Is a shifting transmission really necessary?

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Raul

I would just like to ask a slightly different question:
How many national champions had shifting transmissions?

I can't think of any. Apparently there is more to it than the drivetrain (beside in 2002).

Raul

469 shifted in 2003

[MOEmaniac]

Having a shifting transmission has it positives and negatives, on the positive side you can slow the robot down if you need to make a slow and precise movment, negatives are that there are more moving parts which means more things that can break and go wrong

[Raul]

Originally Posted by Cory

469 shifted in 2003

Geez, how could I forget that about our 2003 partners?!

[Salik Syed]

well as for breaking apart... most of the times if the shifter is messed up or something you can just lock it in one stage... and then its basically just a heavy dual motor drive system.... i can't really think of much more going wrong with a shifting tranny ... now a planetary drive .... yes

[Sparks333]

Hi!
the only competition I have seen was the '04 competiton, where I co-piloted for our team, 1425. We did not shift. We did not have time to put together a tranny, but our team leader would have really been tickled if we could. I personally didn't see a reason for a transmission. In the '03 competiton, I could see why speed was required (a lot of space, a race to get to the top, ect.) but in the '04 competiton, I didn't see a reason, because there wasn't much room to get up to speed, and there wasn't anything that could have been taken back with some shoving. (not a FIRST-encouraged manuver, but these things happen.) I totally agree that it depends entirely on the competiton and what you are doing. Like I said, I am a rookie, so my test pool is minute, but I think generalizing about whether or not you need a transmission won't get you anywhere.

Sparks

[sanddrag]

Our teacher put it this way. Their is always an advantage to shifting. But is expending the extra resources to build it worth the advantage?

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Sparks333

but in the '04 competiton, I didn't see a reason, because there wasn't much room to get up to speed, and there wasn't anything that could have been taken back with some shoving. (not a FIRST-encouraged manuver, but these things happen.)
Sparks

The rules specifically indicate that pushing [shoving] is OK and expected. Why would you say it's not FIRST-encouraged?

This is, in fact, the main reason for a low gear in a transmission.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Andrew

The rules specifically indicate that pushing [shoving] is OK and expected. Why would you say it's not FIRST-encouraged?

This is, in fact, the main reason for a low gear in a transmission.

Actually, last year we used our low gear for climbing so that we could avoid all the pushing and shoving. But with the dynamics of last year's game we felt that anybody who got into a shoving match, was probably doing the wrong thing. The 02 and 03 games were a different story. There was a lot of space to cover and you had to be able to hold your ground when needed.

Design for how you plan to play the game. If you need two or more clearly definable speed regimes, then shift. If not, then don't.

ChrisH