[Blog] Don't Be Large and Another Awards Reminder

[Billfred]

http://www.firstinspires.org/robotic...award-reminder

Don't Be Large



As much as we want our teams to have oversized ambitions and enthusiasm, we don’t want them to have oversized robots. This year, as indicated in the rules from the beginning and emphasized in the very first Team Update, bumpers are included in the overall robot size maximums. See rule R03 in the manual. Please read this rule a few times, memorize it, then make triple sure your robot, including bumpers and all extensions, fits in the sizes indicated.

Among all the many things a team would never want to hear at an event, near the top of the list would surely be something like “Uh, yeah, your robot is 6 inches too wide and 6 inches too long. You’ll need to trim it down before you can compete.” Seriously, it will ruin your day and more. Because that’s one thing you won’t be able to fix with duct tape and a positive attitude.

One challenge on this is getting the word out, as it is a change in approach from prior years. While it is in the manual, and we’ve included a reminder in a Team Update, and we’re doing this blog to which we’ll be linking in a blast that goes out to all teams, it still may not be enough. We would love zero robots to show up to events oversized. And you can help! Please spread the word – contact teams you know or have heard of nearby, put it up on your Facebook/Twitter/MyFace/YourFace/InstantFace* accounts or whatever, and help make sure everyone knows. You can be the one to save a team from some serious pain.**



Award Reminder
As we said in a blog last week award deadlines are coming up. Here’s a quick table:

(sorry, I'm not formatting this like he did --B)

Chairman's Award
Team Registration System
Student Award Submitter
Thursday, February 9, 2017, 3PM Eastern Time


Woodie Flowers Award
Team Registration System
Student Award Submitter
Thursday, February 9, 2017, 3PM Eastern Time

Dean's List Award
Team Registration System
Adult Award Submitter
Thursday, February 16, 2017, 3PM Eastern Time

Entrepreneurship Award
Team Registration System
Student Award Submitter
Thursday, February 16, 2017, 3PM Eastern Time



Those first deadlines are only about a week away! And those deadlines are firm. Missing them means your submission will not be accepted.

Also, while working on your Chairman’s Award submission, remember the common set of definitions you are required to use, about what it means to have ‘started’ a team or ‘ran’ an event, etc. This helps us make sure we are speaking a common language, and allows our judges to be able to fairly evaluate teams.

Hope you build season is going well!

Frank

* Bill Belichick

** BTW, this blog constitutes my entry in the “G04/R03 Awareness Contest” being sponsored by our friends at AndyMark***. And I better win. Because I was, like, up all night.

*** Billfred here doing full disclosure: I work at AndyMark.

[Jon Stratis]

No Fair! How are we supposed to compete with the FRC Blog in that contest?

[SenorZ]

I still remember the team behind us at the Los Angeles Regional in 2012* didn't read the whole "frame perimeter" limit and built a chassis with 2011 specs.

It was a rough inspection day for them.

*correct me if I got the years wrong for this change.

[Andrew_L]

Originally Posted by SenorZ

I still remember the team behind us at the Los Angeles Regional in 2012* didn't read the whole "frame perimeter" limit and built a chassis with 2011 specs.

It was a rough inspection day for them.

*correct me if I got the years wrong for this change.

It was 2013 that the frame perimeter rules were enacted.

[Andy Baker]

Thanks, Frank!!!

We are getting a few more entries to this contest. Since our deadline for this is 11:59.59pm Eastern tonight, Frank's entry is timely.

I wish to take this time to post AndyMark G04/R03 Contest Update #1.

We will be posting the entries on our contest page today, for all to see.

Andy B.

[Jimmy Nichols]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

No Fair! How are we supposed to compete with the FRC Blog in that contest?

No body reads the blog anyway

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Good Guy Frank

Don't Be Large

Because that’s one thing you won’t be able to fix with duct tape and a positive attitude.

QFT.

[efoote868]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

Thanks, Frank!!!

We are getting a few more entries to this contest. Since our deadline for this is 11:59.59pm Eastern tonight, Frank's entry is timely.

I wish to take this time to post AndyMark G04/R03 Contest Update #1.

We will be posting the entries on our contest page today, for all to see.

Andy B.

Surely we can get a few FIRST memes for this.

[RoboChair]

Originally Posted by efoote868

Surely we can get a few FIRST memes for this.

Sorry the gif was too good to not post it.

[Ari423]

Originally Posted by efoote868

Surely we can get a few FIRST memes for this.

[efoote868]

Originally Posted by RoboChair

Sorry the gif was too good to not post it.

You will keep your bumpers in your robot volume!

[mdituri]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uT_fFsr274

We need to get back to building our robot now.