Virtual Team Forum

[Greg Young]

We had a team meeting last night and I asked the students for their comments about the game and the competition this year. Only about a third of the team was there, but most of the core team members were there. The responses are taken directly from my notes. The students are identified by their functions on the team.

Driver/programmer/electronics/build:
Robot should have to do something more challenging - lift itself off the ground or climb something. Ideally, the field should look like a jungle gym.
More autonomous mode, as much as half the game.
Which will require a more capable controller/processor.
Headsets with mike for the field team so they can communicate during the game.
The driver couldn't see the robot a lot of the time this year.
The Walk from the pits to the field at Houston was too much.

Field strategist/build team:
The music at the driver station was too loud at Richmond, the allies couldn't hear each other to plan strategy.

Build team:
The game was too simple, not enough challenges.
The music was too loud.

Animator:
The field needs some dynamic element like the seesaw in 2001.
More autonomous, maybe even all autonomous.

Field strategist/build team:
The Walk at Houston was too much.
More autonomous mode.
Carpet is boring, make the playing field out of ice.

Build team:
More autonomous mode, make ending autonomous mode voluntary with a bonus for running autonomous longer.
More sensors and electronics allowed or in the kit.

My comments:
Autonomous mode was great. It should get longer. The idea of getting more points for doing more in autonomous is good.
There should be a single, very difficult task that will score lots of points and can't be easily undone. Not enough to win the game, but 30 to 40% of the available points.
The Walk at Houston was too much.
The pits at Houston were great.

Greg