On photographs and FVC competitions...

[Jonathan Norris]

Originally Posted by Dave Flowerday

I wasn't going to pipe up on this thread, but... Wow. I totally respect 1114's decision not to publish pictures on their part, but I fail to see what right they would have to disallow others from posting pictures of their robot. I hope I am misinterpreting what you said here. Even requesting that a picture be withdrawn because it shows their robot seems like it's crossing a line to me.

I can see what you are getting at, but you got to remember the difference between FVC and FRC here. If it was after a FRC competition, as I said before, I would not think twice. But this being a FVC competition where there is time for teams to study other robots designs and implements portions of them for future competitions. I feel that if a very (extreemly) successful robot like 1114 decides not to share their design with the world that is totally acceptable.

Let me relate this more to FRC, throughout the season I tend to study and observe as many robot designs as I can. But, because it is FRC is it very difficult to implement some of the great design characteristics i have studied during the season. Usually what most teams will attempt to do is work on an off-season prototype to test out some of the new designs they have encountered during the previous season. Which is something we are doing, building a tank drive system, 1114 being one of the teams who we have referenced for design ideas. However, even in FRC new designs are implemented based off other robots designs. Look at the 2005 game, where it seemed like 90% of the capping teams ended up using a variation of a T-bar design to manipulate the tetras. Even a team like 330, the beach bots, who had a very successful ball manipulation mechanism, which i remember distinctly from the Sacramento regional that year, moved on to another variation of the T-bar design.

My point here is that 1114 has this game figured out, and right now is not the time yet for them to be sharing their design. If they do now there will be imitators, and that is not in the spirit of FIRST. Its too bad for the community that because of the nature of FVC that we will all have to wait till after the championships to learn from their design.

edit:

(Or did you twist Jonathan's arm to get that photo to disappear?)

haha no twisting required, as you can (hopefully) see I understand where they are coming from.