Building a full size practice field

Technical Technical Discussion
1

I’m looking for ideas and information on the construction of a full size practice field.

We have the space this year to build a full size practice field. We’ve also gotten a recent donation of enough carpet squares to cover the floor (cinching that this will be the year of the water game). I’ve started the planning process to build the practice field perimeter. I’m looking for plans and/or information about what others have done so I can do cost estimates for budget planning and estimates on the amount of effort to create a build schedule.

Thanks!

2

My honest opinion on this would be if you live in an area rich with FIRST teams, like here in rochester :D, you have all the teams pool in on a full size competition grade field. You could also do it with something like this. I don’t have much advice for you past this, but I think it’s a great project and I’m waiting to see some of the other responses. So if you can try and get some other local teams, if any, in on this project that will help keep costs down for you.

3

Look at the bottom of this page on AndyMark’s web site: http://www.andymark.biz/offseasonfield.html

It points to a complete design package and says the raw material is about a thousand dollars.

The TechnoKats built ours a few years ago, adding game-specific parts every year (including the third gate for Breakaway). We bring it to IRI to be the practice field in the pit area. It was used as the playing field for the first C.A.G.E. offseason competition. It works great, and it’s no great hassle to disassemble, transport, and reassemble it.

4

Foster - I don’t recal exactly where they to find them, but by searching the CD and/or FIRST sites you will be able to find plans for building a low-cost, but correct, FRC field from lumber instead of expensize modular, welded metal.

I think the thread I am remembering was active last year (2009-2010 school year), but it might be from 2008-2009.

Blake

Edit:

What do you want to bet that Alan’s URL points to the plans I am recalling? At least they appear to be equivalent plans.

5

IN any case, learn from our error and avoid iron pipe, regardless of the cost savings. That stuff is heavy!

6

Alan, thanks, that is what I was looking for. We used the practice field at IRI, I remember what it looks like.

Do you remember how long it took / how many people to build it? Any building tips that you can pass on?

As an aside can you tell me how long it takes you to take it apart and put it back together again?

Any other teams build this field?

7

If I recall properly, it was initially built over a period of a few weeks by two or three dedicated mentors and some sporadic help by a bunch of students.

The big tips I can give are obvious: measure carefully and try not to let things get out of square when building the pieces. Consider well whether you want to put polycarbonate panels or metal grids on the alliance station walls. While polycarbonate is probably better for safety, it’s heavy, and it’s harder to communicate through it when you’re trying to debug a robot.

The field comes down in only about ten or fifteen minutes, given a half dozen people to carry things and a reasonable place to put it. Putting it together takes more time, since everything has to be placed within an inch or so, but I can imagine it being done in under a half hour if everyone is paying attention. I think laying and taping the rolls of carpet is what takes the most time.