BunnyBots is now in it’s fourth year. Organized by the Flaming Chickens, Team 1540 in Portland Oregon it’s a pre-season FRC-style competition designed to get new members up to speed with the skills they’ll need during the FRC build season. A BunnyBot is a FRC-class robot with more relaxed rules designed to play a simpler game than is typical with FRC. Last year there were 18 robots at the BunnyBot competition in Portland.
Our team typically pairs one or two experienced students with several new ones to build a BunnyBot. We usually enter two. The idea is to have smaller teams so everyone has a chance to own a significant portion of the robot. In fact many students like it even better than FRC because they had a bigger role in the project.
Teams interested in registering should read the rules document and get their registration in ASAP. Space is limited.
Several other regions have discussed hosting a BunnyBot tournament as well. We’ve designed this game to be especially easy to host with field elements you could build in under two hours. If that’s of interest, go for it! Let us know if you’re doing so because we’re also developing some queue management software that you’ll find helpful.
BunnyBot 2010 is currently about 75% full. NW teams who want to take part need to PM Dale Yocum as soon as possible. The teams registered now are:
2002 Tualatin (x2?)
1540 Catlin Gabel (x3)
1571 CAL
1823 Lincoln (x2)
2471 Camas
2374 Jesuit
2811 Skyview
2733 Cleveland (x2)
955 Crescent Valley
2411 Meek ProTech
3131 Gladstone
RULES UPDATE
There are a couple of updates to the rules. They can be found at http://www.oregonfirst.org/wp/wp-uploads/2010/09/BunnyBot-Rules-2010.v1.1.pdf . The changes are in Red. The major change is in the way qualification points are earned and how alliances for the finale are chosen. It’s a bit more FIRST-like now. Also there’s a clarification on widget dimensions. What matters is the size of a widget at the beginning of the match, not what happens to it during the course of play. We were worried about widgets becoming damaged during play and becoming illegal.
FEES
BunnyBots cost our team quite a bit last year in janitorial and course supplies. Add to that the fact that the course this year is getting an upgrade for safer barriers and it’s becoming more than we can absorb. We’ve had to start charging $75 per robot this year in order to cover those expenses. If you’d like to bring a check to FIRSTFare that would be fine or you can mail it… the address is in the rules document. Checks are payable to Catlin Gabel School. Once we fill up, only those with their payment in (or who we’ve waved the fee for) will be guaranteed a slot.
Q&A
I’ll be doing a Q&A at FIRSTFare Oct 30th where folks can see the course pieces and ask any questions. You’re also welcome to email me anytime.
For those taking part in the Dec 18th BunnyBot 2010, the rules have been revised and clarified after the feedback at the FIRSTFare conference. Nothing earthshaking but you can check them out at http://www.oregonfirst.org/events/bunnybot-2010 . The changes from the last revision are in red.
Curently there are 18 teams signed up. They are:
955 Crescent Valley High, Corvallis
1540A Catlin Gabel School
1540B Catlin Gabel School
1540C Catlin Gabel School
1571 CAL
1823A Lincoln
1823B Lincoln
2002A Tualatin
2002B Tualatin
2374 Jesuit
2411 Meek ProTech, Portland
2471 Camas
2542 Gresham
2635 Lake Oswego
2733A Cleveland
2733B Cleveland
2811 Skyview High, Vancouver
3131 Gladstone High
WIDGET PLACEMENT PHASE
While robots are being loaded onto the field and getting connected to their driver’s station, each alliance will have one minute to place their eight widgets on the field. This placement need not be done by the drive team. To avoid a stampede, only one alliance can be in this widget placement phase at a time. The alliance placement order is determined by a coin toss before robots enter the field. While placing your widgets you may not touch or disturb another alliance’s widgets. Widgets may not be in contact with another widget at the start of the match, no matter which alliance they belong to. Refs will be watching the widget placement phase closely and will attempt to undo any changes to the position and state of other widgets already in place. If they can’t do this to the affected alliance’s satisfaction, then they’ll have the alliance reset their disturbed widget. That’s why having your team number on your widget is important, so they know who to call.
TEAMS SIGNED UP:
955 Crescent Valley High, Corvallis
1540A Catlin Gabel School
1540B Catlin Gabel School
1540C Catlin Gabel School
1571 CAL
1823A Lincoln
1823B Lincoln
2002A Tualatin
2002B Tualatin
2374 Jesuit
2411 Meek ProTech, Portland
2471 Camas
2542 Gresham
2635 Lake Oswego
2733A Cleveland
2733B Cleveland
2811 Skyview High, Vancouver
3131 Gladstone High