Event Predictions

[Roger]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

...test firing discs in their pit...

Thanks for reminding me to pack our fishing net! It makes a great catcher right out of the robot. (We got it for the soccer balls I think?) Also may pack some hard hats. Our electronics desk is right next to our practice target. I've thwacked incoming frisbees with a frisbee. Household tip: use the frisbee to bang them straight down, not as a shield. That usually kills the spin.

After Nashua Week Zero, I'm wondering if there should be added field personnel to cry out "incoming!"

Has to be a strong-willed person for the practice field. If the area is big enough for multiple teams doing different things it can be chaotic but organized.

[Koko Ed]

Any team irresponsible enough to fire Frisbees in a crowded pit should be put on probation and asked to leave if they do it again. Such blatant regard for the safety of the other teams and guest should not be tolerated.

[SenorZ]

My prediction is that the natural tendency of entropy to increase will be clearly evident during most, if not all, regional competitions.
By the time teams get to Championship they will probably have figured out a way to prevent this.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by IKE

You should be fine in the pits since safety glasses are mandatory.

Safety glasses won't protect you from getting your head split open by an errant disc upside the head.

[EricDrost]

Originally Posted by IKE

You should be fine in the pits since safety glasses are mandatory.

Poof balls don't fit in your eyes.

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by IKE

You should be fine in the pits since safety glasses are mandatory.

FRISBEE! FRISBEE COMING THROUGH! FRISBEE!

[kuraikou]

Originally Posted by IKE

You should be fine in the pits since safety glasses are mandatory.

But safety glasses protect one thing and one thing only... your eyes.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Tom Ore

Are belays required for getting robots down from the practice towers?

The backup Belay system will be on the practice field.
I actually wonder what will happen first on the practice field: someone having a robot fall on them or getting hit upside the head with a Firsbee at point blank range.

[PVCpirate]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

and I've seen a ref take a point blank shot to the face with a soccer ball hard enough to knock his glasses off but he was relatively unhurt

And Dean Kamen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnE0j69_gYk .

Seriously though, this is probably the year where safety is most important, and teams need to be really careful. Mandatory hard hats for refs might be something that needs to be in place. The drive teams will be behind a big wall so that shouldn't be so bad, but I would be worried about the people at field level who aren't necessarily paying attention to everything.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by PVCpirate

And Dean Kamen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnE0j69_gYk .

My team shot Dean in the head with a Moon Rock @ the 2009 championship practice field.He aparrently drove onto the practice field on a Segway and took one right upside his head driving up to the robot.
Way to go kids!

[Ken Streeter]

Originally Posted by PVCpirate

And Dean Kamen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnE0j69_gYk.

As soon as I started reading this thread, I suspected somebody would post that video. Not one of 1519's prouder moments -- we're just glad Dean Kamen wasn't badly hurt. We really did expect the kick to head downfield, but 48's defense hindered our intended aim for downfield, instead resulting in the errant shot right into Dean's face.

Also, this is one of the times that I'm glad our team has a pair of drive coaches who switch off between matches. I honestly can't remember whether I was the drive coach for the above match, or whether my co-coach was behind the lexan for that match!

However, even with the netting at the side of the field, I think the hardness of the frisbees and the relatively smaller size of their leading edge (as compared to a soccer ball, foam basketball, or poofball) makes them a bit more of a hazard from some of the higher-velocity frisbee shooters. We've pretty much enclosed our spinning wheel, but a frisbee to the face at 15' range would pack quite a punch indeed! Care and discretion are warranted by all.

That said, a place to tune frisbee shooters (other than 1 robot at a time on a small practice field) at official events would help a lot. It wouldnt' take much at most events -- kind of like a "driving range" for teams -- one could even picture multiple teams being able to simultaneously make use of an area set up like a golf driving range.

[Koko Ed]

I just came to the realization that the que lines at FLR are st up directly behind the drivers stations along with the DJ so the Team Que, the drives teams themselves and the DJ are going to get constantly bombarded all weekend. There is now no doubt in my mind someone is going to get hurt.

[coalhot]

Prediction: FIRST will install netting above the goal area for at least champs. To make sure not to kill anyone.

Edit: Being queing at HH is going to be interesting. I expect to be ducking everywhere all weekend. Also, I have a feeling that field reset will be a pain. We shall see...

[Astrokid248]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Maybe it'd be a good idea to park a Green shirt by the practice field to keep the peace.

This. This is actually the best way to keep everyone safe. We're talking about teenagers here. The only guarantee of safety is fear of prosecution, and some of the green shirts are really scary looking.