Giving First A bad name

[Norm M.]

It is interesting that there is a thread each year like this.

Let's review a few things:

Battlebots has not been on television for five years? It was on the air for two years?

FIRST has been around for how many years?

There are many people associated with FIRST who are still jealous that Battlebots has name recognition and FIRST does not.

There are many mentors associated with FIRST who have participated in Battlebots. These are not mutually exclusive interests.

Don't confuse the show with the reality. With a few exceptions, I have seen GP to the extreme demonstrated at Battlebots.

Use the interest in robotics to build interest in robotics. Get involved with Lego League, grow your audience and grow your future team members. Put your energy into building up your team.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Norm M.

Don't confuse the show with the reality. With a few exceptions, I have seen GP to the extreme demonstrated at Battlebots.

To the people who assume that combat robotics doesn't involve good sportsmanship and gracious proffessionalism, you are wrong.

Just because something is violent doesn't mean there are not nice people involved. For example, I train in Mixed Martial Arts (unfortunately known as cagefighting and ultimate fighting) and some of my trainers, who make a living as pro fighters, are the nicest people I've ever met.

[kaszeta]

Originally Posted by Norm M.

There are many mentors associated with FIRST who have participated in Battlebots. These are not mutually exclusive interests.

Don't confuse the show with the reality. With a few exceptions, I have seen GP to the extreme demonstrated at Battlebots.

Agreed. While having no first-hand experience myself, one of the people lightly involved with our team is a former Battlebots participant. He's got a lot of very good knowledge on robot design and designing components to be durable, light, and field-repairable.

While I have to cringe when Battlebots is all that many outsiders can relate to, I don't always like the Battlebots bashing that runs rampant, either.

[BillP]

Man, it's interesting how these threads can digress! To bring us back to the original point, a possible approach to those kids who only want to build warrior robots is to tell them that, though that is not part of what we do at FIRST, you will learn everything you need to know if you want to participate in that type of competition in the future. This won't work for all kids, but may get the attention of those who have the ability to project actions taken now, to future possibilities. From my perspective, these are the same kids that will be the drivers of future technology ... and isn't that what we're all about?

[Adare180]

If anything, I believe Battle Bots is in the best interest of FIRST. Battlebots helps to create an interest in robotics, and FIRST gives us the opportunity to participate in a robotics program. Everytime I tell someone I'm on a robotics team, the first response is almost always "do you build battlebots?" After explaning the concept of FIRST, the game, and the 130 pound robot, we have a new rookie class every season.