Predictions: A cynical view of reality

Well, normally I keep my opinions to myself, but I figure it would be fun to other's opinions on this.

Here's my prediction of the winning robot (winning being winning the most matches, and winning champs): We're going to see a low, small robot that can pick up the ball and throw it. It's going to be the simplest bot imaginable; a simple single or dual pneumatic (or other fast reloading mechanical) catapult, and a kitbot drive base. It's going to be FAST, both in robot max speed and driver to robot relations. It's going to have a very small, simple setup to knock down the ball, and the rest of the match will be spent hurdling the ball over the overpass, and running laps.

What we're NOT going to see: An enormous, beautifully engineered arm that can grab from any angle, pick the ball up, and get it over the pass. However wonderful these bots may be, they're just too shaky and too precise. We're not going to see an elevator, either. Any design that involves stopping, and lifting over will be weeded out before the finals on Einstein. We're going to see some of these huge arm-bots do very well, but in the end, it's going to be those low, fast throwers who will take champs.

Any thoughts on the winning bot design?

[Alex Cormier]

that all sounds good, but i think more of a strategy of 2 arm bots and 1 shooter will win it.

shooters are nice, arms a bit slow but can be used for a lot more then just hurdling over.

Originally Posted by Alex Cormier

shooters are nice, arms a bit slow but can be used for a lot more then just hurdling over.

...Like? From what I've seen in videos and so on, a shooter bot can do the same thing as an arm. That is, get the ball over the overpass in a much more efficient manner, which will allow the alliance to keep moving, and to score higher.

The game is all about high speed, and I can't see a tall, arm-based robot doing very well when it comes down to the ultra efficient KISS bots that are out there.

[Aren_Hill]

My Views Exactly, which is why my team built the bot it did.
we've spent time after proving each concept that went into it and rather just seeing that the concept worked, we improved upon it and we now have a robot that paints our picture of the fastest lap

a good shooter will beat a good arm any day

[Alex Cormier]

Originally Posted by CraigHickman

...Like? From what I've seen in videos and so on, a shooter bot can do the same thing as an arm. That is, get the ball over the overpass in a much more efficient manner, which will allow the alliance to keep moving, and to score higher.

The game is all about high speed, and I can't see a tall, arm-based robot doing very well when it comes down to the ultra efficient KISS bots that are out there.

not every bot needs to be moving around the track at all times to have a very effective match with a ultimate high score. it's just how well the alliance works together.

the shooters will make up for most of the elim bots, but there will still be at least one arm on each alliance i would guess.

[Alalea]

Not ours D:

Definity something hardy and strong. It needs to be able to take a beating.

[danshaffer]

wow craig...
you've clearly seen our bot!
that's really been our strategy all along, thanks for confirming it.
low, fast, and no nonsense with the overpass (no chance of clotheslining it)

[Mike Schreiber]

I agree, which slightly disappoints me. The team that can fit a ton of springs low to the ground with a speedy little way of cocking the thing and a ridiculously fast drive train is going to win. The placing is negligible because it is EASILY knocked back off, and one hurdle and a lap is only 2 less points, when the time spent placing is probably equivalent.

Originally Posted by Alalea

Not ours D:

Definity something hardy and strong. It needs to be able to take a beating.

Yeah.

Originally Posted by danshaffer

wow craig...
you've clearly seen our bot!

Actually, I have. But unrelated to that, when I said kitbot drive base, I meant to get across the idea of something simple, low, and light. An over complex 4 wheel ackerman crab is cool and all, but what this game needs is SPEED. So whatever the drive base will be, it will be FAST, and LIGHT.

[Scott Carpman]

The thing is, after looking at all the bot pictures that have been released, the percentage of shooters is somewhere between 10 and 20 percent.

Originally Posted by Scott Carpman

The thing is, after looking at all the bot pictures that have been released, the percentage of shooters is somewhere between 10 and 20 percent.

Yeah, hence the title of the thread. We're not going to see very many of these shooters, but the ones who learn to drive are going to go very very far.

[hipsterjr]

Originally Posted by CraigHickman

The game is all about high speed, and I can't see a tall, arm-based robot doing very well when it comes down to the ultra efficient KISS bots that are out there.

I completely agree. I think launchers modeled after design such as 1726 and 1629 will fufill your prediction.

[hallk]

Originally Posted by Aren_Hill

a good shooter will beat a good arm any day

I disagree. I think it all comes down to how fast robots can pick up the trackballs. Yes, the shooter bots can hurdle faster but it seems like some of them take more time to get the ball into position then it does with an arm.

I think the winner on Einstein will be a back loading catapult and two "runners" (herding lapbots). The catapult will chill in its own home zone while the runners bring the two balls around to its back loader, followed by a quick launch over the overpass and then back at it. Every half lap would a hurdle.

I completely agree that arm/lift bots will not do as well as shooters.

Originally Posted by hipsterjr

I completely agree. I think launchers modeled after design such as 1726 and 1629 will fufill your prediction.

Yep.

I actually didn't really want to throw team numbers into the mix, as some people somehow find a way to take offense whenever preference is shown to one team over another... But those two teams, in my opinion, have the BEST robot that has been posted. There's probably many of that kind of robot that we have yet to see, but until the regionals, we'll never know for sure.