controversial opinion?

[archiver]

Posted by Andy Baker.

Engineer on team #45, TechnoKats, from Kokomo High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 7/15/99 3:20 PM MST


In Reply to: controversial opinion? posted by Daniel on 7/15/99 10:57 AM MST:



I gotta disagree with you on this one, Daniel.

2 reasons:

First of all, the robot in the corner is in a position that they don't want anything to do with the puck, therefore, they are giving up on scoring 3x. Also, they are not helping try to insure the puck control doubler. All in all, the team raising floppies in the corner is playing very conservative by ONLY wanting to lift floppies, and giving up alot of 3x points.

Secondly, clamping onto the rail would help some, but not enough to be kept from being tipped or MAJORLY damaged. This year, if a 'bot was tipped, not too much damage was done (at least most of the time it was easily repairable). If these 'bots were clamped onto the rail, and then a 'bot like TKO, 177, GRT, or 68 came over to purposely tip their basket, they would no longer have an operating lift mechanism. PVC pipe would break, aluminum angle would bend,... you get the picture. All it would take is a 11 or 12 foot arm to get a 45 degree angle on a 8 foot high basket. If the team with the long arm had some good traction (45), they could be tearing apart good lift mechanisms all day long.

To insure against that, FIRST would have to either raise the outside rail, or make the perimiter of the field like a cage.... oooohhh, yeah, a CAGE MATCH!!!!

Whaddya think?
Andy B.