pic: IRI Prank #1

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by Lowfategg

I agree. No one should be playing with other peoples robots unless the team that owns the robot is asked first.

1114 was already pranked that weekend on Thursday night by professional pranksters.
Saturday was just amateur hour IMHO.
The difference between the Thursday night pranking & the Saturday pranking was that members of 1114 were in on the prank (aka: bot-napping) on Thursday, & obviously were asked before hand.

Pranking is funny but only to a limit of course.

The cone prank (which I didn't see but would have liked to in person) was just great! There's a HUGE difference in pranking a side project & a competitive robot while at an event as well.
That's just funny right there what they did to the cone-bot. lol

[Arefin Bari]

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

1114 was already pranked that weekend on Thursday night by professional pranksters.
Saturday was just amateur hour IMHO.
The difference between the Thursday night pranking & the Saturday pranking was that members of 1114 were in on the prank (aka: bot-napping) on Thursday, & obviously were asked before hand.

Pranking is funny but only to a limit of course.

The cone prank (which I didn't see but would have liked to in person) was just great! There's a HUGE difference in pranking a side project & a competitive robot while at an event as well.
That's just funny right there what they did to the cone-bot. lol

Speaking of the Thursday night prank, I am trying to get all the pictures I can get so I can make a collage out of it. Please send me pictures if you have any. Thanks.

[Kyle Love]

If you ask me, the prank done on Thursday night could have broken more things then the whole saran wrap. But thats just me. Regardless, both weren't funny IMHO. The whole barrel thing though, everyone was annoyed by it so that's cool, since ya know, it wasn't a REAL robot.

[Mike Schreiber]

I agree messing with a competition robot isn't exactly funny, especially if something gets messed up...I personally wasn't involved in it, I actually didn't even know it happened until after it was done and never saw it up close only from across the gym (our pit, against the far wall). But I still would like to see pictures, although whoever has them probably shouldn't post them here because the reaction will not be favorable.

[Travis Hoffman]

Could someone provide details of the Thursday night "professional" prank?

Makes me recall the time Steve Warren stuck a note on our crate at GTR on Thursday morning before we arrived. It instructed us not to open it and see "Customs" instead. Except we WEREN'T in on the prank.

[Arefin Bari]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

Could someone provide details of the Thursday night "professional" prank?

Makes me recall the time Steve Warren stuck a note on our crate at GTR on Thursday morning before we arrived. It instructed us not to open it and see "Customs" instead. Except we WEREN'T in on the prank.

Me and few others thought we should pull something on 1114 (specially on Karthik). The idea behind it was to freak Karthik out by taking the robot out of the arena and not bring it back until 8:30 next morning. Few adults and kids from 1114 were involved with us as well (We took their permission before touching the robot).

Anyways, we took the robot out of the arena and took it back to where I was staying (The robot was in the car the whole time and it was supported by many things that will prevent it from breaking, also I was driving very slow). Team 1114's kids were with me the whole time. Around 8 at night, they wanted to go back to the hotel and I didn't feel comfortable keeping the robot in the car the whole night so I took the kids back to the hotel and stored the robot in the meeting room in the hotel that 1114 was staying at. We took pictures of the robot standing in front of the podium giving "lectures" to 1114's kid and so forth. That same night, I went to hang out with team 1114 at their hotel. Karthik had no idea that the robot was downstairs locked in a room.

Next morning, the robot was back in the arena safe and sound. Unfortunately, the prank wasn't successful since Karthik found out that same night. The teacher brought the robot back to the arena.

It's not a good thing to mess with someone else's property without getting their permission; but I believe it's okay when permission is taken as well as the people who it belongs to are involved as well.

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

Could someone provide details of the Thursday night "professional" prank?

Makes me recall the time Steve Warren stuck a note on our crate at GTR on Thursday morning before we arrived. It instructed us not to open it and see "Customs" instead. Except we WEREN'T in on the prank.

BUT, it sure was funny. No harm, no foul. Clean fun and I did not keep you waiting long to say "April Fools!!!!!!" (then I ran)

[Paul Copioli]

The person who performed the prank had confessed to the IRI organizers on Saturday night and promised to apologize to 1114. I do not know who they were or if they have already apologized or not.

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Steve W

(then I ran)

......you ran so far awaaay......

Yes there were no angry thoughts of flogging toucan-haired mentors that day, as we knew the crate hadn't been opened.

I could imagine a different feeling if someone had messed with our bot without our knowledge, though.

[Qbranch]

Wow... I'm amazed at how much exposure Albert the Road Barrel got...

Sorry we didn't have his fully autonomous mode done in time for IRI... eventually he's getting an array of eight or more ultrasonic sensors around his base... plan is to either give him a route to follow and just stop if somebody comes up to him (using our 2008 robot's championship-rockwell-automation-innovation-in-control-award-winning autonomous navigation software... had to throw that last part in there ), or just have him run away from people.

Originally Posted by InfernoX14

Well, the bench wasn't occupied. It wasn't busy, like Andy Baker. It wasn't difficult to work with, like a track ball.

It also made it really easy to carry it to 1024's pit when we were finished.

Oh gosh... if you all tried to saran wrap it to any baker he'd probably just order his '05 kitbot transmissions to stop... however the trackball is interesting...

...and yes, I thought it was hillarious when Albert showed up on a bench.

I didn't really think the LED display getting saran wrapped was too funny though... it had a pretty penny worth of parts in it...

Originally Posted by Andrew141WOBOT

I wondered why it was stuck to a bench. That thing hit me coming back from a match

Sorry, but we didn't give albert a keyed switch to turn on, so it was pretty easy for anyone to grab the controller, unplug the charger, and go. Unfortunately, some of the people that drove Albert were very obnoxious. Sorry, but not much I can do about that.

As far as I know, I think I'm clean at least... I don't remember hitting anyone.

Originally Posted by Ryan Dognaux

I'm glad someone wrapped up that cone, it was funny for about the first ten minutes and then I was just annoyed the rest of the weekend by it.

Again, sorry some people layed on the horn... but yes it is a good tool to pull off a gag... you should have seen when some 1024-ers took it over to a road construction site (on Keystone, I believe) and put it in the row with the rest of the road barrels... they say they got somebody to do a U-turn just by spinning it in circles and honking the horn while operating it from behind a new jersy barrier. Before you ask, yes I've asked for a video many times... if I get one, I'll be sure to post.

-q

[JaneYoung]

Again, sorry some people layed on the horn... but yes it is a good tool to pull off a gag... you should have seen when some 1024-ers took it over to a road construction site (on Keystone, I believe) and put it in the row with the rest of the road barrels... they say they got somebody to do a U-turn just by spinning it in circles and honking the horn while operating it from behind a new jersy barrier.

That sounds like a Candid Camera moment.

Talent Show, Q, Talent Show. Albert could assist the master of ceremonies. or...Fishboy and Albert the Road Barrel, Taking It On The Road....

Or.... Albert, The Latte Barrel.

Or ... if only Albert Had A Hammer

ok, I'll stop. Well, writing but not thinking. I can't believe I missed seeing this little guy. *sigh*

[Chris Fultz]

Originally Posted by Arefin Bari

It's not a good thing to mess with someone else's property without getting their permission; but I believe it's okay when permission is taken as well as the people who it belongs to are involved as well.

I am going to disagree here. that robot belongs to the entire 1114 team, and unless they all agreed to take it from the arena, you put them and all of their work at risk. think of what could have happened - a slip, a drop, something bent or broken, and they could have lost their entire weekend of competition. How would you recover from that?

I hope it doesn't come to this, but maybe the IRI needs a "Do not touch another teams robot" policy.

there are lots of ways to have fun and play pranks - i don't think this is a good one.

ps - i would say this about any teams robot, regardless if they were in the #1 or #72 spot.

[jtdowney]

Originally Posted by Chris Fultz

I hope it doesn't come to this, but maybe the IRI needs a "Do not touch another teams robot" policy.

I would have thought/hoped that falls under GP and that a stated policy wouldn't be needed.

I am going to have to agree with Chris (and others), the only time you should do anything with another teams robot is if they've asked you to help work on it.

[Arefin Bari]

Maybe this whole idea was just out of control and not thought out enough. I am embarrassed for leading this whole thing on Thursday night. I didn't have enough people or time to think of a good prank for IRI this year like last one.

I can't take back what I did. With that said, I apologize to everyone on Team 1114 and to the IRI planning committee. I didn't mean this to come out this way or mean any harm to anyone. No such action will be taken in future that will involve me.

Team 1114, I idolize you guys as a team and I hope this action of mine doesn't affect my relationship with your team in future.

[Elgin Clock]

It's all good Arefin.
I'll get on writing up a release form that teams that get pranked can sign next year so the folks who like to lawyer situations will all be happy before we have any fun again at the expense of another team.


Obviously I'm being sarcastic here, & laying it on thick.
Imagine if any candid camera, or situational television show ever aired on tv with humor in mind had the people getting pranked sign a waiver BEFORE they got pranked?? Or what if you were told before hand you were going to be given a surprise party? Takes some of the fun out of it now doesn't it?

Seriously folks. There is a time & a place & a way to go about pranking someone or a team in the FIRST community, or even outside of it.

Yes, I'll agree things have the potential of getting damaged if a prank is approached the wrong way (as I've had the misfortune to experience first hand actually - but I'm no more of an opponent of pranking after that, just more of a propponent of pranking in a non-destructive way), but sometimes people just need to lighten up & have some fun (in a safe way).
FIRST teaches us to be safe. It's in the core values.
It also teaches us to have fun with all we do, & be innovative, & also creative.
With that in mind, if a person decides to pull a prank, you hope that they will approach it in a safe way & they will always, in my mind, be fully responsible for anything that went wrong, which Im sure in ALL these pranks we are talking about the prankster(s) would agree.



And in turn, one good prank usually deserves an equal prank against the original prankster, so if anyone wants to help me plastic wrap Arefin's car, or do something else, let me know.
Oh, & btw, don't mention it to him. Shhhh!!


Wait a second... DARN IT! He's going to read this & know I'm up to something.
Oh wells, may as well get my waiver ready for him to sign.