Driver Selection

FIRST General Forum
1

Posted by Kate.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]

Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy of Math and Science and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Posted on 2/26/2000 6:55 AM MST

Okay everyone… Time to spill it… How and when do you all pick your drivers?? We had a little discussion about it last night / this morning depending on your time zone about it… Seemed rather interesting… So now… Time to share with everyone else… :slight_smile:

The FIRST-a-holic that’s no longer MIA,

Kate
Team 190

btw… Make sure you’ve got good stuff to trade at competitions this year… New and improved (and still a limited number of) FIRST-a-holic Anonymous pins… And they’ll only be coming from a select few people… :wink:
innocent grin

2

Posted by Lora Knepper.

Student on team #69, HYPER (Helping Youth Pursue Engineering & Robotics), from Quincy Public Schools and The Gillette Company.

Posted on 2/26/2000 7:11 AM MST

In Reply to: Driver Selection posted by Kate on 2/26/2000 6:55 AM MST:

As a driver for two years, (now entering my third), I think that a one time event is not really the most productive way to go about it. My ideal tryout includes a bit of practice with the base, because let’s face it, even the veteran drivers are handling an unknown.

Unfortunately, due to time constraints, and several other factors, it comes down to 1 do-or-die 2 minute match around an obsticle(sp) course. Then the finalists are weeded down, and a second run is done. Left with 3 drivers and 2 human players, the next week of practice comes down to who is the ‘primary’ crew, and who will be the alternates. We select our crew anonmously, by numbers to insure some degree of fairness, and conduct interviews just like a job. There are other factors that come into play, such as personality and coolness under pressure. Because if a team is a family, the drive crew has to be even tighter, it comes with the job.

PS. Kate…what exactly are you looking for :o) I could probably bring some interesting stuff…

Lora

3

Posted by Lora Knepper.

Student on team #69, HYPER (Helping Youth Pursue Engineering & Robotics), from Quincy Public Schools and The Gillette Company.

Posted on 2/26/2000 7:47 AM MST

In Reply to: From a Driver ~ Team 69 posted by Lora Knepper on 2/26/2000 7:11 AM MST:

Ok. ummm, after reading Kate’s post, I think I was a little off the mark. So I will attempt to elaborate.

This year was an odd one, it deviated greatly from the norm for us. We started with a final drive train base, when most times we’d run trials on the proto base. And our base wasn’t even done when we held trails, so, it pains me to say this, we used…Remote controlled cars. (Kate, stop laughing)

So, now that I sit and think about it, my original post is the ‘normal’ routine, and this year was just odd…

Personality and ability under pressure are still keys, and because of this, the best run may not be a driver. It’s all added up together. So, we had 3 drivers before the drive base was done. I was designated the arm operator (the job I usually hold) and then as we got some meager practice (a minute here and there during the last 3 days), a decision was made on the primary base driver and the alternate. I throw in my input durning this process too, because I’m the only veteran driver left on the team. Though the final decision comes down to the teachers and the sponsor. Ok…this looks a little better. If you want any more info, just ask!

Lora

4

Posted by Anton Abaya.

Engineer on team #419, Rambots, from BC High / UMass Boston and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks.

Posted on 2/26/2000 9:05 AM MST

In Reply to: Revision: From a Driver ~ Team 69 :o) posted by Lora Knepper on 2/26/2000 7:47 AM MST:

  1. GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE.
  2. CREATE WAYS TO TEST SPEED, ACCURACY, NERVES OF STEEL, REACTION TIMES, AND MOST OF ALL MAKE SURE THEIR HEADS DON’T GET BLOATED FROM THE POSITION OF BEING A DRIVER.
  3. MAKE SURE THEY HAVE FUN.
  4. MAKE SURE ONLY ONE PERSON CAN MAKE THE DECISION ON WHO GETS THE POSITION, AND MAKES FAIR DECISION.
  5. MAKE SURE BOTH DRIVERS LIKE EACH OTHER AND CAN WORK TOGETHER.

that’s it.

ANTON ABAYA
team Rambots

: Ok. ummm, after reading Kate’s post, I think I was a little off the mark. So I will attempt to elaborate.

: This year was an odd one, it deviated greatly from the norm for us. We started with a final drive train base, when most times we’d run trials on the proto base. And our base wasn’t even done when we held trails, so, it pains me to say this, we used…Remote controlled cars. (Kate, stop laughing)

: So, now that I sit and think about it, my original post is the ‘normal’ routine, and this year was just odd…

: Personality and ability under pressure are still keys, and because of this, the best run may not be a driver. It’s all added up together. So, we had 3 drivers before the drive base was done. I was designated the arm operator (the job I usually hold) and then as we got some meager practice (a minute here and there during the last 3 days), a decision was made on the primary base driver and the alternate. I throw in my input durning this process too, because I’m the only veteran driver left on the team. Though the final decision comes down to the teachers and the sponsor. Ok…this looks a little better. If you want any more info, just ask!

: Lora

5

Posted by Kate.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]

Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy of Math and Science and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Posted on 2/26/2000 7:23 AM MST

In Reply to: Driver Selection posted by Kate on 2/26/2000 6:55 AM MST:

Step One (1) - Send out general email to team announcing dates of try-out… Applications are in the robotics lab… This makes it so anyone that doesn’t know where the robotics lab is, doesn’t know where to apply… Therefore they shouldn’t be trying to drive anyway… Also… If anyone is too lazy to come down and fill out an application, then there’s no way they’re going to be committed enough to drive…

Step Two (2) - Actual try-out on last year’s 'bot… Two (2) rounds… One (1) for weeding out people… One (1) for deciding on the final four (4)… Basic layout of try-out explained…

Step Three (3) - Round One (1)

  • Drivers are behind a window to simulate player stations at competition
  • No outside pressures

Time frame: Two (2) minutes

Objectives: Within the two (2) minutes allotted, the following tasks MUST be completed:

  • Drive across the floor to align the 'bot with the black and yellow ball such that if there were a roller device, it would pick up the balls
  • Drive backwards until you are within one (1) foot of the 6’ high bar to simulate scoring in the goal
  • Repeat for a different set of balls
  • Be centered under the 6’ high bar at the end of the 2 minutes

Bonus:

  • Hit balls scattered about the playing surface with the side of the machine declared to have the rollers, yellow balls worth one (1) point, black worth five (5) points, but be sure to complete the last objective

Step Four (4) - Criteria

  • Time it takes to collect first 2 sets of balls
  • Accuracy
  • Depth perception
  • Ability to figure out how much time there is to do the extras with respect to the end of the match
  • Non-destructive driving (no jerky driving)
  • Aggressive driving

Step Five (5) - The Judges

This is a blind judging panel of four (4) WPI students / staff.

Random order, drivers chosen originally by number. Number is assigned by our Human Leatherman Jon Abad who chooses them randomly out of the applications.

Step Six (6) - Eliminating

The judges rank the drivers against each other with respect to what day they did their try-out on… If any disagreement, discussion arises… The two lists are then combined into one to find who the top 4 drivers are.

Step Seven (7) - Round Two (2)

Mostly the same as Round One (1) with the exception of coaching added and the judges are no longer blinded.

Step Eight (8) - Selection of top four (4)

More discussion about same topics as round one (1) plus how pressure was handled.

=====

We now have our top 4 ‘operators’ with no differentiation between drivers and controllers… It was felt this year that each position was going to need the same kind of abilities to be able to do well in the competition, therefore it was all the same tryout… First string and second string will be chosen at our first regional which happens to be the Mid-Atlantic regional…

That is all… Pardon the attempt at organizing it into steps… Lack of sleep last night… But it’s all good, right??

Kate
Team190

6

Posted by Dante.

Student on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 2/26/2000 9:01 AM MST

In Reply to: Driver Selection posted by Kate on 2/26/2000 6:55 AM MST:

: Okay everyone… Time to spill it… How and when do you all pick your drivers?? We had a little discussion about it last night / this morning depending on your time zone about it… Seemed rather interesting… So now… Time to share with everyone else… :slight_smile:

On our team, everbody that wants to be a driver signs up, we have tests or as we would call them trials. We do the tests on previous robots. When everybody is done with the test, they break it down to 3-wheel drivers and 3-arm drivers. When they are done with that, we do more tests. Then they cut it down to 2 and 2. From there all the drivers keep practicing and competing against each other. Then the coaches will announce who the driver’s are.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW OTHER INFO: CONTACT MY DRIVE COACH: MR. MARTUS!

7

Posted by Erin.

Student on team #1, The Juggernauts, from OTC-NE, Oxford High School and 3-D Services.

Posted on 2/26/2000 2:40 PM MST

In Reply to: Re: Driver Selection posted by Dante on 2/26/2000 9:01 AM MST:

Well Kate, I shared it with you, so now I’m going to tell everyone.

It all starts out with kids who wants to drive Mr. Rice’s 4x4 Remote Controlled Monster Truck. We drive it around the class about 12 times or so before moving on to the cups. Only if you can make it through the course will you be allowed to advance. Then, we move to the remote controlled HOT ROD. This is even more fun. Then, during Chief Delphi, we start testing the driver’s robot driving ability. Then there is more Monster Truck Driving, and then we go to Juggy1 and Juggy2, and they battle it out on the field, with drivers rotating, and then everyone goes at it with our built robot. we have a first and second string.

i must say, getting to drive the monster truck makes alot of kids want to try out.

-erin-

8

Posted by Erin.

Student on team #1, The Juggernauts, from OTC-NE, Oxford High School and 3-D Services.

Posted on 2/26/2000 9:13 AM MST

In Reply to: Driver Selection posted by Kate on 2/26/2000 6:55 AM MST:

HEY KATE I’ll throw in a limited edition 3D stopwatch, a lanyard, a frisbee with the yo-yo for a first-a-holic pin!!

-erin-