[moderated] pic: The 2006 NiagaraFIRST Triplets!

[Elgin Clock]

OK, fine.. I have no problem being the first one to say this.

Why are 3 teams still (in their 2nd year in FIRST) making one of the same robot.

I can see doing this your first year (a whole 3 team learning process, and what not, strange as it may be) but to continue this tradition in your second year??

When do you say it's enough, and let each team branch out on their own and make a different robot.

I once hear either Dean or Woodie say of the FIRST competition a while back something to the effect of "It's amazing; we have (x amount) of teams competing and no 2 robots are exactly alike."

I think that was (at one time) the key to the whole competition. You can see the uniqeness in everybody's design.

Now, we have "stock" robots which will add a bit of genericness to the overall competition.

Sure, you may win a teamwork award or something, and sure, you may be inspiring to some extent, but I don't think these teams are reaching their full potential to create future engineers, and "outside the box" thinkers.

Idk.. maybe I'm off base here, but that's just my opinion.

As for the design(s) I like it. It's simple, and to the point.
Albeit the same design for 3 teams, good luck to each of you individually at your events.