Five weeks instead of six??

I would hate if the build season became any shorter. My team is unorganized as it is, we have not finished a robot before ship since at least 2005, maybe earlier. Any shorter of a build period would pretty much destroy our chances.

I know of course the easy solution is to organize my team more, but that's a far more difficult task than one would think and I have yet to do.

[Roger]

Of course, if we tell the manufacturing group that it's only five weeks, the programmers get a whole week to work on the robot!

[JohnBoucher]

I would have to purchase a new domain.
I already have http://thesixweeks.com/

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by jpmittins

I would hate if the build season became any shorter. My team is unorganized as it is, we have not finished a robot before ship since at least 2005, maybe earlier. Any shorter of a build period would pretty much destroy our chances.

I know of course the easy solution is to organize my team more, but that's a far more difficult task than one would think and I have yet to do.

Consider then that this would be a swift kick in the butt to get yourselves organized.

[Thermal]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Consider then that this would be a swift kick in the butt to get yourselves organized.

1) Go to a regional
2) Show up Thursday Morning
3) Look at how many teams are still working on their bot to make it functional/add functionality
4) multiply that by 10 and you'll have the effects of a 5 week build season.

[Robert Cawthon]

Originally Posted by Thermal

1) Go to a regional
2) Show up Thursday Morning
3) Look at how many teams are still working on their bot to make it functional/add functionality
4) multiply that by 10 and you'll have the effects of a 5 week build season.

I am always trying to find ways to improve the robot (in 2008 we changed the programming Saturday morning!) to get a few more points in the next game.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Thermal

1) Go to a regional
2) Show up Thursday Morning
3) Look at how many teams are still working on their bot to make it functional/add functionality
4) multiply that by 10 and you'll have the effects of a 5 week build season.

Took your bet in 2008 at Kettering, out of all the teams there I can only think of a couple teams that were not functional, bearing in mind that the whole event was rookies I would consider this a worst case scenario. (sorry rookies) Were they amazing? No, but show me a team that builds the perfect robot and is done by ship day and I will show you either a liar OR the first time travelers.

My point was, that if you are consistently not meeting deadlines you need to change something.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

show me a team that builds the perfect robot and is done by ship day and I will show you either a liar OR the first time travelers.

Well, I happen to know that 330 cut metal in Week 5, finished their robot by ship, and only made minor changes to said robot after ship in 2005. (Minor change #1: replace a shattered acrylic side panel in Sacramento with Lexan. Minor change #2: place lights and drill holes, Thurs. AM Sacramento. Minor change #3: pull the ball off our tetra-holding device to make it a stick, sometime around the end of Sacramento or the start of L.A. Minor change #4: change the end of said stick for improved performance.)

And no, we didn't time travel.

[Molten]

Originally Posted by EricH

Well, I happen to know that 330 cut metal in Week 5, finished their robot by ship, and only made minor changes to said robot after ship in 2005. (Minor change #1: replace a shattered acrylic side panel in Sacramento with Lexan. Minor change #2: place lights and drill holes, Thurs. AM Sacramento. Minor change #3: pull the ball off our tetra-holding device to make it a stick, sometime around the end of Sacramento or the start of L.A. Minor change #4: change the end of said stick for improved performance.)

And no, we didn't time travel.

True, but if you had to make 4 adjustments(no matter how minor) the robot wasn't perfect. I'd rather argue that no robot is truly perfect, but thats for another time...

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Molten

True, but if you had to make 4 adjustments(no matter how minor) the robot wasn't perfect. I'd rather argue that no robot is truly perfect, but thats for another time...

Is any robot perfect?

How many adjustments have to be made on a typical top-notch robot? 4? 5? Lost count? I'd argue that if you aren't making small tweaks, even in programming, you a) missed one or b) you don't know how to improve your robot.

Also, note when metal was cut. Week 5, right at the start. Also note the end results of that particular robot. And one adjustment was a simple replacement; the panel took a hard hit from a team that made it their business to try to stop us (emphasis on try). Not bad for a 2-week robot...

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by EricH

Not bad for a 2-week robot...

I'd argue it was a 6-week robot, as strategizing, testing, etc... from the first 4-weeks was obviously used ruing the last 2-weeks.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by EricH

Is any robot perfect?

How many adjustments have to be made on a typical top-notch robot? 4? 5? Lost count? I'd argue that if you aren't making small tweaks, even in programming, you a) missed one or b) you don't know how to improve your robot.

Also, note when metal was cut. Week 5, right at the start. Also note the end results of that particular robot. And one adjustment was a simple replacement; the panel took a hard hit from a team that made it their business to try to stop us (emphasis on try). Not bad for a 2-week robot...

As Adam said, NOT a 2 week robot, if you crated it at the second week THEN it would be a 2 week robot. Until then don't call it a 2 week robot, it is arrogant AND a lie. Besides, did it lose a match? I think it did, therefore it CANNOT have been perfect. Remember, good is not perfect, nor is great.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

As Adam said, NOT a 2 week robot, if you crated it at the second week THEN it would be a 2 week robot. Until then don't call it a 2 week robot, it is arrogant AND a lie. Besides, did it lose a match? I think it did, therefore it CANNOT have been perfect. Remember, good is not perfect, nor is great.

Woah woah, guys, calm down. I see nothing as far as arrogant there. You're all just interpreting meanings differently. Just relax please and hold back blatant comments of arrogance and lying.

[Bob Steele]

I believe that the confusion here is a result of a change in the regional weekends. From what I have gleaned from CD... there will only be 5 regional weekends in the coming season NOT 6 as we have had for a few years.

This is where the 5 weeks thing is generated I believe.

Mark McCleod from team 358 stated:

"I heard through official channels that kickoff is January 9, and the first week regionals are planned for March 4-6.
SBPLI will be a 4th week Regional in 2010.

6 weeks of build would probably put ship date at February 23 if FIRST decides to follow the normal pattern.
Seems like it'll be a typical season."

and in another McLeod post:

"I've heard officially that there will be 5 weeks of regionals/districts/other events in 2010, so with the first week March 4-6, the last week will be the weekend of April 3. So Minnesota will probably tie everything up.

Of course until venue contracts are all signed FIRST cannot make Regional date announcements, and reserve to themselves the right to make necessary adjustments....

This, along with a quick check of the GWCC bookings showing::
04/14/10 - 04/17/10 FIRST (the Championships)
would indicate that the competition season will be 5 weeks, Kickoff on January 9th... Robot Ship...February 23rd.

How the regionals will shake out is anyone's guess.

so 6 week build.... 5 week competitive season...

[Chris is me]

I know this is rumor that turns out to be unfounded but the more I read about all of the teams worrying the more I wanna say bring it on. We could all use a new kind of challenge. It can be done, and with even more pressure it would be even more intense and exciting.

Besides, for most teams (not us, we don't really have a very modular design ever) build season doesn't really end. You get to keep working on your robot as long as it's under 40 pounds and you can attach it in a day.