It is time.
Here are my official, 100% accurate predictions of what will happen at the 2017 Indiana Robotics Invitational.
As nearly half the field is capable of running a hopper autonomous, there are some very high scores in the qualifications. The removal of one pre-placed gear is an annoyance for most teams instead of a hindrance. At the end of the quals matches, the top 8 teams select their alliances. They are below.
- 118-195-5842-234 (Cyber Squared Royalnauts)
- 125-2056-1885-1676 (NU-OPILITE Pioneers)
- 1114-2767-33-4188 (Killer Sim-Force Space Program)
- 2122-1619-5406-340 (The Rochester Celts from Tator Creek)
- 225-2590-469-2791 (Shaker Nemesis Guerrilla Fire)
- 2481-2451-1746-2168 (Aluminum Roboteers, L’OTTO PWNAGE)
- 2337-1732-910-1987 (Bronco Nerd Freeze-toppers)
- 4967-217-67-3452 (ONE HOT Green Chicken)
Unsurprisingly, every alliance captain chooses another 40 kPa capable robot as their first pick. For a second pick, some go with another 40 kPa capable robot and some go with a gear robot. For a third pick, all alliances pick a gear robot.
The quarterfinals begin with a strong performance from the #1 alliance, despite a double hopper auto from 4967 and 217. Next, the #4 alliance is able to win their first match, although it’s much closer. A strong performance from #2 secures their first win, while a comms issue with 33 leads to the #6 alliance taking their first match over #3. In the second round, #1 wins again to move on to the semifinals. A missed climb by 340 leads to #5 winning and forcing a rubber match against #4. A dominant performance by #2 fills another semifinals spot, and #3 forces a rubber match after 1114’s robot turns into a blimp with fuel machine guns in autonomous. The blimp uses really strong vacuums to suck up all of the fuel in the hoppers and shoot it into the high boiler in autonomous, leading to an impressive 300 kPa in auto. In the rubber matches, #4 just barely beats #5, and #3 moves on past #6.
In the semifinals, #1 is pitted against #4, and #2 against #3. In the first match, 118 swaps 234 with 5842, and 2122 swaps 340 with 5406. The crowd is confused when no robot on either alliance delivers a gear, but begins cheering when both sides pull off a simultaneous three hopper auto. 5842 and 2122 shoot from the close hoppers, 195 and 5406 from the far hoppers, and 118 and 1619 shoot over the airships from the hoppers on the side of the field farthest from the boiler. Because of the accuracy, each alliance begins with about 150 kPa each. It comes down to who can reach four rotors first and keep shooting, which the #1 alliance accomplishes first. All six robots climb, but 118’s alliance wins the first match off of kPa. In the second match, 125, 2056, and 1676 deploy hopper covers in autonomous on the hoppers on their side of the field, to keep 1114’s blimp from sucking up their fuel. Because of that, 1114 doesn’t make as many fuel shots as they would have otherwise. This method of starvation works, and #2 wins their first match. In the next round, there is yet another double three hopper auto, and the match remains close. The field begins to run out of fuel, and it can’t be resupplied easily. This causes 2122 to dump a bucket of potatoes onto the field to act as fuel. Spuds fly into the high boiler, and it’s enough to force a third match. In the next match, 1114 turns up the vacuum power in order to displace the boiler covers. It works, and they force a rubber match. In the first tiebreaker, the match remains close. Potatoes fly through the air, but 118 and 195 are able to keep pace. The match is so close, in fact, that all six robots attempt to keep shooting into their boilers even as they climb the airship. By just two points, #4 moves on. In the second tiebreaker, 1114 chooses to max out the vacuum power on their blimp. This causes not only all the fuel on the field to get sucked up, but the hopper covers and parts of every robot, too. This jams 1114’s fuel machine guns, and is put under review. The match ends, and is unable to be called. The referees can’t figure out whether to give a red card to 1114 for having a blimp in the first place, or to the 125 alliance for having parts fly off of their robots and damage 1114. The refs decide after some time that the two offenses cancel out, and to just go with the normal score. Because of this, the #2 alliance moves on.
The finals arrive, with #2 facing #4. Finals 1 begins. 5406 has been swapped with 340, so the #4 alliance can attempt to keep pace with 1885’s gear capabilities. The first match is normal enough, but it’s very close. 2122 and 1619 cannot keep up with 125 and 2056 in fuel points, and lose the first match because of that.
In the second match, 2122 takes a gamble and puts 5406 back onto the field. The #4 alliance does another three hopper auto, giving #4 the fuel advantage. However, 1885 successfully gets the autonomous rotor bonus, making the scores nearly equal. The match remains close, and it is clear that the #4 alliance is spending too much time shooting fuel and not enough time delivering gears. The final 30 seconds occur, and #2 already has their fourth rotor spinning. They’re shooting fuel to attempt to catch up on fuel points with #4, and #4 is delivering gears. It looks as if #2 will win the event, but the #4 alliance is able to spin their fourth rotor with less than one second remaining. In the closest eliminations match at the tournament, #4 forces a rubber match by 1 point.
Finals 3. The highest-stakes match of the entire tournament. Before the match, 2122 mounts a potato cannon to their robot, so they can shoot potatoes and fuel at the same time. 125, on the other hand, creates a device that allows them to shoot subatomic particles into the high boiler. The match begins, both alliances determined to come out the victor. 2122 manages to shoot not only fuel, but potatoes in autonomous. 125 shoots fuel and neutrons into the boiler. The autonomous period ends. The robots attempt to shoot fuel into the boiler while picking up and delivering gears, causing fuel to go absolutely everywhere. In fact, the turrets and shooting mechanisms of the robots get so hot that the fuel game pieces actually begin to turn into steam. Both alliances finish the fourth rotor with 100 seconds remaining, and so much fuel has been built up that the airships on the field break through the ceiling and take flight. In an attempt to score more points, robots keep delivering gears to where the airships should be. The game pieces begin to run out, causing the field volunteers to dump more boxes of game pieces onto the field. The robots deliver so many gears and shoot so much fuel in the match that it summons Professor Elemental, who begins singing “Steam Powered.” It also summons Jules Verne, who takes over for being the match’s MC. When thirty seconds hit, the field volunteers realize that since the airships are gone there is no way for the robots to climb. They begin to tie ropes to the ceiling, and drop them. To give the robots more time to climb, the referees add an extra minute to the match. The fuel shooters load up on fuel, and all six robots begin to ascend. When the robots hit the ceiling, the hoppers of each of them empty, raining fuel onto the field and crowd. The match ends. As the airship animation comes onto the screen, people realize that instead of animated airships the airships are the ones that took off from the field. They’re racing each other, and the #4 ship crosses the line first. The #4 alliance begins to celebrate, but the referees announce that the airship race portrayed the wrong results. The actual scores are shown, and the #2 alliance wins the Indiana Robotics Invitational, thanks to 125’s subatomic particle shooter. The #2 alliance celebrates for winning the tournament, and the #4 alliance celebrates for winning the airship race. All of the potatoes that 2122 launched are turned into fries, which everybody enjoys on the way out the door.
Anyways, what are your predictions?
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