Best Drivetrain

[Tom Bottiglieri]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

Judge your teams capabilities...if a task looks daunting, it probably is...if you think your team may be able to pull it off, go for it. FIRST isn't about winning, its about learning. Go for the design that will knock peoples socks off...who cares if you dont get 2 weeks to drive it around before competition. Thats just my honest opinion.

While I agree with Brandon on most topics, this is one we don't see eye to eye on.

In my experience a fully functioning, simple robot is much more effective and reliable than a figurative time bomb on wheels. Remember that reliability is a part of your scope, as is function. If this doesn't click, think about what you look for in a car. There's a reason Honda and Toyota have risen to the top of the proverbial food chain.

The enemies of scope are time and cost. (FIRST has a third enemy: experience. But that is for a different discussion!)

Broken robots = stressful = no fun = less inspiration