Top speed?

[thefro526]

I think this year there will be robots exceeding 20 fps but these robots will also probably has sophisticated turning systems or eliminate the need to turn entirely (20 fps mecanum/holonomic/swerve). I think teams that used swerves last year may have an advantage the image of team 71 swerving around the rack at high speed sticks in my mind lol.

[MattLi]

Does anyone know if there's any rule about an unsafe speed or is that just a judge related matter?

[geeknerd99]

Seems like a decent way to take the turns...

[BandChick]

Originally Posted by MattLi

Does anyone know if there's any rule about an unsafe speed or is that just a judge related matter?

I scrolled through the manual, but I didn't see a specific rule.
Generally, the refs judge "unsafe speed" based on whether or not you have control over your machine. If you're going flying into walls, if you keep heading toward the outside of the field, if you're ramming into other robots, be prepared to be deemed unsafe.

But as long as you seem to VISIBLY have a handle on your machine and what it's doing, then you should be fine.

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by thefro526

I think this year there will be robots exceeding 20 fps but these robots will also probably has sophisticated turning systems or eliminate the need to turn entirely (20 fps mecanum/holonomic/swerve). I think teams that used swerves last year may have an advantage the image of team 71 swerving around the rack at high speed sticks in my mind lol.

While I agree that you will see many robots going faster than 20fps, I doubt very many teams will do well that go that fast. The reason I say that is because winning races has more to do with control than speed, especially on a short track such as FIRST has provided.

No. I believe that this year the winners will be the robots with the best control over their drive system and the robots that can take the big hits from those that cannot control their drive systems.

[Dave Scheck]

Originally Posted by thefro526

(20 fps mecanum/holonomic/swerve).

This makes me chuckle a little bit. Last year, we had a 7fps crab system. Driving full forward and doing a 90 degree crab maneuver put a ton of stress on the drive modules. We cracked the hubs on quite a few wheels due to the tremendous side load. I can only imagine what would happen if the wheels of a robot moving 20fps were suddenly turned perpendicular to the direction of travel.