That poor robot!

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Herodotus

I think every year the first joke we make is about building one of the bots from the game animation. The only time I've seen anyone do it is 2008 with 2337 and the kicking bot.

One of the robots at the Midwest Regional looked like this year's "basket bot", complete with rollers and basket.

[bobwrit]

Originally Posted by nahstobor

I don't understand why nobody has made plowey yet, it can win in any game.

I saw a team this year that did something similar( 100% covered in bumpers, mabye 8" high, top covered in cardbord).

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by nahstobor

I don't understand why nobody has made plowey yet, it can win in any game.

Originally Posted by bobwrit

I saw a team this year that did something similar( 100% covered in bumpers, mabye 8" high, top covered in cardbord).

Did Plowey have proper bumper coverage this year? At least one of the other animation bots clearly didn't, and a third was suspect.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

Did Plowey have proper bumper coverage this year? At least one of the other animation bots clearly didn't, and a third was suspect.

Proof that the bumper rules were poorly worded in the initial manual! Even Dave couldn't figure them out.

I apologize that this post added nothing to this conversation.

[GaryVoshol]

But that was the only rules violation I saw this year in the video. Dave always has a fun time meeting his deadlines for the video, before the rules are firmed up. There, back on track.

[Jared Russell]

Every year our team debates long and hard on whether this is the year that we finally get to build plow-e.

[Taylor]

I challenge your team to build a Plow-E (or any other of the perennial animabots) and bring it to IRI.

So, since a bunch of people are calling the robot I mentioned "Plow-e" I have decided to come up with a fitting acronym for it, a la WALL-E.

Meet PLOW-E: Potential Lifter Or Wedge, Earth Class

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Jared341

Every year our team debates long and hard on whether this is the year that we finally get to build plow-e.

If my teams ever seed at the top 8 and you guys are on the board with plow-e, we're picking you.

[DarkFlame145]

Originally Posted by jpmittins

I was recently watching old game animations, and I noticed something funny. In all the games with balls (2004, 2006, 2008) when the voice over says "Robots must be built robustly..." and then it shows a game piece (or several) dropping on the same robot every year, the low blue one that looks like a snowplow. Why is that? I feel kind of bad for that robot now, it's always in the wrong place in the wrong time. Your thoughts?

BTW, who does the voice overs for those animations?

Plow-bot always get's smashed up =P

[Tetraman]

Well yea...the point of the box-with-wheels Plowey is to prove that if a team makes just a box with wheels, the robot will not be useless can still compete.

But yea, I've been waiting for a team to build it...even for just a side project.

[Chris is me]

Oh, now that I think of it, I know a team that built Plow-e in FVC 2006-2007. The Plow-e in that animation had hands, though. They were our second pick for alliance and basically they were assigned to hold the Bonus Ball (the game was similar to 2004, but you didn't have to cap goals / there were no HPs)

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

without eating anything but chips, salsa, and diet coke until the new year rings in.

and Krispy Kremes....

[David Brinza]

Originally Posted by Tetraman

Well yea...the point of the box-with-wheels Plowey is to prove that if a team makes just a box with wheels, the robot will not be useless can still compete.

But yea, I've been waiting for a team to build it...even for just a side project.

For those who live in regions with "real seasons", Plow-E could indeed be useful...like for clearing snow from driveways!

Originally Posted by David Brinza

For those who live in regions with "real seasons", Plow-E could indeed be useful...like for clearing snow from driveways!

Real seasons? I thought for a second you must have been from Michigan or something and were coming on those people from Philly. Now I see you're from LA. Jealous of our sweet (read: terribly annoying) weather?