Driving Tips?

[flamefixed]

know exactly what your robot can do. how does it turn? what path of travel does it take? the is very important. just like any other vehicle, you need to know what it is capable of.

dont be afraid, dont panic. but go all out, never hold back.

instinct. you need to know what is happening, and automatically know what to do.

last year, i actually got into a little zen during driving, dont laugh haha, but it worked. focus on what needs to be done, and one of the biggest things that helped me in defense alot last year, ANTICIPATE and (as my soccer coach said) keep your head on a swivel. see the field.

last thing. be confident. your driver for a reason. each match continue to prove it and be a beat.

[Andrew Y.]

practice, dont forget to turn the robot on, dont be afraid, have tons of fun.

worked for me for 4 years

[pyrome]

I have been driving for three years, and this is my last year.

1: pay attention to the robot at all times. Don't let ANYTHING distract you in ANY of your senses. Even if a robot is right next to the wall in front of you waving its appendages around, you need to act like it's invisible and concentrate on the bot.

2: be aware of the position of all the robots on the field, especially in this game. sometimes the most ingenious maneuvers pop into your head during a match, but only if you know the relative positioning of everything on the field.

3: have a scouting team that knows what it is doing. often teams will exaggerate the capabilities of their robot, and thus a match that you were confident about can fall to pieces. your scouts are often the only dependable source you have about an upcoming match.

4: start talking with your teammates about 30 minutes before your match. strategy is VERY important. be politically aware, so you know exactly what they are going to do.

5: have tons of fun. I don't know about you, but I love the jittery feeling I get before a match, the screaming fans, and the 'glass pounding at the competition.

[Sam N.]

trust your coach

[Corey Oostveen]

As a driver last year. I have to say the biggest thing is to relax. Driving in practice is completely different then at competition.

Also it might be too late but letting everyone drive the robot will help keep the team behind you 100% You don't want your team thinking what you are doing is easy and that they could do better. By letting them drive it makes them better understand the difficulty. Because good drivers do make it look easy.

Last but not least! Have fun it is just a game. FIRST is not about the robot. Be gracious at all times. How you drive directly reflects your team.

Good Luck this year!!!

[Dan Petrovic]

Originally Posted by Coosty

Also it might be too late but letting everyone drive the robot will help keep the team behind you 100% You don't want your team thinking what you are doing is easy and that they could do better. By letting them drive it makes them better understand the difficulty. Because good drivers do make it look easy.

If only there were videos from IRI last year...

33 in particular.

Here's a big thing. Use the restroom often. That urge to "have to go" comes up more often when you're nervous, and that's the last thing you want when you're driving.

Don't be afraid to drive it like you stole it, but don't be reckless to the point where you waste time correcting what you did wrong. There's a fine line that has to be balanced on for efficient driving.

If you feel you need some limitations to how fast the robot moves, tell your software crew that you'd like the robot to drive at 50%-75% power all the time unless you hold a trigger or button (provided you have buttons on your joysticks) to get the full 100% power. Balls roll, so that 50%-75% power might be valuable.

That's what I have.