Simplicity or Complexity?

[Jeremytice]

Sparx would like to keep things as simple as possible but usually that is not the case like Dylan said. Sometimes we have simple mechanisms and sometimes we have complex ones. Our first couple days of the build season are rough becasue thats when we decide between simple or complex mechanisms.

[Gdeaver]

What is simplicity? What is complexity. Is there any defined metric that can measure a device and evaluate if it is complex or simple. I don't think so. These concepts rely on subjective evaluations by humans. What is complex to me may be considered simple to a top notch engineer. This falls in to the realm of philosophy and metaphysics. So how do you go about achieving simplicity? It's a difficult subject and can be debated to no end. Kind of like the god and religion thing. Then again we have all at some time looked at a mechanical device and appreciated it's elegant simplicity.

[6600gt]

Simplicity has limitations and complexity doesn't.

If a simple design won't cut it, then step it up. Yet, make it only as complex as it needs to be.

Simplicity doesn't necessarily mean reliability.

Cars have become extremely complex over the last ten years with stability control, GPS, adaptive cruise control, drive by wire etc. Yet, they are still more reliable than the previous generations. It just takes more effort to achieve the extra reliability.

I personally believe that you should build things overly complex in the off season with extra features, then dial it down to your needs for the real season.

Again, as the previous post said, its all relative.

[razor95kds]

Team 766 tries to keep things simple for budget limitations and our lack of a machine-shop to make the parts usually need in a complex design.

For us simple has worked wonderfully well. Our 2005 robot had a single joint arm that lacked an active gripper at the end and it could only be human loaded, yet we were part of the Archimedes division champions with 217 and 245 that beat the complicated yet effective 233 and their alliance (sorry, I forgot who partnered with 233).

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by razor95kds

For us simple has worked wonderfully well. Our 2005 robot had a single joint arm that lacked an active gripper at the end and it could only be human loaded, yet we were part of the Archimedes division champions with 217 and 245 that beat the complicated yet effective 233 and their alliance (sorry, I forgot who partnered with 233).

1592, 233, 79
The all-florida alliance