The 2010 Curve Ball

[Dantvman27]

The field will have a giant turn table so the goals that we have to place the game pieces in are constantly in motion

[AdamHeard]

I hope the curve ball is actually a return to the 2004 and earlier style games.

I doubt a large change to the KOP, especially nixing of the CIMs.

[colin340]

there is no way they change from cims if so AM would not have made the nano box

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

I hope the curve ball is actually a return to the 2004 and earlier style games.

I always think of FRC as an opportunity for the participants to continue moving forward and discovering/flexing new muscles we didn't even know we had - in areas of problem solving as related to the game. I also think that these efforts and strategies that develop, can and will be applied in helping find real world solutions to existing problems. If they turn around and go back to where we've all come from, what would be gained? If they return to the past and bring it forward with an added twist or turn or two, that could be interesting. As individuals, it is easier to return to a comfort zone than it is to stretch out into new areas. The same is true with communities. We think we understand the last few games and have explored everything they have offered. I have a feeling that we haven't - not completely. The perception could be one thing, the possibilities quite another.

The curve ball is that the GDC is going to celebrate 2010 in a really fun way and we should hold onto our seats.

[FIRSTtm134]

Originally Posted by MiniNerd24

Well, assuming that we're gonna be dealing with more space themed objects this year (like the remote control from Overdrive relating to controling space probes or the regolith being like the surface of the moon) I think we'll either be stuck with less traction/less mobility or we'll be using an entirely new method of control as an option (e.g. IR remote). And as for the field that would be an interesting idea for a field and I'm not gonna say the GDC will count that out, so yes morphed surfaces would make it challenging.
Also if what I've heard is true they found water on the moon so ice may be within the means of terrain and what best represents ice but the regolith from last year?

At River Rage in Manchester NH we beta tested netbooks that are comming in the kit... maybe we are controlling off of those? there was a FIRST program installed on them that was used as the control system instead of that blue box and the wireless router. Also i think stairs and many little objects like tennisballs or foam hockey pucks.

[Boydean]

90lb weight limit.

[Wayne TenBrink]

If we could guess what it was, then it wouldn't be a curve ball!

The KOP includes "1 Long box, 36.5" x 8.75" x 5.75", 29 lbs each" - sounds like the AM kit frame. Therefore, we probably have wheels, too...

I wouldn't be surprised to see some limitations on drive trains. This is the area that gives seasoned veterans a big advantage over younger teams (preseason prototypes, evolution of previous designs, etc.). A big curveball here could force everybody to pull a clean sheet of paper or default to the kit chassis, which might level the playing field a bit.

And speaking of level playing fields - we are overdue for an uneven field surface. Perhaps a game that rewarded tall robots with a high goal placement and then penalized their high CG with a steep ramp, or some such conundrum. Something where you needed to commit to one particular design objective and hope that one of your alliance partners picked the other - kind of like the ramp-bots in 2007.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Wayne TenBrink

If we could guess what it was, then it wouldn't be a curve ball!

The KOP includes "1 Long box, 36.5" x 8.75" x 5.75", 29 lbs each" - sounds like the AM kit frame. Therefore, we probably have wheels, too...

I wouldn't be surprised to see some limitations on drive trains. This is the area that gives seasoned veterans a big advantage over younger teams (preseason prototypes, evolution of previous designs, etc.). A big curveball here could force everybody to pull a clean sheet of paper or default to the kit chassis, which might level the playing field a bit.

And speaking of level playing fields - we are overdue for an uneven field surface. Perhaps a game that rewarded tall robots with a high goal placement and then penalized their high CG with a steep ramp, or some such conundrum. Something where you needed to commit to one particular design objective and hope that one of your alliance partners picked the other - kind of like the ramp-bots in 2007.

I don't think leveling the playing field by limitation is likely to happen.

[Peter Matteson]

My hope is the the curveball we have to deal with is learning to throw a knuckle ball with the scoring object.

I've suggested a weight reduction many times in the past because I feel the robots already way too much, but I've resigned myself to the fact the robot size/weight just won't change significantly for a variety of reasons. (field size, visibility for spectators, electronics sizing, shipping and handling etc...)

The best curveball they could give us in my opinion is new game object shape or size that we haven't dealt with yet. A bulk/mass moving type of challege where we move popcorm kernel or something like that and score by weight could work as well. Also working with smaller balls like super balls, tennis balls, etc would create a new challenge for us on the larger robots..

[Jon Jack]

Drivetrains don't give as big of an advantage as you think. Yes, a solid drivetrain is the foundation for a solid robot, but it doesn't make a robot an Einstein quality robot.

There are better ways to level the playing field than to limit teams' freedom and creativity. I agree with Peter, I hope it's something new. Look at something like the ramps in 2007. It was new to everyone and everyone had a start from scratch. Ramps proved to be a major aspect of the game and IRC every winning alliance has atleast one ramp.

[JesseK]

We will play on unpopped corn kernels, just like in 1992. NASA will then use the results to figure out new ways to get Spirit unstuck. Even the price of corn has risen since September, which is evidence that the GDC has indeed been stocking up on the precious commodity.

Two themes knocked out with one field element: check.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Boydean

90lb weight limit.

I also think that there will be a decrease in the weight limit. I'm thinking 105-115lbs. Anywhere below 100 can get hard to do, but somehow we built our 2008 robot and it came to a weight of 84lbs when done, and we weren't even trying to stay light.

[Lil' Lavery]

Who says it will be a curve ball? Maybe the GDC has decided to test out their knuck...

Originally Posted by Peter Matteson

My hope is the the curveball we have to deal with is learning to throw a knuckle ball with the scoring object.

*grumbles about being late to the thread*

[EricH]

Originally Posted by colin340

there is no way they change from cims if so AM would not have made the nano box

AM does not know the game. AM has chosen, based on past years' setups, to develop a gearbox that may or may not be used this year. This is a risk that many companies take. Best guess says X, Y happens, company Z loses money. Best guess says X, X happens, company Z makes money hand-over-fist. That's business in a capitalist marketplace.

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by Wayne TenBrink

I wouldn't be surprised to see some limitations on drive trains. This is the area that gives seasoned veterans a big advantage over younger teams (preseason prototypes, evolution of previous designs, etc.). A big curveball here could force everybody to pull a clean sheet of paper or default to the kit chassis, which might level the playing field a bit.

No need for limitations. Whereas the difference between "have" and "have not" teams in regards to drive trains may have existed five or ten years ago, AndyMark's products have pretty much eliminated that.

The proper way to advance forward is by bringing the bottom up, not by limiting how high the top can fly.