Posted by Raul at 1/8/2001 12:56 PM EST
Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling HS and Motorola.
PLEASE post here if you got some answers also so we do not have to wait for the official update. Here is what I got:
-
We are NOT allowed any gears or chain off-the-shelf. You have to buy them from Small Parts or make them yourself (boy, I’m glad our shop got that new wire EDM). I did mention to him that the gears that interfaces with the drill motor is a metric gear not available from Small Parts (M.7). He says he will look into it.
-
The big ball DOES count if it is supported off the ground in any way by the goal and is not touching the field parts or any robots. So goals on their sides may be used to prop up the big balls.
-
I asked about a bunch of field dimensions. I’m still waiting for a call back from Ron Rioux.
Raul
Posted by Andy Baker at 1/8/2001 1:22 PM EST
Engineer on team #45, TechnoKats, from Kokomo High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
In Reply to: I got answers from FIRST (Eric)
Posted by Raul on 1/8/2001 12:56 PM EST:
Raul,
Thanks for the mini-update.
Once you get the field dimensions, please post them also (if FIRST doesn’t).
Andy B.
Posted by Ryan at 1/8/2001 8:09 PM EST
Student on team #30, Fury, from High Technology High School and CelWave.
In Reply to: Thanks, & field dimensions need to be posted too
Posted by Andy Baker on 1/8/2001 1:22 PM EST:
: Raul,
: Thanks for the mini-update.
: Once you get the field dimensions, please post them also (if FIRST doesn’t).
: Andy B.
I sent away both drawing’s to a company called Trixsystems. They supposedly can change from PDF to DWG, and promised to do it for free for me as a “demo”. When i get them I’ll post them.
-Rc
Posted by Ken Leung at 1/9/2001 5:21 AM EST
Student on team #192, Gunn Robotics Team, from Henry M. Gunn Senior High School.
In Reply to: Re: Thanks, & field dimensions need to be posted too
Posted by Ryan on 1/8/2001 8:09 PM EST:
There are software that can scan in the print and read them as AutoCAD drawings, and I believe one of them is AutoDesk Overlay or something like that.
Posted by Raul at 1/9/2001 9:39 AM EST
Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling HS and Motorola.
In Reply to: Re: Thanks, & field dimensions need to be posted too
Posted by Ryan on 1/8/2001 8:09 PM EST:
I also asked Eric about putting the AutoCad file on the website. He said that it is not necessarily all to scale!
Anyway, as you know by now, the new prints are on-line so this should not be necessary.
Raul
: I sent away both drawing’s to a company called Trixsystems. They supposedly can change from PDF to DWG, and promised to do it for free for me as a “demo”. When i get them I’ll post them.
: -Rc
Posted by Jessica Boucher at 1/8/2001 1:37 PM EST
Student on team #237, Sie-H2O-Bots, from Watertown High School and Eastern Awning Systems & The Siemon Company.
In Reply to: I got answers from FIRST (Eric)
Posted by Raul on 1/8/2001 12:56 PM EST:
Thank you Raul! This info will really help at our meeting tonite, and if we find out anything as well, then I will be happy to post.
-Jessica B, #237
Posted by nick237 at 1/8/2001 9:48 PM EST
Engineer on team #237, sie h2o bots, from Watertown high school ct and sieman co.
In Reply to: I got answers from FIRST (Eric)
Posted by Raul on 1/8/2001 12:56 PM EST:
Raul. are we led to believe that the big balls may be placed on a goal that is tiped on its side and if so who gets the 10% if all 4 big balls are on the sides of goals.
What if we put the two goals on thier sides on the ramp and they are ballanced with the big balls on top.
do we get all the points?
nick237
: PLEASE post here if you got some answers also so we do not have to wait for the official update. Here is what I got:
: 1) We are NOT allowed any gears or chain off-the-shelf. You have to buy them from Small Parts or make them yourself (boy, I’m glad our shop got that new wire EDM). I did mention to him that the gears that interfaces with the drill motor is a metric gear not available from Small Parts (M.7). He says he will look into it.
: 2) The big ball DOES count if it is supported off the ground in any way by the goal and is not touching the field parts or any robots. So goals on their sides may be used to prop up the big balls.
: 3) I asked about a bunch of field dimensions. I’m still waiting for a call back from Ron Rioux.
: Raul
Posted by Peter VanWylen at 1/8/2001 10:56 PM EST
Student on team #107, Team ROBOTICS, from Holland Christian High School and Metal Flow Corporation.
In Reply to: Re: I got answers from FIRST “WOW” MUCH BETTER.
Posted by nick237 on 1/8/2001 9:48 PM EST:
: Raul. are we led to believe that the big balls may be placed on a goal that is tiped on its side and if so who gets the 10% if all 4 big balls are on the sides of goals.
everybody
: What if we put the two goals on thier sides on the ramp and they are ballanced with the big balls on top.
: do we get all the points?
yes, 4x multiplier plus %10 for each team that has its ball “on top” of a goal
: nick237
Posted by KeithL at 1/9/2001 3:15 AM EST
Other from the CHAOS131 alumni. What will the future bring?..
In Reply to: I got answers from FIRST (Eric)
Posted by Raul on 1/8/2001 12:56 PM EST:
Now, I may be wrong, but I believe that when i was at the kickoff, someone attempted to balance the big balls on the goal when it was on its side, and it did not work. This was because when it was on its side, two pvc pipes were not parallel to eachother on the top ( . . ), instead it was more like ( . ’ . ) only one pvc pipe at the top. I hope that made sense to everyone!
-Keith L.
Posted by nick237 at 1/9/2001 10:00 PM EST
Engineer on team #237, sie h2o bots, from Watertown high school ct and sieman co.
In Reply to: Problem with balancing balls on the goal on its side
Posted by KeithL on 1/9/2001 3:15 AM EST:
Keith. the goal has 8 sides so two tubes would be up and parallel. Yes it would work but the heavy caster bottom end would make the ramp off balance unless you had both opposit each other on the ramp but as you push one on the other may slide off???
Loved your DeanO letter.
nick237
: Now, I may be wrong, but I believe that when i was at the kickoff, someone attempted to balance the big balls on the goal when it was on its side, and it did not work. This was because when it was on its side, two pvc pipes were not parallel to eachother on the top ( . . ), instead it was more like ( . ’ . ) only one pvc pipe at the top. I hope that made sense to everyone!
: -Keith L.
Posted by Ken Leung at 1/10/2001 5:47 AM EST
Student on team #192, Gunn Robotics Team, from Henry M. Gunn Senior High School.
In Reply to: Re: Problem with balancing balls on the goal on its side
Posted by nick237 on 1/9/2001 10:00 PM EST:
Balancing the goal on its side will certainly be challenging, since that center of mass will be different. But it’s not too hard to slide the goals on its side, that is if you have a strong drive train. But then again, in the competition the balancing robot will need to be really accurate, and that mean slow speed, thus a high torque drive train.
Anyways, even though it is possible to do all these stuff about goal lying on its side, I am wondering if this will worth the time and the effort to develope a robot fitting under these condition. In addition, we still do not know if this is legal yet. Have anyone officially send an e-mail to eric or someone else about this and receive an official answer? Maybe they are taking all these time because they are arguing about what answer to give…
Posted by Khalid at 1/14/2001 9:01 PM EST
Student on team #486, The Positronic Panthers, from Strath Haven High School.
In Reply to: Re: Problem with balancing balls on the goal on its side
Posted by Ken Leung on 1/10/2001 5:47 AM EST:
Just to make a point:
I believe that the diameter of each goal is 34" and with the bridge being 48" across, it will be impossible to balance two goals side by side. However, it is still possible to get one goal on but ,as you said, it will be time and resource consuming.
: Balancing the goal on its side will certainly be challenging, since that center of mass will be different. But it’s not too hard to slide the goals on its side, that is if you have a strong drive train. But then again, in the competition the balancing robot will need to be really accurate, and that mean slow speed, thus a high torque drive train.
: Anyways, even though it is possible to do all these stuff about goal lying on its side, I am wondering if this will worth the time and the effort to develope a robot fitting under these condition. In addition, we still do not know if this is legal yet. Have anyone officially send an e-mail to eric or someone else about this and receive an official answer? Maybe they are taking all these time because they are arguing about what answer to give…
Posted by CArobot at 1/16/2001 6:06 PM EST
Other on team #619, CArobot, from Charlottesville Albemarle.
In Reply to: Re: Problem with balancing balls on the goal on its side
Posted by Khalid on 1/14/2001 9:01 PM EST:
If the tower is on its side one of the PVC pipes will be up. ex. (.’.) This is because at the top the PVC joints extend beyond the flats created by the PVC and the bottom is supported by the flat of the plywood base.
If the tower is on its side on the bridge it will not be supported on either end but rather will rest on the flat created by any two of the parallel PVC pipes. This will result in a top surface that can support a big ball. ex. ( . . ) The two parrallel pipes that create this will be just under 12’’ on center. Because what is initially the bottom end of the tower (now on one side) weighs so much more than the top of the tower it will need to be all the way to one side to keep it from falling off. Having it turned this way would meen eight inches of overhang on the end with the plywood and casters (the bottom) and two feet four inches overhang on the other side (the open end). This may necessitate having the other tower turned in the opposite direction to offset the weight. One nice benefit is that the parrallel pipes provide a fairly easy surface to put the big balls on and it will even bow a little which will make the balls tend to be more stable. The joints and the plywood also make perfect stops to keep the ball from rolling off the end and the fence that runs through the middle of the arena will keep the tower from going beyond the halfway point of the bridge. After the other tower has been placed on the bridge and thus balanced the tower will need to be pushed back so that the judges don’t construe it as being supported by the fence in the middle, which would almost certianly result in point deductions.
Please respond with your ideas regarding this, as it is crucial to our robot’s design.
Posted by Mark Pierce at 1/9/2001 12:04 PM EST
Other on team #288, RoboDAWGS, from Grandville High School and X-Rite, Delphi, and others.
In Reply to: I got answers from FIRST (Eric)
Posted by Raul on 1/8/2001 12:56 PM EST:
Here are some question and answers I got from Ron:
>1. The quantity of PVC1 should be 16 per goal. (8 sides, 2 pcs on either side of the tee).
- Yes there should be 16.
>2. The Bill of material for WT1 says 10 - 3 pounds weights, but the pictures from the kickoff look like 6 weights on a side. Are these 12 - 2.5 lb weights?
- There are actually 12 weights total and they are 3 pound Weider cast
iron weights.
>3. The pipes listed as P12, P13, P14 Are used to hold the weights, but how are they assembled? The drawings do not help much on this.
- The 1" pipe is inserted flush in the 1-1/4" pipe and the 3/4" pipe is a
tight fit in the 1" pipe.
It looks to me like the length of PVC1 might be wrong also, when comparing to pictures. Anyone have a measurement? ( I submitted a question in my reply to Ron, but I’m sure he’s swamped…)
Mark