Shooters vs Arms

[MrForbes]

Eric, I guess you haven't seen how easy it is to self load a launcher with just a simple moving arm sticking out the front of it?



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[Teched3]

Inform me if I am wrong, but by definition, HURDLING is defined in the rules as the trackball ball top being positioned just above the top rail of the overpass, or higher. Therefore, unless shooters shoot from that level (minimum height), they are not considered in the act of hurdling, even though that may be the end result of their shooting the trackball. Therefore, it would seem, blocking the shot is well within acceptable defense. At least, that's my interpretation of what I have read.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by squirrel

Eric, I guess you haven't seen how easy it is to self load a launcher with just a simple moving arm sticking out the front of it?



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I realize that (I've seen 118's video), but it might be more efficient if the launcher didn't move and had two arm robots supporting it--similar to 2006's "Atom Bomb" strategy. Twice the rate of fire sound good to you?

[Swampdude]

It's always true how you execute your design is the deciding factor as to how successful it will be. However 118 showed how easy it is to make a great launcher. We contemplated copying that when we saw it. It would have been easy to do (the launcher anyway). I'll bet a number of teams did. Why not?
However, all things being equal, this simply is the most efficient solution, mainly because of the clothesline factor. When executed properly you can't score faster with a mechanism that goes above the overpass for a period of time during the score. So how you get the ball off the ground becomes important, but no reason a shooter can't use the same mechanism an arm can.
Yes there will be plenty of arms scoring faster than shooters, but that will be because of execution or techniques. But if done right I can't see how even the best arm (anything that goes above the overpass) could score faster than the best shooter.

[MrForbes]

Yes, but the shooters can probably zip around the track and fetch balls at about the same speed as the arm bots. Also some of the shooters (specifically pneumatic ones) probably need the time it takes to make a lap to recharge the air tanks.

Should be fun to see what interesting ways different alliances can come up with to play the game!

[Jonathan Norris]

Personally the best robots this year will be a combination of both, we will see robots that can knock down, pickup, place, and shoot the ball. I am willing to bet that a couple of the top teams will build a bot that can do all of the above extremely effectively, hey we haven't seen 71, 111, 67, 254, 233, 1114 ect. yet!

[R.C.]

I'm totally with EricH, i would like to see 2 arm robots and a shooter alliance

[SteveGPage]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Norris

Personally the best robots this year will be a combination of both, we will see robots that can knock down, pickup, place, and shoot the ball. I am willing to bet that a couple of the top teams will build a bot that can do all of the above extremely effectively, hey we haven't seen 71, 111, 67, 254, 233, 1114 ect. yet!

Team 836 has designed our bot to do just that. All the various components work quite well, and tonight we will start the extensive integration testing to see how effectively they all will work together.

[Michael Corsetto]

I think a third classification should be added to this thread...

Throwers.

[cwood]

just for discussion purposes hat if said shooter were capable of knocking a rather large mentor off his feet from the opposite side of the field, what would be your plan to easily block it. without getting you robot destroyed

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by cwood

just for discussion purposes hat if said shooter were capable of knocking a rather large mentor off his feet from the opposite side of the field, what would be your plan to easily block it. without getting you robot destroyed

Blocking a ball is a completely legit strategy.....but you better bet the team blocking is taking a risk by attempting to "stuff" you. Doesn't mean they can't do it though.

[StephLee]

Originally Posted by Teched3

Inform me if I am wrong, but by definition, HURDLING is defined in the rules as the trackball ball top being positioned just above the top rail of the overpass, or higher. Therefore, unless shooters shoot from that level (minimum height), they are not considered in the act of hurdling, even though that may be the end result of their shooting the trackball. Therefore, it would seem, blocking the shot is well within acceptable defense. At least, that's my interpretation of what I have read.

Originally Posted by The Manual, Game Section

HURDLING: The act of completing a HURDLE. To be considered in the process of HURDLING,
the ROBOT must:
 be in its own HOME STRETCH, and
 be in POSSESSION of a TRACKBALL, and
 be moving toward the OVERPASS and/or elevating the TRACKBALL so that the top of the
TRACKBALL is higher than the LANE DIVIDER.

So a robot that is in its home stretch, in possession of the trackball, and moving toward the overpass, it is in the act of hurdling and therefore still protected from contact to it or its trackball.

[cwood]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

Blocking a ball is a completely legit strategy.....but you better bet the team blocking is taking a risk by attempting to "stuff" you. Doesn't mean they can't do it though.

well they could probaly do it once and the ball could leave the robot from above 5 feet so i believe that what ever is used to block the ball will end up dangling from the robot so i believe it will happen once until teams see the results

[Kellen Hill]

Well,

1. Shooters can have mechanisms to knock the ball down. I know my team does and,

2. A hurdle at the end of the game rather than setting it back on the overpass is just as good, you just miss out on a couple points.

I think effective shooters will dominate this years game.

[cwood]

Thank you hill i believe that will be the case as well