http://frcdirector.blogspot.com/2008/10/im-back-with-some-advice.html
Uh oh…
Any thoughts?
…
water game? :rolleyes:
You know what would suck?
If a warning like that meant that something as fundamental as the small CIMs or Kitbot chassis wasn’t in the KoP anymore…
Either that, or they shrunk the maximum dimensions by an inch or two. :ahh:
With 842 being the Championship Chairman’s winners, this is as good a time as any to bring that up!
Seriously though, it looks like we might want to be exploring some other ways of making robots move around on dry land of various contours.
:eek: :eek: :eek:
Any thoughts?
Though Bill does not speak plainly, it appears he suggests that we shouldn’t assume any particular robot design. He further hints not to make any large purchases of any particular material. There is a strong possibility that the game will be released sometime in January…
In other words, it may be much ado about nothing (the “inch or two” view) or we may be thrown for a doozy of a different game (the “how can robots move” view). I’m going for the latter.
In moments such as these, I think of:
- tums
- pepcid ac
- cookies and cream ice cream
- gingerale (an old cure)
- milk and crackers (another old cure)
- a tall mountain top from which to yodel angst
- carpet to pace a large path into
- juggling - I don’t know why but it’s fun
- coffee, a large cup of coffee
It’s lunch time here…
This advice is typically given, though not officially, at some time between September and January (or before) as some teams start experimenting.
I would assume that there is something besides the control system and the game that will be changing. Probably the dimensions (2005, changed the dimensions when we got C and 3v3), though maybe some key element is going to change.
81 days to kickoff… Too long!
Or…Oh, no! The No-Metal on Robots Rule!:yikes::rolleyes:
We’ll defintely be working on both the balancing 2 wheel robot, the 6 legged robot, and the wood chassis 8 wheel drive robot ideas this fall.
Wheels? Legs? Wood? Read the message again…
…do not assume any particular robot design…
Exactly! we’re not assuming any one robot design will be right for the game, so we’re developing several different ideas.
Which is, of course, why they are testing three designs.
I’m surprised they aren’t testing the hamster-powered robot, the “Tinfoil Freshman”, and the flying robot.
:rolleyes:Of course, I’m certain team 71 is already done with their prototyping for about 200 different ideas, and the most recent would have been the game-figuring-out robot. Not sure if the prototype works…/:rolleyes:
Nooooooooooooo! X.x there goes my programming ideas… I really hope not
Haha, the sad part is we actually were working on [designing] a 2 wheeled balancing robot for FRC competitions and a wooden chassis (which we’ll actually probably use, unless this new game forces us to change it!)…
Wait, I thought 71 had their game-figuring-out robot working for several years now? :rolleyes:
Guys,
This is a standard warning for teams who are trying to get an early start. I remind teams of this every year. The KOP is not finalized yet so the exact motors and other hardware is not fixed in stone. Not even I know what might be in the kit for the electrical side, including which battery we might be getting. Make general plans but don’t set your design. Can you imagine a team that dedicates itself to casters only to find a game that has a series of ramps announced in January. Remember, it was not too long ago that teams could choose a size/weight class.
The only thing we can glean from Bill’s post that we didn’t know before is…
(Hear the crickets?)
For the most part we have been flat landers the past few years. How would your current frame design do with a 3 D playing field? Ramps steps and all that challenging stuff. I would love to see them bring in 30 tons of bolders, road balast and sand for the playing surface. ( never happen ) Also, for the teams that have gone with and built off of the IFI kit frame, It appears IFI is out of the supply chain. If a kit frame is included it’s bound to be different.
The 6 wheel low rider frames have become the standard. Would be nice to have a playing field that would put them at a disadvantage to shake things up.
Sounds like fun, but only if you agree to recruit a few hundred friends for the set-up and strike duty for the regionals…
I’m going back to Hammond for my college fall break this weekend, so maybe I’ll need to have a reunion with my buddies from 71 to see what they know…
(Ridiculously Off-Topic Sidenote: Seriously though. I am sooo psyched to go back to Hammond this weekend!)