Posted by Michael Martus. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central H.S. and Delphi Automotives Systems.
Posted on 8/24/2000 4:02 PM MST
At first( no pun intended )there was some excitement as I watched, but it got old very fast. I was disappointed that there was not more technology displayed, very little strategy involved.
Radios appeared primitive compared to the system we use and the mechanisms were very basic.
If you took say team #1 Juggernauts and mounted a smasher on it it would destroy all I seen. Most of our FIRST robots could out manuever and with small modification could be dominate. Imangine the ‘crab’ of Chief Delphi.
They got the ‘Hook-up’ somehow and with the format that is patterened after Wrestling it will draw a specific audience. The Bay Watch chick was a real touch. Should we suggest this to Dean?
Did you notice that the robots were made with 1 exception by hobby persons at home, not students or engineers from a company.
Did anyone else see the credits at the end. The last second was the name FIRST productions in big bold type 1/2 the page. Hmmmmmmm I wonder?
Posted by Andy Grady. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Other on team in limbo from in limbo sponsored by in limbo.
Posted on 8/24/2000 9:57 PM MST
In Reply to: Battle Bots, not impressed posted by Michael Martus on 8/24/2000 4:02 PM MST:
Well first off I am an avid fan of Battlebots and have been for a while so I will defend them. This was a preview show first of all, and they haven’t even really showed the good teams yet, next week watch Nightmare, that robot is a larger version of Backlash (the robot with the huge cutting wheel). It is famous for sending a 130lb robot airborne. If that doesn’t show engineering skill, what will. As for the not showing the technical stuff that much, they really should try to stay away from that because they are trying to captivate more of an audience than people like us who know how these parts work. So of course everything needs to be dumbed down a bit. Give it time, its actually very fun to watch. Of course very different from FIRST so its hard to compare.
Peace out,
Andy Grady
Posted by Dan.
Other on team - from Carnegie Mellon sponsored by -.
Posted on 8/25/2000 12:32 AM MST
In Reply to: Game hasn’t started yet posted by Andy Grady on 8/24/2000 9:57 PM MST:
Actually, Nightmare has tossed a few 210lb. bots around. And I agree, they really shouldn’t go into great technical depth. Few people would understand it and it’s unneccessarily intimidating. It’s best that they get into it and get interested, then they’ll figure out the rest.
Dan
Posted by Andy Grady. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Other on team in limbo from in limbo sponsored by in limbo.
Posted on 8/25/2000 9:51 AM MST
In Reply to: Battle Bots, not impressed posted by Michael Martus on 8/24/2000 4:02 PM MST:
BattleBots: Rammstein
Weight: 267 lbs.
BattleBots Type: Wheeled
Drive Power: Battery
Weapon Power: Compressed Gas
Primary Weapon: High Pressure pneumatic SPIKE
Builder: Korey Kline
Team: Ramtech 59
Team Members: Julio Roqueta
Alex Espinosa
Eddy Ampuero
Nola Garcia
Location: Miami, FL
Sponsors: Florida International University, College of Engineering
I got the link below for their picture and stats page
Posted by Andy Grady. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Other on team in limbo from in limbo sponsored by in limbo.
Posted on 8/25/2000 9:53 AM MST
In Reply to: Ramtech Robot Specs posted by Andy Grady on 8/25/2000 9:51 AM MST:
Ok so the link wasnt there, just go to www.battlebots.com and look under the super heavyweight contestant section =)
Posted by Dan.
Other on team - from Carnegie Mellon sponsored by -.
Posted on 8/26/2000 3:19 PM MST
In Reply to: Battle Bots, not impressed posted by Michael Martus on 8/24/2000 4:02 PM MST:
—Radios appeared primitive compared to the system we use and the mechanisms were very basic.
Innovation First is very likely going to make a Battlebots version of the First controller. And the mechanisms were fairly simple, but you’re talking about 4 lightweight robots.
—If you took say team #1 Juggernauts and mounted a smasher on it it would destroy all I seen.
Juggy weighs twice as much as those robots you were watching and ‘smashers’, like axes and picks are surprisingly ineffective.
—Most of our FIRST robots could out manuever and with small modification could be dominate.
—Imangine the ‘crab’ of Chief Delphi.
None of the First robots have the a drivetrain strong enough for the middleweight class except maybe team 267 the Demolition Squad. And even then FIRST robots are 20 lbs. over the middleweight limit as well.
—Did you notice that the robots were made with 1 exception by hobby persons at home, not students or
—engineers from a company.
Again, you only saw 4 lightweight robots. The heavy and superheavyweights are made mostly by professional engineers.
Dan
Posted by Mike Carron.
Engineer on team #343, Oconee’s 2000 Crew, from Hamilton Career Center and Nasa/Square D Company.
Posted on 8/27/2000 9:17 AM MST
In Reply to: Battle Bots, not impressed posted by Michael Martus on 8/24/2000 4:02 PM MST:
I saw the Battlebots on Comedy Central. I must admit that I am jealous that they are getting more TV time than the FIRST programs. However, I am encouraged that Battlebots is a completely different format which could help the FIRST program evolve. Comparing the two programs is like comparing golf and football. They both have there place in life but have vastly different strategies. I admire FIRST for trying to maintain a game that teaches teamwork and sound engineering principles, especially in this day and age. Did anybody else notice the red vs. blue thing? Of all the colors why those two? FIRST, you wouldn’t know anything about that would you?? Keep the peace, at least while your off the playing field.
Later,
Mike Carron
Posted by Jason Iannuzzi.
Engineer on team #11, Marauders, from Mt. Olive HS. and BASF, Rame Hart, CCM.
Posted on 8/28/2000 6:27 AM MST
In Reply to: Battle Bots, not impressed posted by Michael Martus on 8/24/2000 4:02 PM MST:
After a little digging, I came upon an interesting little piece of information.
The favorite machine to win the heavyweight competition in Battlebots, called ‘Biohazard’, has won several other competitions including 2 years of Robowars.
The leader behind this machine is also the leader of the Raychem Corporation & Woodside HS FIRST team that won the 1995 nationals.
Interesting huh?
Posted by Dan.
Other on team - from Carnegie Mellon sponsored by -.
Posted on 8/28/2000 9:12 PM MST
In Reply to: Interesting note…read posted by Jason Iannuzzi on 8/28/2000 6:27 AM MST:
Ya, makes ya think don’t it? Also, the creator of the ultra-destructive HAZARD is a judge at the CA regional and the creator of Backlash and Nightmare is a CA team coach.
Posted by Jason Iannuzzi.
Engineer on team #11, Marauders, from Mt. Olive HS. and BASF, Rame Hart, CCM.
Posted on 8/30/2000 6:30 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: Interesting note…read posted by Dan on 8/28/2000 9:12 PM MST:
I think myself and the other engineer on the team might have an off-season hobby now.
Posted by Mike Sklar. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #21, ComBBAT , from Astronaut H.S. and Titusville H.S. and Brevard Community College and Boeing Company and NASA-KSC.
Posted on 9/1/2000 9:49 AM MST
In Reply to: Battle Bots, not impressed posted by Michael Martus on 8/24/2000 4:02 PM MST:
I do not understand some of you overly anal, detailed FIRST fans. So many engineers get so caught up in the minute details of everything.
You just don’t get it! Personally I’ve watched a couple of times now and Battlebots is an absolute blast. My 13 year old son is absolutely jazzed by it and has not missed a minute of it. Battlebots and the wonderful work by Comedy Central to turn it into a series has achieved exactly what Dean Kamen, Woody Flowers and FIRST was create to do. Change our culture and make technical endeavors part of the mainstream culture.
And from a practical engineering technologist’s viewpoint (I’ve been in the automation R&D business for over 15 years) you don’t get it either. Those battlebot machines are 1000 times more practical and reliable then our FIRST systems. They are so much more compact and rigid. We could all learn a thing or two from them. And the radio servos they use are lot more reliable to build and require no development SW effort. True they cannot do sophisticated control systems or react to the environment but most of that technology is not needed for basic mobility. And most FIRST teams simply connect inputs to motors directly. Just a less reliable way of doing the same thing. don’t get me wrong I think the system we have in FIRST provides a much better learning experience, but it’s not more robust.
Imagine a major championship Battlebot like event with $1M going to the winning team, 3 month long pursuit of the championship and shown on primtime, Sunday afternoon network television. This is a start.
Everyone should wake up and smell the roses. And don’t tell me for a minute there’s a single FIRST fanatic out there that hasn’t thought just for a minute what it would be like to compete in Battlebots.
And go Ramtech! They are friends of mine and wonderfully dedicated people who have done a lot for FIRST. If there’s a need for more info from them on this site (I have not read all of the posts) let me know and I can contact them.
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 9/3/2000 5:50 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: Battle Bots, not impressed posted by Mike Sklar on 9/1/2000 9:49 AM MST:
Anyone who has actually tried to control a robot with a hobbiest RC units will back me up I am sure.
Those things give me the creeps! My experience is that they not only are unreliable, they can be down right dangerous. Add the very likely and dangerous problem of channel crosstalk and I think we can kiss hobbiest RC units good bye for good.
Joe J.