Battle-Bots vs. FIRST: good or bad?

[vernn]

I believe that battle bots puts in just as much time and effort into their robots so they can compete. I also believe that people should respect their acomplishments such as building an actual running robot. I watch battle bots and I'm amazed by the clever designs, but i sort of think its ridiculous to send your robot into a competition that could patentially destroy it. But for alot of people thats what they like and thats their goal in building a working robot (making sure its the best). Either way I think its great that robotics is alot of peoples hobbies even outside of FIRST.

[R2K2D2]

The real difference is based on how each person interprets it. Basically look at it like this. How many types of mechanisms have you seen on a Battle Bot? Personally I don't watch it much, but I always see either some robot that pokes, or flips others, or bashes or just rams another robot and that is basically it. Let's take a look at FIRST robots. Drive trains (transmissions), arms, goal grabbers, hanging, claws and various other mechanisms. Because of this alone I think that FIRST is better. There is so much more diversity and learning because each aspect is a little similar but so much different. Now, obviously I am biased but this is just my view on it all. GO FIRST!!