Sharing Team/Past Robot Names With New Bots

[Guntank]

We were thinking about the same thing
our robot last year was named Atlas
looking back Atlas is a much better name for robots this year, so we are expecting to see at least one Atlas

[Taylor]

At one regional (I forget which one - they say in old age memory is the second to go) there were teams named the CyberCards, CyberCats, and CyBearCats.

[fabalafae]

I guess in general, overlap of names is inevitable with the extraordinary number of teams and robots. Anybody who gets worked up over it is just asking for a killer headache and more grief than is really necessary.

It's the robot's performance that defines a robot, not just its name.

[Koko Ed]

Robocats has to be the most recycled name in all of FIRST.

[AndyB]

Its not really a big deal... not like they are trying to piss people off by copying. The only attempt at copying ive ever seen was Kevin Kolodziej's attempt at WildBeast for former team 1064... if anything, its a compliment in that case.

I think that if you pick a unique enough name, you are sure to find that there aren't many cases in which you will be copied. I haven't seen more than one Thunderchicken or Exploding Bacon team in the past 10 years... nor are their multiple Children of the Corn, CooneyQuests, or Where's Waldos.

As far as robot names go, I would be willing to bet that most names published in the regional booklets are that of previous robots. Most teams I know pick a name near the end of the season rather than the beginning of it. Names are not a big deal for robot's anyways. I can't think of the name of one robot that wasn't on one of my teams... and I scout. Its the team that matters.

[Cynette]

And if it happens intentionally, consider it a form of flattery!

[artdutra04]

Back in the day, Team 228 used to be called the 'Duct Tape Bandits' for 1999 and 2000. In 2001 we changed our team name to 'Gus' as a tribute to our first robot, "Augustus Robotics Maximus".

Nowadays, Team 467 is called the Duct Tape Bandits.

[Libby K]

In the NJ region, there is Team 25, Raider Robotix, and team 75, The RoboRaiders.

It's fun and confusing when they're against each other.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Cynette

And if it happens intentionally, consider it a form of flattery!

So no problem if a team wants to change its name to Exploding Hot Chief Rolling Trucktown Thunder Chicken Techno Pink Robo Cats?

[wolfj]

Hey, it happens, right? I mean, my team name "The Gears" is definitely going to be used again eventually, and it could have even been used before we had it. Though I hope not. (Sorry, other Gears! I promise we had no idea!) No one copies a name with malicious intent. There are coincidences, and teams homaging the same thing at the same time. (I wonder how many robots have been named Dean or Woody?)

The above theory that Robocats is the most common name is probably absolutely right. On the other hand, most rookie teams don't go in knowing everything about FIRST. You're not going to know that there's another Tigertron, or SuperBot, or whatever. Life goes on.

[AndyB]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

So no problem if a team wants to change its name to Exploding Hot Chief Rolling Trucktown Thunder Chicken Techno Pink Robo Cats?

Just when you thought alliance acceptance speeches couldn't get any longer...

[Peter Matteson]

I know there is another Bobcats out there and they have a very similar number to us, (a 1_7 i think). I run in to them at the championship every year but I can never remember where they are from. I just think its funny because we both go back to at least 1999, our 4th year, with the same name. Most of the other repeats seem to come from the proliferation of teams after the static numbers hit.

[Cynette]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

So no problem if a team wants to change its name to Exploding Hot Chief Rolling Trucktown Thunder Chicken Techno Pink Robo Cats?

Only for the announcer!

[IndySam]

I would worry about anyone who stole our name.

[kristenliz_28]

Well since we use the name of our sponser, and I don't think they sponser anyone else, that's not a problem for my team. They must differentiate between teams w/ the same names somehow.