pic: Wait a second... Team 2607 awards at Ramp Riot

[Racer26]

I remember watching an offseason webcast back in 2008.

In 2008, 1519 built a robot for competition. The robot, IMO and many agree, was simply the circuit board. It had two "mechanism" configurations; a speedy lapper, and a hurdler. Both combined fit within the weight restriction. In many people's eyes, this was a perfect use of the "interchangeable MECHANISMs allowed provided all of them combined stay within the weight limit" rule. They had planned to use both interchangeably depending on their match texture (who they were with and against). HQ instead decided that they had built 2 ROBOTs, and would only be allowed to compete with one of them in FIRST events.

At the offseason I'm remembering, they built a second circuit board, and ran the lapping bot as '9151'. For some reason I seem to recall a similar scenario, where the team's two bots ended up head to head in the Elims.

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by 1075guy

I remember watching an offseason webcast back in 2008.

In 2008, 1519 built a robot for competition. The robot, IMO and many agree, was simply the circuit board. It had two "mechanism" configurations; a speedy lapper, and a hurdler. Both combined fit within the weight restriction. In many people's eyes, this was a perfect use of the "interchangeable MECHANISMs allowed provided all of them combined stay within the weight limit" rule. They had planned to use both interchangeably depending on their match texture (who they were with and against). HQ instead decided that they had built 2 ROBOTs, and would only be allowed to compete with one of them in FIRST events.

At the offseason I'm remembering, they built a second circuit board, and ran the lapping bot as '9151'. For some reason I seem to recall a similar scenario, where the team's two bots ended up head to head in the Elims.

The offseason event was Beantown Blitz.
The larger "robot" (to lift the trackballs) was named Fezzik (sp?).
and the smaller "robot" (a lap bat) was named Speed Racer.
Speed racer won the off season event (If I remember correctly)

... and as far as I was concerned, under that years rules, they were one bot with 2 configurations. Too bad FRC HQ didn't see it that way (I thought it was most innovative).

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Daniel_LaFleur

... and as far as I was concerned, under that years rules, they were one bot with 2 configurations. Too bad FRC HQ didn't see it that way (I thought it was most innovative).

The argument that convinced me that 1519's dual-body 'bot wasn't legal was its inability to satisfy the bumper rules. It certainly met the spirit of the rules, but there wasn't enough wiggle room in the wording to let them switch between configurations.

[Racer26]

Originally Posted by Daniel_LaFleur

... and as far as I was concerned, under that years rules, they were one bot with 2 configurations. Too bad FRC HQ didn't see it that way (I thought it was most innovative).

I remember myself and many others being outraged, as it seemed to be the epitome of what that rule intends to allow, executed beautifully. In the end, I seem to recall Fezzik did not perform poorly at official events, even given its ~30 pound disadvantage.