YMTC: Can teams start cutting metal for 2005?

[Wetzel]

Originally Posted by Natchez

RULE 041209-A: A FIRST team must not view, touch, or use any parts constructed or acquired before January 8, 2005 other than those from the approved vendor list (or exact duplicates from an alternate vendor).

RULE 041209-B: A FIRST team can not view, touch, or use any parts acquired from a FIRST-friendly vendor before January 19, 2005 (must be procured from FIRST-friendly vendor ... no alternative vendors accepted).

I think this will give a BIGGER advantage to the wealthy teams. Those that now build two robots will continue to do so. This will drop the level of the competition down because the lower funded veteran teams (of which there are many) will not be able to use a previous years robot as a practice driving platform, autonomous testbed, or anything else.

Yes being a rookie is hard, but should we make it harder for struggling veteran teams to compete? I think we should work to help rookies compete at a higher level then lowering the level that the majority of teams compete at.


Wetzel

[BillP]

Originally Posted by Wetzel

I think this will give a BIGGER advantage to the wealthy teams.

It is an unfortunate fact that the wealthier teams will almost always have an advantage but what our team is doing does not require much money. If I totaled it up, since mid-summer we have maybe spent $100.00, and about $75 of that was for the pizza we ordered for lunch.

Since we are a veteran team, we have several old robots and cases of spare parts from previous years that we disassemble, reassemble and modify for the purpose of testing and trying out new ideas. Any veteran team could do what we are doing without spending a dime. We work in one team member's garage with whatever tools his dad has on hand. We don't weld anything and any metal we cut, we use a sabre saw or hack-saw. When we need to connect two pieces of metal, we drill holes and bolt them together.

It doesn't take money, just desire.