2010 Lesson Learned: The Negative

[Doc Wu]

Originally Posted by ratdude747

also, the bumpers were FAIL. they were too high, which caused many robots to tip way too easy. also, the colors took away from the personality of the robot. also, most robots had numbers not visible form far away, which made scouting a nightmare.

I disagree - except for the height issue, which was mostly dictated by the need for clearance over the bumps.

The use of the color to determine the alliance was a great idea. I'd even like to see more specific shades of red and blue, no navy blue, no orange-red, just the proper colors. Perhaps the cloth could be put in the KOP to ensure consistency.

I'd add the requirement that the numbers be bright white as well. From my observations, most were already and were easily read. There were a few black-on-blue or blue-on-red combinations that were hard to read. White worked well. They dictate number size already, making white mandatory would help keep them legible.

If you want personality, decorate the rest of your robot. The bumper colors and legible numbers are a great improvement for fans in the stands and on webcasts.

[Tom Line]

Originally Posted by ttldomination

Things I didn't quite like:
4. Practice Fields. I don't know why, but this year more than ever, the practice field was impossible to get onto. I feel like maybe we should be doing one practice field per division. I mean, to expect that a team won't need practice field time because they should be ready is wrong. Everyone wanted, and neeed practice field time, and it was impossible to get any.

Actually, we made it out onto the practice field very quickly every time we needed to (except when they started tearing the fields down before the competition was over!!!).

We simply went up and and got into the fill line, then I watched the field volunteer and made sure to catch their eye so they knew we were there. I think the longest we ever waited was 15 minutes.

I did absolutely hate having to remove our radio to drive wirelessly, so after the first time we tethered and ran that way.

[yarden.saa]

Even not one judge came to out pit. how do the other teams won in prizes at the chanpionship when none of the judges came to our pit? I DON'T KNOW.

In the WPA key staion there was only one computer that set the routers to Curie field and this computer didn't work so they had to set our router manualy.

The field issues were exactly like in Israel Regional ):

We got penalties on nothing when other teams didn't got penalties when itg was obvious they should get penalty.

I left the CMP with bad taste in my mouth.

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by yarden.saa

The field issues were exactly like in Israel Regional ):

I don't mean to dismiss this as baseless concern as there are clearly teams that have had issues with the fields this year.

Having said that, if field issues are following your robot it has to make you wonder if it's really the field doesn't it?

[ratdude747]

Originally Posted by Doc Wu

I disagree - except for the height issue, which was mostly dictated by the need for clearance over the bumps.

The use of the color to determine the alliance was a great idea. I'd even like to see more specific shades of red and blue, no navy blue, no orange-red, just the proper colors. Perhaps the cloth could be put in the KOP to ensure consistency.

I'd add the requirement that the numbers be bright white as well. From my observations, most were already and were easily read. There were a few black-on-blue or blue-on-red combinations that were hard to read. White worked well. They dictate number size already, making white mandatory would help keep them legible.

If you want personality, decorate the rest of your robot. The bumper colors and legible numbers are a great improvement for fans in the stands and on webcasts.

i think the main motive behind the bumpers was the creation of an alliance indicator that would fit in the tunnel.

mandatory white would not be bad, but elimination of this year's bumpers would be better.

[EricDrost]

The game this year was designed well, except for the goals. If they knew a great number of teams would be the right height to go under the tunnel, why make the goals shaped to trap of this height in them if they got too close? In the very last match on Einstein, 2041 and 294 both got stuck in the blue alliance's goals, completely blocking any balls that could have gone in. If they did not get stuck, the alliance of 469-2041-1114 may have won that match and even the entire competition! As much as I hate to say it because this year's game was a huge step up, it was poor planning on the GDC's part.

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by Purple

The game this year was designed well, except for the goals. If they knew a great number of teams would be the right height to go under the tunnel, why make the goals shaped to trap of this height in them if they got too close? In the very last match on Einstein, 2041 and 294 both got stuck in the blue alliance's goals, completely blocking any balls that could have gone in. If they did not get stuck, the alliance of 469-2041-1114 may have won that match and even the entire competition! As much as I hate to say it because this year's game was a huge step up, it was poor planning on the GDC's part.

2041 was not trapped because the goal was too short, they got trapped because they got turned sideways. There is a small lip on the goal which is necessary to keep balls from rolling out, 2041 managed to get their one set of wheels parallel to and up against this lip in a fluke occurance.

I did not see 294 get stuck during that match (doesn't mean it didn't occur). I did see 294 purposely block the other goal, they were the opponent after all.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Purple

In the very last match on Einstein, 2041 and 294 both got stuck in the blue alliance's goals, completely blocking any balls that could have gone in.

294 didn't get stuck. I'm 100% certain they wanted to be in exactly that spot for as long as possible.

Your point does stand though... those goals were really easy to get stuck in

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by yarden.saa

The field issues were exactly like in Israel Regional ):

We got penalties on nothing when other teams didn't got penalties when itg was obvious they should get penalty.

Care to elaborate on these statements. The first one mostly.

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by Purple

The game this year was designed well, except for the goals. ... it was poor planning on the GDC's part.

I don't know how you can blame a robot getting stuck in the goal on the GDC. The field drawings showed all of the dimensions of the goals. If a team doesn't want to risk getting stuck then they need to plan around it.





James

[pfreivald]

Originally Posted by JamesBrown

I don't know how you can blame a robot getting stuck in the goal on the GDC. The field drawings showed all of the dimensions of the goals. If a team doesn't want to risk getting stuck then they need to plan around it.

James

Exactly. We saw that as a danger from day one, and knew that a 'push bot' would have that vulnurability -- and thus elected not to build a push bot!

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by JamesBrown

I don't know how you can blame a robot getting stuck in the goal on the GDC. The field drawings showed all of the dimensions of the goals. If a team doesn't want to risk getting stuck then they need to plan around it.

While I don't think that the goal design is GDC oversight, virtually any drivetrain can get stuck in the goal in the manner 2041 did. Only swerves can easily get out.

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

While I don't think that the goal design is GDC oversight, virtually any drivetrain can get stuck in the goal in the manner 2041 did. Only swerves can easily get out.

This is true. We were shoved into a goal during our second qualification match and couldn't get out. After the match I looked at the goal lip and how it caught on the wheels and saw that the only way a team could've prevented this from happening was to either build a robot too talk to go into the goal, or by giving your chassis about .5" of ground clearance.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by thefro526

This is true. We were shoved into a goal during our second qualification match and couldn't get out. After the match I looked at the goal lip and how it caught on the wheels and saw that the only way a team could've prevented this from happening was to either build a robot too talk to go into the goal, or by giving your chassis about .5" of ground clearance.

You know 1501? They had a quarter inch of ground clearance if I remember correctly and it didn't stop them from encountering a similar problem. 2791 got stuck twice (we had weird programming glitches that would make part of the drive move when the kicker was being recharged).

I wonder why they didn't make the foam flush with the lip of the ramp?

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

You know 1501? They had a quarter inch of ground clearance if I remember correctly and it didn't stop them from encountering a similar problem. 2791 got stuck twice (we had weird programming glitches that would make part of the drive move when the kicker was being recharged).

I wonder why they didn't make the foam flush with the lip of the ramp?

1501 is a bit different though. They really didn't have the traction or power to get themselves out. (Or even a wheel in the correct direction, or touching the floor IIRC)

I think the non-flushness of the goal had something to do with keeping the balls in, but I'm not sure. Who knows, maybe those brilliant minds at the GDC made the goals like this just to laugh at us when our robots get stuck?