Old Robots?

[YonZ]

Veteran teams who have at least one post competition robot, what do you do with those old ones once they finish the FIRST season?


We've never been to an offseason event, so once competition is done theyre totally retired.
We didn't keep our rookie bot and scrapped one other for room (a sad loss). The rest we keep in our closet and use them for demos and such. We are thinking of having a new members project be to better the robots (fix up messy wiring jobs etc).

[Adam Shapiro]

I think using them for new member workshops and such is always a good idea. Have them work over the whole machine, examining how all of the systems function and how the parts were designed/fabricated. Maybe even have them disassemble the whole machine to understand how it all works and functions, then reassemble it to get a feel for putting the parts together.

Driving practice is always another very useful thing to do with the robots, especially if you have more than one which I know you guys do. You could separate members into groups and set them against each other to practice strategic driving.

Just a few thoughts.

[Bharat Nain]

Originally Posted by YonZ

Veteran teams who have at least one post competition robot, what do you do with those old ones once they finish the FIRST season?


We've never been to an offseason event, so once competition is done theyre totally retired.
We didn't keep our rookie bot and scrapped one other for room (a sad loss). The rest we keep in our closet and use them for demos and such. We are thinking of having a new members project be to better the robots (fix up messy wiring jobs etc).

Our team uses them for the RINOS Pre-Rookie effort. The idea is to lend out old robots to prospective schools for off-season competitions who are looking to join FIRST the upcoming year. It's a great investment into the future. For more information, http://www.raiderrobotix.org/RINOS.html

[LightWaves1636]

Well with our 2005 bot, we keep it together for our sponsers because it was their money we used to build it plus it helps to show rookies and potential rookies how each system or mechanism works.

[rufu5]

We use our robots for rookie training (they have to make spare/replacement parts, re-wire parts, etc) and for demonstrations in the community and abroad (take the old robots into schools and let students and teachers drive them).

[Michelle Celio]

Our 2003 Robot is completely disassembled. It's plywood base is currently being used on our carts.

Our 2004 Robot is currently completely functional and stationed at one of the two school. (The one where we don't hold out meetings)

Our 2005 Robot is currently completely functional and is in the school where we have our meetings.

And yeah, same for this years.

[Kyle Love]

Most of our old robots (or frames/parts) of old robots are on our "walk of fame", if you will. We basically have them lined up in chronological order. We use them mainly as a junkyard of parts. We pull victors and other parts we use off of them so we don't have to always buy new ones. Some are fully in tact.

[Koko Ed]

We keep all of our old robots in our museam and keep our practice robot to loan out to a rookie for the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus (at least we did last year to Delta Force) and when the new season begins we use it to design the prototype for next year's bot.

[sanddrag]

2001, I believe it needs electronics and a new axle for the arm
2002, needs electronics and drill motor.
2003, needs the arms put back on, still have them, and intact, but it is a fully functional drive base
2004, needs electronics and sprockets and chain put back on the arm
2005, I think it is good to go
2006a, fully functional. Needs some backlash taken out of the azimuth control
2006b, needs shooter or ground pickup, basket, drive motors wired, chains, and some other electronics
2006c, not much left. Frame and wheels.

But, we still have all of them. We are quickly running out of room though

[Ken Leedle]

We keep our rookie robot intact due to our mentors' sentiments.
The 2002, 2003, and 2004 robots were all dismantled this year by eager recruits to learn a little about how they worked (or didn't)
Last years robot is in full working condition, during the off season we added closed loop positioning of the forklift.
This years robot will not be dismantled either, because it was our most successful robot to date (we were seeded in the top 10 at WI).
We are planning to demo the robots for the incoming freshman classes to build interest in our program. One idea we had was to have the 2005 bot dunk poof balls at basketball games and the other to shoot baskets (it works surprisingly well) to show off for the sports crowds and convince them to buy lots of raffle tickets...
We are also planning to add the video camera to this years bot because we didn't get to it during the season.

[d.courtney]

eBay
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(just kidding )

[Joe J.]

2000 (465) Disassembled
2001 (465) Disassembled
2002 (862) Forklifts and hook removed, sometimes used for joy riding in the school hallways
2003 (862) Disassembled (not that sad of a loss)
2004 (862) Needs a new drive shaft and it should work, now it sits in a corner at our school and we look at it to make ourselves feel better about current robots
2005 (862) Fully operational used for demos , sitting at our school
2006 (862) Worked last time we saw it, In a bright orange box somewhere

[mtaman02]

Originally Posted by YonZ

Veteran teams who have at least one post competition robot, what do you do with those old ones once they finish the FIRST season?


We've never been to an offseason event, so once competition is done theyre totally retired.
We didn't keep our rookie bot and scrapped one other for room (a sad loss). The rest we keep in our closet and use them for demos and such. We are thinking of having a new members project be to better the robots (fix up messy wiring jobs etc).

Yeah I usually go back to my old high school and help with minor projects with the robot (maintenance, OI - RC troubleshooting, adaptation of parts from a new year build season to an older year robot, etc.... - This only happens on a as needed basis since the robots are not used all that often. =( too bad no one has thought of having FIRST the Classics off season competition where one game from the past is played and any robot may compete. I bet that would get some of these robots dusted and lubbed up pretty quickly) their rookie year robot has been retired indefinitely and when ever the thought to using the robot for public relations and such crosses anyones mind a quick NO gets voiced =) - Yep shes just that special. the 2002 robot which is currently on loan for another team (which is a rookie a team) so that they may see how a robot is built, wired and should work. the 2003 robot works but is currently been placed out of service due to some parts being needed to be duplicated and be used as a tentative idea for a 2004 robot. 2004 & 2005 & 2006 Robots is in great condition and is actively playing the roll of driver tryouts, public relations and other fun things. And when the girls aren't being used they are situated in such a way that when you enter robotics HQ they look as if they are guards at the door just waiting to search someone. =) - BTW i refuse to mention which team this is only b/c its a secret =)

[Joe Matt]

The 384 Hall-of-Fame is in our building space against the wall. You can see it in many of our pictures.

[Tetraman]

Originally Posted by d.courtney

eBay

Thats one way to get the Technology out the world.

174 breaks them down after they become three years old. However, In honor of the greatest Robot we ever built back in 01', we took the big orange gripper and mounted it on the wall like Deer Antlers. It looks pretty sweet.