I'm not smart enough for this" which is exactly the battle we're trying to fight.
.

This is absolutely true - and a large part of the reason that it is imperative that FRC teams support one-another... There absolutely should be support built into the system - the only question is 'How much'?

I answered "yes" to most of the above items. I like the KOP Chassis. I like having COTS gearboxes and actuators... I overall like Ri3D.... However, I do think a line has to be drawn somewhere. When I look at the WCP robot, it looks like they are selling as a "kit" all the parts (plus assembly directions) to a robot that would be very competitive. They also advertise that it can be assembled in "a few days.".... It seems to me to be too much. What I like about the KOP Chassis is that it gets a team rolling, only needing a little bit of "know how." Then, less-experienced teams can become productive with the addition of one or two manipulators. The description (and endorsements) of the WCP robot suggest that a team with very little knowledge and effort can immediately become a force at district and regional events. This goes too far... If there is going to be a "kit," it should be something that allows a robot to be productive/useful - but not "competitive."


Teams don't need to be an alliance captain to have a good weekend. However, they so need to feel useful in a match. And, yes, having two or three wins out of 12 is way better than going 0-12.

I really don't know how I feel about the Rhino drive or the AndyMark intake system... I do think this