Predictions: A cynical view of reality

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by CraigHickman

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?

You speak of ONE bot of the 3 in the winning alliance. You speak of ONE scenario, an ideal scenario, where everything moves perfectly, no one has figured out nuance-style or guerilla-warfare defenses, and no one has figured out high-scoring combos that utilize several aspects of the game that shooters have difficulty with. Well lemme tell ya, I have and our drivers will be prepared. We have an elevator. We have forklifts and a curved "pouncing' bar that captures and kicks the ball. You didn't design it, but we did, with several considerations. Many other teams have similar but different designs. Just because you don't see the light doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

The good news is, I won't tell you you're wrong; the competitions in the coming weeks probably will.