Are there any offseasons that do/do not allow doing this? Entering a second robot either for use by a pre-rookie or just if we want to train several drivers at once. I know all about entering robots for pre-rookies.
You are certainly welcome to enter 2 robots in the Duel on the Delaware. Last year we loaned our practice robot MOEkyo Drift to rookie Team 2558. They fixed it up (our practice robots are never “competition ready”) and entered it in the Duel. We faced them (interesting to watch) in the QF and they won one match. We have also had 2 Daisies (341) before (I think in '06) and some pre-rookies.
I can also remember 2 robot teams at PARC. Last year, there was 145 & 145(2). I think I have seen multiple 1218 robots there as well.
EDIT: Mods you might want to move this to Off season events sub forum
I remember 254 once doing this, with the “Bionic Poofs”… although I think they were an actual FRC team for one year at least, with a number and everything.
SCRRF Fall Classic does, particularly if they’re short on teams (they often are…).
Bionic Poofs was the 60/254 collaboration.
Most offseason competitions will allow you to do this as long as they aren’t too restricted on space (i.e. IRI).
IRI at one point was accepting pre-rookies. I’m not really sure if they still do or how it works. Is there a certain competition you are wondering about?
Considering the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus is struggling to make it to 24 teams (haven’t got there yet) we would encourage teams to enter two robots in a heartbeat so long as you pay for it.
I know last year at one of the off seasons, 1519 ran Speed Racer and Fezzik as two distinct entities (Speed Racer was dubbed 9151 so FMS wouldn’t puke all over it)
This happened at Battlecry @ WPI (Speed Racer was a substitute for any team not able to show up in a match which worked out well) & I think both of 1519’s bots were also there for the innaugural Bear Brawloff-season competition in Springfield MA @ Western New England College as well.
I know Speed Racer was at least, since they won Bear Brawl.
Some events, such as Brunswick Eruption, encourage you to loan a practice or previous robot to a pre-rookie, and have at times given a discount to those pre-rookie entries.
The answer you need is that you probably can, but check with the specific event before committing to any travel plans.
Wetzel
This past year 1519 wanted to bring both their robots to the Beantown Blitz and compete as 2 teams.
Our cap is ~36 teams…we explained to them they would be 2 teams until we got to the waiting list…we had 34 teams show up, so 1519 got to run as 1519A and 1519B.
The only way we wouldnt let it happen would be if there were other teams on the wait list (which there were for a while, but as people cancelled, it worked itself out)
We offered a discount to teams who brought 2 robots…1st robot full price, 2nd robot half price.
TNT (Tempest N’ Tampa) will let you enter a pre-rookie team, like last year, or bring a second robot, I do not know about space restraints but we haven’t done too much planning for it yet.
The WMRI (West Michigan Robotics Invitational) allows pre-rookie teams to compete and I am sure that there would be no problem with having your team ‘divided’ and use two robots, get more kids involved that way!
Team 904 Creston was gracious enough to lend us their practice robot to compete with and we ended up doing really well!
Thanks 904!
The website is not updated yet but I am sure it will be shortly.
Also, forgot to mention WMRI was a BLAST!!! Very well run and a great time for all who attended
Corey
Again, I meant bringing in a second robot for a group of your own students to play with. Not a pre-rookie.
That’s what I meant for Ruckus. We did that in 2005 with 378’s robot. They didn’t want to come but they loaned us their robot and we gave it to some kids on 340 to play with.
I really don’t think many off-season regionals would allow it. Wouldn’t some poeple complain and say it’s unfair? I know that TnT probably doesn’t allow a team to have two robots. I mean you would have to check for sure but I’m sure if you were allowed to, you would probably have to pay twice.
SCRRF did last year at the Fall Classic, if I recall correctly.
Unfair? Maybe. Is FIRST fair? If it were, probably half the teams out there would be illegal for building a practice robot.
It is really unfair?
Is working hard throughout the entire year (meeting at least once per week) and having the students and mentors work really hard at car washes, can and bottle drives, and our BBQ concessions to earn the money to build a practice robot fair? Most definitely yes.
If a team works hard, earns the money to build two robots, and then wants to compete as two separate teams at a post-season event, then as long as they are willing to pay for two spots and are not depriving a team on a waitlist of a spot, then there’s nothing wrong.
I get what you’re saying. I wouldn’t have a problem with it. But I’m sure there are other teams that would. I’m sure off season regionals would let you do it, you would just have to check with them
I approve of it, but unfortunately neither I nor Jonell makes the decision, you should contact Brian Camp or Tom Filipek for the official answer.