Making competitive robotics go pro

[FarmerJohn]

What would it take to make a competitive robotics program at the pro level? In the same way we have professional sports, how could we turn competitive robotics into a professional sport where the best of the best form teams around the world and compete against each other as their job? Every other professional competitive sport, from NASCAR to curling, had its start as a casual game. Battlebots somewhat fits the bill, but I'm looking at something similar to FRC and VEX. Do you think it's possible to one day have professional competitive robotics, and if so, what do you think are the steps to make that happen?

[CalTran]

Isn't the professional level for us called a job?

[Weinberger]

Originally Posted by CalTran

Isn't the professional level for us called a job?

I would think so. But maybe FarmerJohn is thinking more like.
https://youtu.be/sFHRcW6qnvo
OR this:
https://youtu.be/RS3CytoLTb4

I dunno?

[ImMoMo]

Originally Posted by CalTran

Isn't the professional level for us called a job?

Hey!

I believe what OP was saying was that, there should be a "professional" level of building and competing with competitive robots in a non work place setting, and by non work place I mean non traditional work place where events and decisions are being televised or observed.

For instance, a person can aspire to be a pit crew worker on a professional Nascar or F1 team, and consider that truly "professional" because of the high caliber and televised nature of their job.

On a different note, your question is also quite valid. It fits within the FIRST idea of "everyone can go pro."

To answer OP's original question, I believe that in order for competitive team based robotics to happen, major cities and large areas of population would have to setup a league. This league would sort of have to develop into a national conference for the idea of competitive team robotics to take off.

I think that it would be quite cool to have such a thing happen, sort of like FRC scaled to a larger budget and more experience skill set.

It would also be cool to see the interviews of people on the team, and not just the stars. Like in baseball after a no-hitter people talk to the pitcher, in the world of competitive robotics, the driver would be interviewed.

[Michael Hill]

I think it would be cool if engineering companies had teams where there were no rules other than size or weight. Unlimited budgets, electrical power and computing power allowed. Also, unlimited wireless communications.

[marshall]

Formula 1 is currently the pinnacle of engineering sport. That being said, it's Formula 1 and definitely not robotics. Formula E is introducing a support series for autonomous vehicles and I am eager to see where that goes... I just hope it is less cringe-worthy than Formula E to watch.

[rtfgnow]

I don't know anything about formula e but I expect it would be at least 2.7 times as amazing as formula 1.

Your bad math joke of the day is brought to you by the number e.

[MechEng83]

Originally Posted by rtfgnow

I don't know anything about formula e but I expect it would be at least 2.7 times as amazing as formula 1.

Your bad math joke of the day is brought to you by the number e.

I can't decide if you're being irrational, or just exponentially ridiculous.

You're trying to differentiate yourself, but you end up just being the same.

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by MechEng83

I can't decide if you're being irrational, or just exponentially ridiculous.

Can't we all just get along? Have some pi.

[MrForbes]

Are there some DARPA challenges that kind of are like professional robotics competition?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by MrForbes

Are there some DARPA challenges that kind of are like professional robotics competition?

You mean the Grand Challenge a few years back? Anybody doesn't count that, they can try doing something similar!

Short version: Drive from point X to point Y. (L.A. to Vegas, or something like that--not quite the full distance, though.) You get two buttons: Go, and STOP!, and no driver.

[jreneew2]

I think what FIRST really needs to do to make it "go pro" is get a reliable audience outside of other frc teams. No one I have met really knows what FIRST is other thab people who have been on first teams.

A couple of things that might promote this:
- Better webcasts, who wants to watch a 360p stream? Even the world championship was streamed with abysmal quality. Maybe if I knew what was going on I would be more interested.

- Better pr. I don't see any news articles in magazines, online, or anywhere even near world championships. Battle bots did this well.

It would be amazing to see millions of people all gathering around to watch a robotics competition online, in an arena. Even video games can pull that kind of audience. Why can't we?

This is just my two cents.
(Sadly I don't see the above happening because you need money for that)

[Lil' Lavery]

Read up on the very early history of FIRST, and you'll find that "going pro" would be pretty darn similar to returning to FIRST's roots. Granted, the limitations on parts (and microcontrollers) were very different back then.