Mini Bot - displeasure

[Justin Stiltner]

Tom,
Read the rules about what you can construct your robot with. You only are required to use the tetrix battery and motors. The rest of the mechanical can be built from standard FRC parts, Aluminum, polycarb, etc!!!

The point bill is trying to make is that as I mentioned, the NXT brick is not required. Currently there are no rules specifically for the mini bot electrical system. As such one could use the two household electrical switches to power your motors. This will allow your robot to be lighter and avoid needing to buy a NXT controller brick and the tetrix motor controller.

[Alexa Stott]

Originally Posted by SteveGPage

According to the FIRST FTC website, by the time we get to the FRC week 1 competitions, 111 of the 118 FTC competitions will have been completed. After week 1, only 3 are left to run. That means that there are a lot of FTC teams who have already lost and whose season is over, and maybe they would love a new challenge and would love to help an FRC team.

But it would sure be helpful to get started on a minibot design, like, uh...now, which is in the middle of their competition season.

Also, what happens at championships when that FTC team whose parts you borrowed needs their stuff back for their own competition?

[1086VEX]

Even though 1086 participates in the FTC competition, i was hoping that they wouldn't limit us to just tetrix. For one, it may stop our FTC team from competing in further regional competitions this season which will be sad to see. As many also said its unfair for teams that compete in the VRC. Granted they did give us the option to use other material other than just tetrix i would've much preferred to see the possibility of some VEX or other system based minibots.

As far as the limiting of creativity goes i don't buy it. the whole Tetrix system is about being creative and with the additional materials, there are still many possibilities.

[Techhexium]

Originally Posted by Alexa Stott

But it would sure be helpful to get started on a minibot design, like, uh...now, which is in the middle of their competition season.

Also, what happens at championships when that FTC team whose parts you borrowed needs their stuff back for their own competition?

At this time, a lot of teams in California and probably Florida are already done with their season (2 of 3 regionals done, last one is in San Diego next week), so FRC teams in California are in luck.

I can't really speak for others but my team has a lot of spare motors and parts, and in my region there were grants towards veteran teams for more parts so many other teams should have extras too!

[SteveGPage]

Originally Posted by Alexa Stott

But it would sure be helpful to get started on a minibot design, like, uh...now, which is in the middle of their competition season.

Also, what happens at championships when that FTC team whose parts you borrowed needs their stuff back for their own competition?

I'm not suggesting you borrow or design anything. What I am suggesting is seeing if one of the thousands of FTC teams who has already lost, and is not going to the championships - in other words, their season is already over - would be willing to partner with you and to build one for you.

[billbo911]

Originally Posted by Justin Stiltner

Tom,
Read the rules about what you can construct your robot with. You only are required to use the tetrix battery and motors. The rest of the mechanical can be built from standard FRC parts, Aluminum, polycarb, etc!!!

The point bill is trying to make is that as I mentioned, the NXT brick is not required. Currently there are no rules specifically for the mini bot electrical system. As such one could use the two household electrical switches to power your motors. This will allow your robot to be lighter and avoid needing to buy a NXT controller brick and the tetrix motor controller.

Oh Justin, you let the cat out.

And, unless FIRST changes the rules, there will be exactly 0 NXT controllers in our Minibot. 0<1.

[Jack Jones]

Originally Posted by Justin Stiltner

Tom,
Read the rules about what you can construct your robot with. You only are required to use the tetrix battery and motors. The rest of the mechanical can be built from standard FRC parts, Aluminum, polycarb, etc!!!

The point bill is trying to make is that as I mentioned, the NXT brick is not required. Currently there are no rules specifically for the mini bot electrical system. As such one could use the two household electrical switches to power your motors. This will allow your robot to be lighter and avoid needing to buy a NXT controller brick and the tetrix motor controller.

Justin,

Re-read the rules about MINIBOT construction. The only "required" item is the battery.

[JB987]

Originally Posted by billbo911

Oh Justin, you let the cat out.

And, unless FIRST changes the rules, there will be exactly 0 NXT controllers in our Minibot. 0<1.

We are hoping to get by with motors, battery and light switches only as our electrical system but what about " associated,appropriate circuitry)." Will the inspectors apply the FTC standards that do require use of motor controllers and NXT? Bottom line...what constitutes [b]appropriate circuitry[b]?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Jack Jones

Justin,

Re-read the rules about MINIBOT construction. The only "required" item is the battery.

Jack, that is true. However, if you want your minibot to move vertically, then you need to read Update #1, specifically the blue box that now accompanies <G19>. NXT motors are now required equipment for vertical motion.

[Justin Stiltner]

Jack,
While that is true, your robot would not be able to move, as there is no other legal method of converting the energy stored in the battery to work that results in the mini bot going up the pole. Update 1 disallowed stored energy within any other part of the mini bot being used to propel the mini bot up the pole.

Although, It could be a good move for teams without a minibot, or minibot deployment capability to carry the battery of a teammate for the coopertition points.

In any case, you are right, the only part required to be on the mini bot is the battery. But then again the rules don't require the robots to be mobile either

[Jack Jones]

Loaner MINIBOT:

[Andy A.]

Originally Posted by EricH

Jack, that is true. However, if you want your minibot to move vertically, then you need to read Update #1, specifically the blue box that now accompanies <G19>. NXT motors are now required equipment for vertical motion.

I am extraordinarily confused. Unless I'm mistaken, those motors are available for free from the FIRST Choice program, as is the required battery pack. Those two items would constitute the only FTC parts you need to run a minibot, correct?

You could wire the two with a simple switch in between and not include any of the (heavy and yucky) FTC bricks/motor controllers/whatever other horrid things they use, right?

I haven't seen any rules about FTC wiring- sorry, I'm just not involved in FTC and have zero desire to be. Are mini-bots playing in the FRC game being held to FTC or FRC wiring rules? I realize that would be illegal for a FRC bot to use a switch for motor control, but what about FTC? It doesn't seem immediately clear to me.

Really, I'm confused. Sorry if this has been hashed out, but can someone please explain for the rest of us what exactly changed in team update one besides what is already clearly stated in it? Why the sudden concern that we can only use FTC parts (besides concerns over everyone having the same lame performance)?

[Radical Pi]

Originally Posted by EricH

NXT motors are now required equipment for vertical motion.

Typo? NXT motors are illegal. The motors allowed are 2 Tetrix motors.

[Kelsey1619]

I have to agree with the rest of the displeasure about this. There is an FTC team at a local middle school in the same town as my FRC team, but I've heard that they have their own competition next month, so they need to be working on their own stuff. I don't think it would be fair to them for us to walk in and ask for their help when they have their own bot they need to build. I really do like the idea of the FRC and FTC teams working together, but I (like many of you it seems) do not like the way they went about doing this.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Radical Pi

Typo? NXT motors are illegal. The motors allowed are 2 Tetrix motors.

Typo.

Andy, you're correct.

The concern over FTC parts only (plus all the other stuff in <R92>) is that they removed all forms of stored energy except the battery pre-deployment. So there's no chance of a spring-powered flywheel that is also a drive wheel, say.

They turned a mousetrap car competition into an FTC competition.

The other thing is that it does seem to be political. Some of us hate political decisions like that, no matter the effect.

Also, FIRST Choice is a first-come-first serve, and some teams may have already placed their orders. It might be too late to go back and get an FTC kit through that. So now you have to go the hard and expensive way.