Changing the face of the game..

[archiver]

Posted by Dodd Stacy.

Engineer on team #95, Lebanon Robotics Team, from Lebanon High School and CRREL/CREARE.

Posted on 11/9/99 12:27 PM MST


In Reply to: Re: Imaging a modular tank... posted by Michael Martus on 11/7/99 7:34 PM MST:



FIRST could perhaps blunt the impact of the new 'Saturday Ship' rule on teams with limited resources by simply allowing broken parts, shattered gearboxes, cracked weldments, etc to be stripped from the machines as they go into the crate and taken home for repair/rebuild. Thursday in the next event's pits, the new/improved components could be reinstalled in a reasonable time period.

This would allow replacements to be patterned from the broken originals if drawings were not available. Internal catastrophes (F-P gearboxes?) could be diagnosed and effectively beefed. Brittle parts could be heat treated. Etc. The fixes that correct design weaknesses and really improve the robustness of the machines - and support the highest quality and excitement of Tournament play - require more time and resources than are available in the pits.

I suppose what I suggest could be abused in degree, but I think FIRST could clarify a spirit of the rule, and teams could apply their own judgement. Anyone have breakage histories to bounce off this suggestion and test its utility?

For what it's worth, I would prefer maximizing the Teams' time with their 'bots.

Dodd