pic: New low bar flaps

[mastachyra]

I have a question that might be silly, but I may have missed something big. I admit I can't read every thread on CD (Sorry I'm slacking...)

Why is FIRST changing the low bar flap?

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by mastachyra

I have a question that might be silly, but I may have missed something big. I admit I can't read every thread on CD (Sorry I'm slacking...)

Why is FIRST changing the low bar flap?

In week 1 the low bar flaps were shredded by teams at pretty much every event. Some events made new flaps out of bumper fabric (MUCH more durable), others ran without them entirely. This new design was FIRST's solution for week 2'

[Kevin Sevcik]

Originally Posted by mastachyra

I have a question that might be silly, but I may have missed something big. I admit I can't read every thread on CD (Sorry I'm slacking...)

Why is FIRST changing the low bar flap?

I'll assume you've been busy the last week. The cloth from the original flap was somewhat flimsy and easily torn by robots. Apparently by robots you wouldn't think would poke holes and tear through the flaps. The GDC came up with this solution instead of trying tougher cloth for the original style of flaps. This decision has been somewhat controversial.

[RoboChair]

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

I'll assume you've been busy the last week. The cloth from the original flap was somewhat flimsy and easily torn by robots. Apparently by robots you wouldn't think would poke holes and tear through the flaps. The GDC came up with this solution instead of trying tougher cloth for the original style of flaps. This decision has been somewhat controversial.

Part of the reason is that they needed to send the right amount of material to 24 DIFFERENT events on less than one week's notice. They were able to source something that works from McMaster Carr, a company uniquely adapted to filling this kind of panic induced rapid shipment of something.

TL;DR I ordered a roll from McMaster last night at about 5:30pm an I had it in my grimy hands by 9:30am this morning. That's a 16 hour from ordered to delivered 500 miles away.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by RoboChair

Part of the reason is that they needed to send the right amount of material to 24 DIFFERENT events on less than one week's notice. They were able to source something that works from McMaster Carr, a company uniquely adapted to filling this kind of panic induced rapid shipment of something.

TL;DR I ordered a roll from McMaster last night at about 5:30pm an I had it in my grimy hands by 9:30am this morning. That's a 16 hour from ordered to delivered 500 miles away.

Plus it needed to be able to be implemented in the field with items in case 8, so your basic hand tools, a drill, zip ties, and gaff tape.

That is the reason that any sort of cloth which would require a sewing machine was ruled out, in my opinion.

[Foster]

Originally Posted by RoboChair

They were able to source something that works from McMaster Carr, a company uniquely adapted to filling this kind of panic induced rapid shipment of something.

/snicker. I never really considered McM-C business model to be "we have everything and when you are in a frenzy we can have it to you in 12 hours" but it seems to work.

I'm not sure that I would have put the zip ties on the top, that looks like a snag magnet. If they get snapped off they can learn and not put them back on the flaps.

[Joe Johnson]

I missed this update.

What are they actually made of?

Looks a lot like ABS sheet that I've used on so many robots. In 0.020" thickness it comes in rolls and it's pretty cheap ($2 per ft for 6" wide strips)

Dr. Joe J.

[Knufire]

Originally Posted by Joe Johnson

I missed this update.

What are they actually made of?

Looks a lot like ABS sheet that I've used on so many robots. In 0.020" thickness it comes in rolls and it's pretty cheap ($2 per ft for 6" wide strips)

Dr. Joe J.

It's vinyl sheet. The changes were detailed in the most recent team update: https://firstfrc.blob.core.windows.n...Updates/15.pdf

It can be found/purchased here: http://www.mcmaster.com/#1894a214/=11hewcj

[Bob Steele]

Originally Posted by RoboChair

Part of the reason is that they needed to send the right amount of material to 24 DIFFERENT events on less than one week's notice. They were able to source something that works from McMaster Carr, a company uniquely adapted to filling this kind of panic induced rapid shipment of something.

TL;DR I ordered a roll from McMaster last night at about 5:30pm an I had it in my grimy hands by 9:30am this morning. That's a 16 hour from ordered to delivered 500 miles away.

I did the same thing. Now I have a roll of this stuff to redo our practice bar with. It cost around $45 for the roll as I recall. plus some shipping.
We get that same kind of service from MC up here in Washington too.
In fact most of the time I order parts from MC we get them the next day even without asking for express shipping.

[Bpk9p4]

Why did they remove the lower bar. Many teams designed there robot so that the bar would slide over there robot. Without that is could cause a major entanglement issue

[JohnSchneider]

This is a joke. The bar is an entirely different obstacle now. Shouldn't have rolled this out till next week so teams had time to prepare...

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by JohnSchneider

This is a joke. The bar is an entirely different obstacle now. Shouldn't have rolled this out till next week so teams had time to prepare...

Seeing as FIRST basically had no low bar flaps left after week 1, no matter what they did it would have been "an entirely different obstacle". This seems like the closest they could get to the former behavior on their tight schedule.

[MrBasse]

That's definitely not the most attractive solution I've seen to a problem. How fast and easily do they get pushed sideways and get hung up on the zip ties on the bar?

[SharonO]

Unless something changes in the morning, Kansas City was still using regular low bar coverings, except they are made from red and blue bumper material.

[nighterfighter]

Originally Posted by SharonO

Unless something changes in the morning, Kansas City was still using regular low bar coverings, except they are made from red and blue bumper material.

Oh boy, now we have drastic inconsistencies across events!

Hopefully Kansas City switches to the new method for the actual matches.