What did we learn - FIRST Scrimmages?

[Nickel5]

I found:

Not much travel over the bumps

• Seemed to be more beneficial to the other alliance than to your own due to open field section.

Low scoring

• High score was 6, a more average score was 2

Hard to push a ball over the bump

• Just ended up being caught under the frame.

Once a ball is up against the alliance station walls, it's dead. If it's against the side walls in the middle section, it's also dead.
Autonomous is very important because it's a unimpeded chance to score
Hard to manipulate ball, even with ball control

[sportman3333333]

Did anyone manage to find the e-stop button at the driver stations at Suffield Shakedown. Team 999 has lost the stop button. If anyone has it, please pm me.

Thanks

[Michael Corsetto]

I learned how important ball possession is and how not-so-important bump climbing is. We would climb the bump max once per match and still be shooting balls all match. Teams that lacked ball possessors were
A) Having trouble lining up kicks and
B) Taking lots of pictures of our front roller

We also learned the importance of lining up quickly, and you can miss to the wall slightly and still make a bounce shot.

[MrForbes]

Originally Posted by Michael Corsetto

I learned how important ball possession is and how not-so-important bump climbing is.

I learned how many teams did not realize how important ball possession is.

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by squirrel

I learned how many teams did not realize how important ball possession is.

Jim,
TOTALLY agree with you.
This is why we are still scrambling wondering if we should powdercoat or not tonight or tomorrow, with less programming and driver practice.

We spent 1 1/2 weeks trying to find the right speed, motor, device, frame stop, etc. that we felt was to our satisfaction on possessing the ball.

Its not perfect, but with driver practice in how they turn and do reverse turns, it certainly improves.

One of the schools here had a scrimmage, and that was the biggest problem.........good ball possessing.

[MrForbes]

Originally Posted by waialua359

This is why we are still scrambling wondering if we should powdercoat or not tonight or tomorrow, with less programming and driver practice.

Our robot frame is rusty steel....oh well...at least it can hold onto the ball reasonably well.

[Cyberphil]

Originally Posted by squirrel

I learned how many teams did not realize how important ball possession is.

It is very surprising that many teams did not think of this. We also overlooked the importance of ball manipulation. With the past few games being like they were, it is surprising that many teams overlooked this thing of extreme importance. Each game relies on manipulation of the game pieces. For some reason people think that other aspects are more important, but when you think about it, if you can't posses the ball and aim it, you cannot win easily at all. We figured that out a little too late.

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by Nickel5

Once a ball is up against the alliance station walls, it's dead. If it's against the side walls in the middle section, it's also dead.
Autonomous is very important because it's a unimpeded chance to score
Hard to manipulate ball, even with ball control

thanks for confirming what we were afraid of.
With bumpers on and being high off the ground, how the heck do you get it from the wall, without a manipulator that wacks it back into play?

I've seen videos of vacuum suction cups that work well, once it grabs the ball. But without rollers, it would make it almost impossible. Those videos showed it with their bumper off.

Kind of reminds me of 2008, comparing teams that had the top rollers vs. those that did not. We didnt unfortunately.

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by waialua359

thanks for confirming what we were afraid of.
With bumpers on and being high off the ground, how the heck do you get it from the wall, without a manipulator that wacks it back into play?

I've seen videos of vacuum suction cups that work well, once it grabs the ball. But without rollers, it would make it almost impossible. Those videos showed it with their bumper off.

A robot that has the ability to strafe (swerve, mecanum) can acquire balls with vacuums sans rollers if it strafes diagonally into them.

[Arefin Bari]

Are there any videos from any of these scrimmages? I (and I am sure others as well) would love to see them.

p.s. - Please take permission from the teams if you are going to post a video of their robot.

[Michael Corsetto]

Originally Posted by Arefin Bari

Are there any videos from any of these scrimmages? I (and I am sure others as well) would love to see them.

p.s. - Please take permission from the teams if you are going to post a video of their robot.

Check out this thread: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=83332

Just a few links provided by squirrel so far...

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Nickel5

...Once a ball is up against the alliance station walls, it's dead. If it's against the side walls in the middle section, it's also dead.
...

I have to disagree with you there. This may be true for roller type dribblers, but is in fact easier for vacuum setups.

[Koko Ed]

Another thing we may have learned is due to low scoring perhaps the wonky seeding won't be so painful to deal with after all. While I'm not looking forward to a slew of 1-0 matches I would prefer to not having losing alliances rewarded for being terrible at competing.

[coldfusion1279]

well 1-0 matches doesn't sound like anyone was really all that spectacular... And in this case the winners and losers get the same amount of seeding points (assuming no penalties were called) correct? This would benefit the loser.

Although I agree with the point you are making Koko Ed. Low scores will keep this otherwise confusing scoring system relatively simple.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by coldfusion1279

well 1-0 matches doesn't sound like anyone was really all that spectacular... And in this case the winners and losers get the same amount of seeding points (assuming no penalties were called) correct? This would benefit the loser.

Although I agree with the point you are making Koko Ed. Low scores will keep this otherwise confusing scoring system relatively simple.

But the winner gets the co-opertition bonus (I think it's 3 points). So the winner gets the big advantage there.