We're really not that mean.

[archiver]

Posted by Andrew Trax, Coach on team #180, S.P.A.M., from Southfork,Martin Co. High and UTC.

Posted on 4/30/99 2:56 PM MST


In Reply to: I disagree - Robots with arms unite! posted by P.J. Baker on 4/30/99 8:30 AM MST:



: I can only speak about what I saw, and I did not see TKO use tipping as a strategy in the (admittedly few) matches that I saw. There appeared to be about 20 or so robots at nationals with strong, articulated arms that could be used for defense as well as scoring. Like Andy, I was surprised that so many teams had lift mechs that could only be used for lifting floppies straight up. The defensive capabilities that robots like ours (The Bobcat) and TKO had because of their articulated arms made for much more exciting matches. If any of you saw our first match in the elimination round, you know what I mean. Our drivers used the Bobcat's arm to pull a robot off of the puck (tipping it in the process) and were then able to climb on with seconds left for a big win. We lost the next two, but that's a different story.

: As far as asking FIRST to listen, they already are. We were awarded the Power to Simplify award largely because of the extreme multifunctionality of the Bobcat's arm. I can't vouch for TKO, but I know that our strategy was not to tip other robots, because it was not legal. If it had been, robots like TKO, The Bobcat, and R.A.G.E. to name a few would have been nearly unstoppable (obviously we weren't :^)) because I don't think that there were many robots in the competition that we couldn't tip over if we felt like it.

At the Kennedy Space Center Regional, the Heatwave team was DQed for
grabbing the Space Coast team's robot and pulling it off the puck and
tipping it over. The rules must have changed between Kennedy & National.
Amazingly, the Space Coast just hit the gas and righted their robot.
But Heatwave still got the DQ. Bravo, Space Coast!

Mrs. Trax (Meg's Mom)