New FTC Platform

[gblake]

I'm going to say right off the bat that this post is probably going read harshly. The reason for that is my extremely strong dislike for false dichotomies.

The problem with the Vex system is that it is difficult to repair something short of replacing it - it's nearly impossible to fix a motor or a broken transmitter, and is also quite difficult to diagnose a problem if it ever occurs.

Good luck repairing ANY motor or ANY transmitter in any robotics kit. When I think of an electric motor, I very, very rarely envision anything consumers can/should repair. The same goes for transmitters. The Vex motors do come with replacement (internal) gears, and they have their clutches that help to (but don't 100% guarantee to) protect them from excessive stresses created when a designer makes a mistake.

Again, our team has had to deal with these issues in competition, and has had to pay some unfortunate costs. Last year in Atlanta, our robot suffered from intermittent control issues due to unknown circumstances. This year, we (FTC 546) also faced a similar issue, in that our robot only operated about half the time it was on the field. We still do not know the source of either of the problems, but we feel that it is simply the nature of the Vex system which led to these issues.

Hmmm, I wonder if the Vex systems need a better comm system - Ooops, I almost forgot, they are getting one.

The microcontroller could use an upgrade too. Maybe one is in the works.

Personally, I like the idea of shifting to a new, hopefully more reliable system. ... However, the rigors of competition have, time and time again, proved a bit much for the system, which is why I support the platform switch for FTC. I just hope that everyone is still able to enjoy participating in the program, despite the changes for next year.

OK, I too like the idea of hoping the new system will be more reliable and then trading a devil I know for one I don't. Oops, I'm sorry I got that backwards. What would have been wrong with unveiling a proposed system this year and evaluating it in the hands of users and in competition environments for a season before switching????

In the local tournaments I help put on, we almost NEVER have any problems with the RF communication between the transmitters and the robot's microcontrollers. Maybe we don't need to blame the Vex system??? Maybe we need to figure out where the noise sources are and blame the venues?

How about if we understand those noise sources, control them, and develop a system that is immune to them. I too hope the new system is less susceptible to interference.

Blake