Countries which don't have FTC

[popnbrown]

Originally Posted by goffchris

I disagree. This rule is quite unfair to newer teams that have not developed deeper FIRST programs, and especially to international teams like ours. It is great that the FTC mini kit will be available on FIRST Choice, but it will cost us an arm and a leg to ship it over (assuming they don't run out of stock), and will put us at least a week behind.

It is great to encourage teams to get involved with FLL and FTC, but some schools can't afford or manage more than one. This rule favors dynastic, well-funded teams that have built their schools around FIRST. My school in London has now developed a good FLL program, but there are no FTC competitions in Europe, nor are there any vendors for the parts. We are already struggling to finance our annual trip to the US for our FRC regional. We are down to only 2 UK teams from 6 due to these budgetary issues.

I think that the Game Committee needs to take a moment to think about these issues in the future. There always seem to be game elements involved that are impossible to get overseas (Orbit Balls, etc.). If they are going to open the competition up to overseas teams, they should consider the consequences of their decisions on those teams.

Well, there point was to get greater communication with FTC and FRC. You don't neeed to have a FTC team to actually do well. You just have to know how to adapt to different materials. Of course, the parts not being overseas issue is pretty bad, and they should take that into consideration. Maybe it's something to talk to them about? Overseas discount on shipping, seeing as how you guys already pay lots of money for your travel (I think remember talking to you guys about that).

I would fully support a discount for just overseas teams than national teams.

[gblake]

Disclaimer: I have not studied the rules - This is based on what I heard during Kick Off.

The Dave/Woody/Dean trio emphasized that teams may share mini-Bots with other teams.

At least on the surface this would mean that an overseas team, or a Michigan team or a ___ team could contact another team or two that
1) Will be at the same regional, (or is an FTC-only team near that regional???).
2) Has experience using the Tetrix equipment well,
3) Has a large-enough stockpile of Tetrix equipment that won't already be in use for FTC events, and
4) That would enjoy forming friendships with a team that isn't Tetrix-savvy.

Ask them to build 2-3 mini-bots and let your team use one. They can help you keep it in good working order during the event and they can collaborate with you to design how to deploy it.

I suspect that more than one team will do this just for the GP fun of it, without having any specific partners.

Also if a team has a lightning-fast mini-bot, then they will obviously want to offer to loan a copy to their allies in each match. I think that building an ordinary hostbot and two copies of the world's best (fast, easy to deploy, and RELIABLE) mini-bot is likely to get a team invited onto an elimination alliance (30+20 points is significant contribution to an alliance's bottom line).

So, teams that aren't able to emphasize the mini-bot construction, can emphasize the other parts of the game AND being able to deploy loaned mini-bots.

Blake
PS: If, for example, a London FRC team wanted to collaborate with a Virginia FTC-only team, and use (in every match) a mini-bot the FTC team built, the London team should confirm (in the official Q&A) that combining the FTC team's people and equipment with their FRC team would be legal. The GDC might only allow FRC teams to borrow mini-bots from the other FRC teams that are in their alliance for any given match.

[dtengineering]

As far as I can tell from the rules, you are not REQUIRED TO use Tetrix parts, they are merely one of the options available.

Although, to be fair, the batteries and motors are almost a requirement as I don't see any of the other materials being particularly useful for energy storage and conversion.

The mini bot (again, as far as I can tell) is NOT REQUIRED to use the RCX. I see nothing in the rules stating that MINIBOT motors have to be controlled through a speed controller. The minibot motors could (unless there is a rule to the contrary that I have missed) be running at the beginning of the match, and the hostbot would simply place the minibot on the pole and let it climb.

But I'm throwing a disclaimer in here... I haven't gone through every inch of the rules yet.... but consider why you would want to carry the extra mass of a Lego controller up the pole when you are trying to go quickly.

Jason