Pretty sure it is all fields as the PNW district had to send back the Case 6s (Scoring) this year, which we didn’t have to do last year and the reason given was the new displays. The other thing is there is going to be info on the team side so I can’t see them only doing some fields.
I think this is largely a quality of life improvement, in conjunction with robot carts on field rules.
Also possible with COTSCommercial, off-the-shelf going gangbusters over the past few years FIRST buying some breathing room for Auto makes teams a lot more comfortable pushing the envelope.
Both good things.
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To go a step further, if there are no restrictions on using the A-stop, getting mobility can simply be “Drive at like 20% speed until auto ends”. No need for encoders or timers, just use the A-stop every single match. Not saying this is a good or bad thing, just opens up that approach to auto.
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So which teams are going to train their drivers to press the A-stop at the right time to ensure they balance on something like last years charge station, or to cross the auto line by just indefinitely turning their motors on during autonomous?
Edit: Love the addition of the A-stop. Like others, I can think of a number of times over the years where I wished we’d had one.
Welp guess no more entertainment like this anymore… https://youtu.be/3AmqpOZhNX0?list=PLkZ6_Ld1x9Y_XXUkirXAESY2nELgNt98X&t=1 A stop is a great addition!
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Hopefully nothing. I don’t want teams to avoid using a safety feature for fear of a penalty if a ref might have thought it was strategic.
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Check out this precision auto driving from 2020. Our alliance mates were not happy… Blue robot at top of the field.
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Hopefully none of them because that would be very poor sportsmanship although I do see your point. However, they could still do that if the button was on the driver station table. My proposed fix would be saying that something like balancing doesn’t count if the A-Stop is pressed and just leaving cross the line unpatched because that’s going to have a pretty limited benefit and be hard to legislate against.
What makes that unsportsmanlike? It’s an option that would be open to every team (assuming they don’t ban it in the rules). I have no issue with any team deciding their best option is to run their auto this way.
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I would not be shocked if they restrict or limit points or even give a minor penalty if the A-stop is pushed. To me it would be a good balance to keep people from using it strategically, but be well worth it to stop your bot and keep it from ruining yours or your alliances robots and the remainder of the match.
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so…no more teaser and we get these backstage tour only this year? kinda disappointing. seems ever since Stronghold, the teasers has gotten worst and worst.
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Assuming they don’t change it, the description of the autonomous period for 2018-2023 (excluding 2019 because no auto) says that “ROBOTS operate without any DRIVE TEAM control or input.” I find it unlikely this will change, so I would consider using the A-Stop for robot control against the intent of the game. It becomes more like a controller than like the E-stop button.
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It’s not hard to add “ROBOTS must be enabled for all 15 seconds of AUTONOMOUS to score MOBILITY” or something. Adding anything about “strategic use” would just discourage teams from using safety equipment.
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Anyone know what this thing is?
Also, the lack of driver station glass is a BOLD choice for next year’s game /s
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This is especially true as it is a simple automated check, not relying on any extra human input.
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Can we hold our alliance partners’ e-stops? 
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Looks like a light to me.
I very much doubt it’s this but it also reminds me of…
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The rules could make a robot that used A-Stop ineligible for those mobility points, which I think would be a fair way to keep that challenge.
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I laughed way harder than I should have when seeing this
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FLL has had a rule for years that I’ve nicknamed the “strategic snatch”. If you interrupt the robot by hand (remember, FLL is all auto), you don’t get points that result from that interruption. I’m sure FRC rule makers are aware of that rule as well.
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