A Robot That Inspires You

[JackN]

Here are seven robots that I hold very near to my heart and have truly inspired me.

233 2005-Every time one of these threads comes up, I bring up this robot. This was the first robot that ever made me stop and say "Wow." For those who didn't see it that year, imagine their robot this year only it was better. To this day I think they were the best robot on Archimedes in 2005 (It was basically this year's Curie it had 27, 71, 179, 980, 1114 and three other robots we will get to later).

191 2005-My first competition was the inaugural 2005 Finger Lakes Regional, and one of the teams I scouted was team 191. The X-Cats put out the coolest designed robot there and finished with the second seed where they picked us. After the most exciting finish in the history of FIRST (Leaning center stack, I nearly died waiting to see how it was scored) our alliance won. They again picked us on Archimedes and we made it to the finals. This robot was probably the reason I stayed in FIRST.

217/245 2005-If 191 had the robot that helped make my first year great, then these two built the robots that made my first year a sad time. For those that don't know 245 built the most underrated robot of all time and 217 built the robot that has most influenced every team this year. These two won both Detroit (Knocking us and 1213 out) and Archimedes (knocking out us and 191). These two made me want to build better and better robots so that they wouldn't destroy us.

85 2005-If PINK built my favorite robot of all time, then 85 built my second favorite. It was the most interesting design I have ever seen. Their gripper was like a vending machine that rotates and dispenses candy bars. Plus it flipped around and they had another, it was insane.

469 2007-Their 2006 robot was their best, but this was by far their coolest and most innovative. Look at GLR and then Detroit. They completely redesigned their gripper in two weeks. They really pushed the bar of what can be done in six weeks and built a robot that I will never forget.

1114 2007-There have been many robots that are "the best ever" but this robot was something more. It pushed the game into ways no one else went. Everything down to the flag holder was intricately designed and fabricated. Top it off, they played some of the most flawless matches I have ever seen and dominated the game. They have become the 01-02 Beatty of the Serpentine draft era.

[Mike Harrison]

79 all the way baby!

WHAT TIME IS IT?
CRUNCH TIME!!!!!

[Chris Hibner]

This is a great thread. Here is my list of most inspiring robots, and how they inspired me:

1997 Wildstang - no robot ever went higher. They demonstrated that if you wanted to win over adversity, prehaps you had to be a little extreme.

1998 Juggernauts (1) - Small, simple, efficient. Give your operators something simple and easy to drive, and the results can be amazing - even against much more complicated machinces.

1999 Team Hammond (71) - I think this was my favorite of all of their robots. The design was just a little bit out of the box, and incredibly effective. They could score in every imaginable way. This robot caused me to start to explore all options of a game while thinking of a robot's capabilities.

2000 Chief Delphi (47) - in my opinion, the best FIRST robot of all time. This robot looked like an NBA all star playing in a high school basketball game. I guess this robot just inspired awe more than anything else.

[JesseK]

Without a doubt there isn't a robot that inspires me much at all. I'm more of a concepts kind of guy. That said, what inspires me the most is mecanum and holonomic drive, particularly teams (like 357) who go the extra lengths to manufacture everything themselves in an effort to show students what it takes to create a concept from scratch.

Ever model the continuous wheel equation from IEEE papers in Matlab? Yea, pretty pictures indeed, and if you take the concept further with a 3rd dimension to the model (undisclosed independant variable atm ) I do believe what I'm seeing is a singularity point signifying the a "best" solution -- but I need clarification from an old professor first. Even after college, you can still get inspired by these little robots

So to all teams that strive to make their robots agile enough to side-step opponents and do everything the game entails -- you are the ones who truly inspire me. I mean, the thing drives freakin sideways.

[horoponhorr]

Team 2153's robot was inspiring. It was so simple, yet the drivers were really good with it. I couldn't help but laugh madly in the stands watching that machine...

[Tim Delles]

Originally Posted by 1derboy

217 built the robot that has most influenced every team this year.

Just curious but do you happen to know how many teams went with a similar design to 217's 2005 robot? the only ones that i can really think of off the top of my head are:

1902
217
148

(I know there are a lot more but i don't recall any of the successful teams at nationals, besides 1902, having a similar design to 217's 2005 robot)

***Just curious i don't mean to take any respect away from the T-Chickens, but i was just curious***

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Tim Delles

Just curious but do you happen to know how many teams went with a similar design to 217's 2005 robot? the only ones that i can really think of off the top of my head are:

1902
217
148

(I know there are a lot more but i don't recall any of the successful teams at nationals, besides 1902, having a similar design to 217's 2005 robot)

***Just curious i don't mean to take any respect away from the T-Chickens, but i was just curious***

Don't forget that it's your design as well...

Also, I saw quite a few four bars in atlanta.... don't quite remember all the team numbers.

It was one of the more common arm designs this imo (besides a single jointed arm... but thats not an inspired design mos t of the time (unless you're 330)).

[Nuttyman54]

Team 60 (2002)-Spinning goals...it's that kind of out of the box thinking that makes me strive to be a better engineer.

Team 254 (any year)-Deadly efficiency is their trade. It's easy to make a complex robot. It's hard to make a complex robot work. It's hardest still to make a robot so simple, elegant and robust that it wins at LEAST one regional a year.

Team 190 (2007)-I realize this is a robot I helped create. I am mentioning it because I am still continually inspired by it, every time I walk by (which is most days during the school year). It's what makes me understand why I enjoy engineering so much, and why I enjoy FIRST so much.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Nuttyman54

Team 60 (2002)-Spinning goals...it's that kind of out of the box thinking that makes me strive to be a better engineer.

Team 254 (any year)-Deadly efficiency is their trade. It's easy to make a complex robot. It's hard to make a complex robot work. It's hardest still to make a robot so simple, elegant and robust that it wins at LEAST one regional a year.

Team 190 (2007)-I realize this is a robot I helped create. I am mentioning it because I am still continually inspired by it, every time I walk by (which is most days during the school year). It's what makes me understand why I enjoy engineering so much, and why I enjoy FIRST so much.

speaking of that.... has any other team one at least a regional a year every yea? (not an individual regional, any regional)

[Cartwright]

This is my first year in FRC so the robots I've seen are pretty limited to this year. But one robot that I like quite a lot was the robot 1501. It was so skillful in doing what it did...it was just really great.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

speaking of that.... has any other team one at least a regional a year every yea? (not an individual regional, any regional)

1114 is probably the closest...theyve won a regional event each year from 2004 to present, but did not win in 2003.

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

speaking of that.... has any other team one at least a regional a year every yea? (not an individual regional, any regional)

1574 is 3 for 3 in Israel. Not only that, they've been the #1 seed twice (2005, 2007), and was selected first in 2006 (they were the #3 seed). They've had success at Championship too, with a 5-2 record on Curie in 2006, and as the #2 seed and semi-finalist on Newton in 2007. Their record since 2006 (including elimination matches, was unable to find 2005 Israel data) 44-8-1. That's a 85.577 winning percentage. Meet Miscar, they're the real deal. And they inspire me.

Those kids in Cocoa Beach, Florida also turn out some of my favorite robots as well. Regardless of name ("Space Coast Team", "Roccobot", or that other color-specific one), 233 turns out some of the most beautiful, well-engineered, dynamic, dominant machines in FIRST.

"I like Cheesy Poofs, you like Cheesy Poofs, we all like Cheesy Poofs, or we'd be laaaaame...". 254 has a standard set so far above what the average other team does, it's amazing. Not only do their robots compete well, they look freaking sweet too. Their aesthetic standard is part of what sets 254 apart from many other teams in FIRST (oh yeah, and all those gold medals).

People keep mentioning that one group of Canadians. Well, their not even the best team in their High School. FVC 1114 is the most dominant team in the three branches of FIRST. In their two years, they have yet to lose a competition. I think they have something like 1 or 2 TOTAL losses (someone on 1114 correct me if I'm wrong). They won Delaware and Championship in 2006, and Toronto and Championship in 2007. They have shown me what is capable of being done with the vex robotic design system. They've taken a much more limited and bound set of materials and resources, and done things that many FRC teams couldn't. Imagine 2002 RAGE+bar hanging+the ability to accurately control a ball twice the size of your robot+an effective autonomous and you'll get what they did with their Vex bot in 2007. The Simbots are absolutely annihilating the boundaries of Vex.

[Bomberofdoom]

It seems that from what I've read about these robots who inspired others and are robots from other regionals from those who were inspired were robots that made it to the Championships.

[Tim Delles]

I'd like to add that 254 is probably the most dominate regional competitor there is.

If my memory serves me right the only times that they have lost are:

2002 Buckeye Regional while paired with us and Elite.
2007 SVR (first time they have ever lost that)

Also they are one of only 3 teams to win 3 regionals (254, 1114, 1503... If i missed anyone sorry)

But for consistent inspiration I would have to give a vote to 254, consistantly winning, always a very well engineered marvel, and a group of great guys on the team.

I remember walking over to see there robot at nationals after we uncrated and we made the comment "We wish our robot looked as professional as that one" Great job guys and keep it up.

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by Tim Delles

I remember walking over to see there robot at nationals after we uncrated and we made the comment "We wish our robot looked as professional as that one" Great job guys and keep it up.

Powder-coating goes a long way to making a robot look professional. Leaving everything silver makes you look like just another bot -- but adding your school colors to the mix adds flare and marketability.