pic: Jaguar next to Victor

[ajlapp]

loading photo ...

[Jonathan Norris]

these things are big... fitting 8 of them on a robot is going to take up a lot more space then 8 victors. Seems like the whole control system is growing for next year. the fighting between mechanical and electrical for space on the robot will get even more intense. Watch out for flying batteries !

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Norris

Seems like the whole control system is growing for next year. the fighting between mechanical and electrical for space on the robot will get even more intense. Watch out for flying batteries !

If memory serves, I recall a Canadian team mounting their battery as a counterweight on their arm at the Canadian Regional many moons ago. I believe this was permitted by inspection, and they competed with this configuration.

Don't call it a comeback....

[gorrilla]

itssss HUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGEEEEE

[Jonathan Norris]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

If memory serves, I recall a Canadian team mounting their battery as a counterweight on their arm at the Canadian Regional many moons ago. I believe this was permitted by inspection, and they competed with this configuration.

Don't call it a comeback....

I actually wouldn't but surprised if a team has done that before. But I've had the head of my electrical team throw a battery across the shop after the mech team decided to move it for the 4th time.. in a weak... planning more space for electronics will be important this year.

[sdcantrell56]

Electronics boards are going to get a lot more interesting. I'm expecting to see a lot more vertically oriented layouts this coming year.

[Elgin Clock]

I hope the folks writing the manual are reading this, & seeing our concerns in the size/weight difference being placed upon us with the introduction of the new control system.

I'm sure they realized this already, but if not, then right here in this post, I am officially documenting the first call to the GDC/Game & Robot potion of the 2009 Manual writing crew to boost up size & weight requirements for next year.
Not by much, but just a little bit.
I don't want to see double sized bots, but an extra few inches & pounds would be greatly appreciated!

Please?

(Btw, anyone know a weight difference between just 1 Victor vs. 1 Jaguar?)

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

I hope the folks writing the manual are reading this, & seeing our concerns in the size/weight difference being placed upon us with the introduction of the new control system.

I'm sure they realized this already, but if not, then right here in this post, I am officially documenting the first call to the GDC/Game & Robot potion of the 2009 Manual writing crew to boost up size & weight requirements for next year.
Not by much, but just a little bit.
I don't want to see double sized bots, but an extra few inches & pounds would be greatly appreciated!

Please?

(Btw, anyone know a weight difference between just 1 Victor vs. 1 Jaguar?)

The weight difference is also what I'm really interested in. Even an increase of just 2 ounces (which looks like they easily did) increases the average robot weight about a pound (8 victors average?).

[Rosiebotboss]

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

I hope the folks writing the manual are reading this, & seeing our concerns in the size/weight difference being placed upon us with the introduction of the new control system.

I'm sure they realized this already, but if not, then right here in this post, I am officially documenting the first call to the GDC/Game & Robot potion of the 2009 Manual writing crew to boost up size & weight requirements for next year.
Not by much, but just a little bit.
I don't want to see double sized bots, but an extra few inches & pounds would be greatly appreciated!

Please?

(Btw, anyone know a weight difference between just 1 Victor vs. 1 Jaguar?)

The problem with increasing size and weight restrictions is that OSHA regs will get exceeded for safely picking up an object by 2 people and also the size of it is pretty much standard for moving through a door.

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Rosiebotboss

The problem with increasing size and weight restrictions is that OSHA regs will get exceeded for safely picking up an object by 2 people and also the size of it is pretty much standard for moving through a door.

Just make the drive base taller to fit your new hardware - no more compact, elegant designs - BOX BOTS FOR EVERYONE!

[acdcfan259]

The footprint of the Victor looks like it could fit over the fan part on the Jaguar.

[Alan Anderson]

Instead of fitting the control system into the robot, it might become more of a priority to fit the robot around the control system. And with the expectation that teams should reuse their controller from year to year, mounting these things is likely to get radically different anyway.

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

Just make the drive base taller to fit your new hardware - no more compact, elegant designs - BOX BOTS FOR EVERYONE!

You think maybe the GDC should tweak the bumper design next year to use six parallel pool noodles instead of two?

[JesseK]

Whatever the size and weight, we'll survive. I for one will consider the Jaguar a victory if it works consistently without having to nail polish the PWM cable in.

[artdutra04]

In other news, this will be the year of legitimate OMG XBOX HUGE!!1! jokes.

What I am most concerned about though, is why they apparently wasted so much time making an eye-candy case when they could have devoted that time to instead making it smaller. (Whether or not the case is square and boxy or more streamlined than a 1950s toaster makes no difference on its performance.) I would rather give up all the whiz-bang features of the Jaguar in all but a limited number of applications for the more practical, space-saving features of the Victors.

[ChuckDickerson]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

What I am most concerned about though, is why they apparently wasted so much time making an eye-candy case when they could have devoted that time to instead making it smaller. (Whether or not the case is square and boxy or more streamlined than a 1950s toaster makes no difference on its performance.)

Maybe the case/shell is designed as a cover to keep all those metal shavings out and the magic smoke in??? Maybe we will be allowed to remove the outer case for space saving reasons if we want to but under the "user beware" sort of rule.

Originally Posted by artdutra04

I would rather give up all the whiz-bang features of the Jaguar in all but a limited number of applications for the more practical, space-saving features of the Victors.

Maybe that is the plan. Who at FIRST has said officially that the old Victors are either our or in next year? Maybe we will be given the Victors as always but if you want to use these new heavier/larger/etc. Jaguars because you want to take advantage of the extra features you will be allowed to? Maybe we will be "given" 2 of each in the KoP instead of all of one or the other. Nobody but FIRST knows at this point.

I think we should all just wait and see what happens between now an January. FIRST teams have a pretty good history of doing some amazing things within the limits they are given to work with. Whatever happens with the whole new control system including these new speed controllers will just be part of the limits we are given to work with. I suspect the pros will outweigh the cons but only time will tell.