Greetings, young grasshoppers.
I have created this thread to showcase the first annual Kung Fu 32. A result of extensive research into every team in the year 2017, the Kung Fu 32 is a list of the 32 best FRC teams under the sun. Or under the fluorescent lights, as we all know that robotics is namely an indoor activity. An important aspect of the Kung Fu 32 is to acknowledge both a team’s greatest strengths and their weaknesses. In that vein, all teasing that results from this thread comes from the bottom of my heart. I have the utmost respect for the teams on this list.
To aid in my analysis of every team, I performed a nonnegative linear regression on the overdetermined system that is created when considering every qualification match this year as an equation, with solution vectors consisting of autonomous KPa, total KPa, and number of gears in a match as determined by rotors. The resultant metrics are similar to OPR, except that they span across all events played this year and are specific to different aspects of the game.
Although these rankings provided a good idea of where to look for those teams that excelled this year, they were merely a dropping off point for this list. Due to the duality of this year’s game, it was important to weight the teams with a little bit of subjectivity. If a team is a master of the yang of Steamworks (gears), that is only half of the battle. If a team has only mastered the yin that is fuel, they will also be ranked below those few teams that have shown themselves to excel in their balanced approach to this game. It is also important to note the limitations of measuring any gear bot in this year’s game because of the nonlinear way that rotors are counted.
These are the acronyms that I use later in the thread:
AKPAPR: Autonomous KPa Power Rating
KPAPR: KPa Power Rating
GPR: Gear Power Rating
If you disagree with how I ranked your team, there is only one proper reaction: go win Einstein.
And remember, don’t try to be like Jackie Chan. There is only one Jackie Chan. Study robotics instead.
**The Kung Fu 32
**
**2451 - Rank: 32 - AKPAPR: 5.50 - KPAPR: 9.33 - GPR: 2.24
**To start off the Kung Fu 32, we have PWNAGE. People knew to look out for this team even before their first regional. Mostly because of their early reveal of a double turreted robot. However, the two turret robot will now join the list of shattered FRC dreams, along with 1114’s harpoons from 2015. But the robot that 2451 brought to field was more than enough to make up for what could have been. This bot pumps out fuel like a hummer owner when he needs to fill up his tank. With 2 wins under their belt as the first pick for their alliance, 2451 is looking to rank a little higher at champs, but they have definitely earned their spot on this list.
**2767 - Rank: 31 - AKPAPR: 7.68 - KPAPR: 18.74 - GPR: 1.55
**2767 was a dominant force in Michigan this year, stryking blue banners at every event they attended, only to eventually lose out to 33 at MSC. With a very speedy gear mechanism, solid autonomous shooting, swervey drive train, and an effective climb, they were able to find their way to the top of many independent lists of the best teams in Michigan this year. Best of luck to them in St. Louis as they represent their district.
**987 - Rank: 30 - AKPAPR: 8.21 - KPAPR: 23.53 - GPR: 2.65
**Even though they played well enough to win their event in week 2, they rolled a little lower in the rankings by Las Vegas. This can shoot well, move gears across the field, and climb exceptionally fast. They showed the ability to shoot while moving in their reveal video, but they have not yet used it on the field. I expect them to be ready to rock and roll at Houston.
**2337 - Rank: 29 - AKPAPR: 10.49 - KPAPR: 24.31 - 1.66
**2337 was a 1337 733m this year, with a very impressive showing in the Michigan district. With a banner coming out of the DTE division, the EngiNERDS lost only to the eventual winners of the event. 2337 spent most of their matches chasing the 40 kpa and climbing, and should do quite well when paired with gear bots in St. Louis.
**340 - Rank: 28 - AKPAPR: 0.00 - KPAPR: 0.00 - GPR: 4.52
**This team can deliver gears amazingly. With the second highest GPR on this list they are sure to make a difference in St. Louis. I expect many 4 rotor qualification matches with this team, don’t let me down. Furthermore, I expect them to be the backbone of a rotor alliance with the capacity to go very far.
**604 - Rank: 27 - AKPAPR: 0.00 - KPAPR: 0.00 - GPR: 3.92
**Quixilver… What more is there really to say? It’s kind of in their name. They’re quick.
It’s almost as if they’ve got all the time in the world stored in a bottle.
And the first thing that they’d like to do
Is to score gears every day
Until 2:15 passes away
Just to win finals 2
When 604 teamed up with 254, they put up over 500 points in 4 out of 6 playoff matches, and put up 4 rotors in 5 of those playoff matches. 604 can run gears well on their own, and if they get paired with the right fuel bot, could make for a very scary, Einstein worthy alliance.
**180 - Rank: 26 - AKPAPR: 0.01 - KPAPR: 0.01 - GPR: 3.39
**180 has built a light speed robot. They pulled off one of the earliest 4 rotors matches this year. It turns out, all we had to do was cycle fast. They are the shining example of why active gear pickups are overrated. Hopefully, Buzz LightGear will be able to 4 rotor its way to Einstein, and Beyond!
**1538 - Rank: 25 - AKPAPR: 3.11 - KPAPR: 3.54 - GPR: 3.22
**Holy Cow are they fast! But seriously, this team can deliver many gears in a single match as they showed at Las Vegas. That was the first banner they have earned since their Championship Chairmans win in 2013. This team will come back better than ever in Galileo and rank high. I would expect them to earn another banner this season.
**3238 - Rank: 24 - AKPAPR: 0.19 - KPAPR: 0.19 - GPR: 4.48
**This team can gear like no one else. With one of the highest GPRs on this list, it shows. They have also perfected an extremely fast climb in the end game which could prove very useful in the Carver division. In PNW they could show their might, but can they show it again in Houston?
**2168 - Rank: 23 - AKPAPR: 1.02 - KPAPR: 1.02 - GPR. 4.57
**2168 is another one of those robots that swooped in to prove that fuel is not the new cool, and that the gear is without peer. With the highest GPR on this list, 2168 has taken the gear game to a whole new level. They ranked 1st at New England DCMP off of 4 rotor matches. I do find it a little ironic that they named their robot The Precipitator, even though they don’t spew streams of fuel. I guess they just make it rain Blue Banners.
**148 - Rank: 22 - AKPAPR: 8.97 - KPAPR: 9.39 - GPR: 3.20
**148 has followed in 1114’s footsteps. After an amazing semifinalist run on Einstein last year, they just couldn’t seem to snatch a banner for themselves this year. They got more silver than… a silver mine, I guess. But that doesn’t mean that they didn’t design an awesome robot. They have one of the smoothest gear pickups in the world. Combine this with an auto that shoots 10kpa and puts up a gear, 148 complements any fuel-centric robot beautifully. I’d look for them to get wrangled by a high seed in their division, if they don’t rank 1 themselves.
**33 - Rank 21 - AKPAPR: 9.00 - KPAPR: 16.11 - GPR: 2.96
**33 has been killin’ it the entire season. As the winners of this year’s MSC, it is hard to argue their placement on this list as one of the elite teams. Although they have a very solid stream of balls that flies out of their robot in autonomous mode, most of the bonus points that they received at MSC were from the coveted fourth rotor. As a Michigan team, 33 is one of the very few teams that has the advantage of being able to go to an event with divisions and say “been there, done that”.
**1519 - Rank: 20 - AKPAPR: 9.29 - KPAPR: 14.81 - GPR: 1.89
**This team knows how to cause some mayhem. They have a great shooting mechanism capable of putting up more than 30 kpa in autonomous mode. Their gear mechanism may not be the fastest, but they play smart. Without a ball collection, their opponents trigger the hoppers, but 1519 finishes the 40 kpa with the help of their human player.
**3309 - Rank: 19 - AKPAPR: 9.37 - KPAPR: 21.52 - GPR: 1.80
**Although 3309 did not start the season out great, they have improved their ball shooting and gear mechanism. They also began with a slow(ish) gear game, but at their latest regional they showcased a roller gear intake. However, where 3309 shines is in their ability to shoot fuel. At Orange County, they could score up into the 30’s, but they also reached as low as 10 kpa in autonomous after triggering the hopper. If they can maintain shooter consistency, then they have a good shot at leading the pack in their division.
**125 - Rank: 18 - AKPAPR: 11.39 - KPAPR: 29.53 - GPR: 1.05
**When the Nutrons first revealed their fuel-hurling monster that they call a robot, I was convinced that this was the team that would be facing off against 118 in the Festival of Champions. Sadly, when it came to actually tying down their banners at the many events that they attended, 125 had only two words: “Uhhh…Strap???” Despite the lack of wins this year, they still built an incredible robot capable of shooting a very impressive stream into the high goal. With a little bit of luck, 125’s first event win could be in their division in St. Louis.
**610 - Rank: 17 - AKPAPR: 2.32 - KPAPR: 2.42 - GPR: 3.12
**Some people believe that 40kpa is the best way to guarantee that extra ranking point in qualification matches. The students on 610 are not these people. They have gotten to 4 rotors in 9/12 playoff matches (pre dcmp), and in all of their qualification matches at Ontario District Champs. This team could easily be considered one of the fastest gear drop offs in the world. Overall, I give this team a 6/10.
**The Mean 16
**
**1114 - Rank: 16 - AKPAPR: 15.52 - KPAPR: 26.78 - GPR: 1.33
**1114 balls so hard. Sadly, it gets a lot harder to ball when they’re not in the hoppers. They can shoot accurately, fast and they can climb fast. Although they can climb their rope in less than a second, it takes more than that to win. At the Ontario DCMP, they had crazy high accuracy, but the lack of fuel collection prolonged their 40 kpa bonus and sometimes cost them the win. Hopefully, they will find a workaround, or build sort of ground pickup for St. Louis, but even without that capability, I expect this team to go far in their division.
**2481 - Rank: 15 - AKPAPR: 12.15 - KPAPR: 15.18 - GPR: 2.91
**The Roboteers have pirated only one win this year after losing in the highly competitive Hub City Regional during week one. For a very long time 2481 held the world high score penalty free of 506. Their ball shooting and gear mechanism will create a force to be reckoned with. St. Louis will be harder for them to win as the hopper get triggered, as 1114 showed, not being able to pick up balls of the ground can be the deal breaker in some matches.
**3015 - Rank: 14 - AKPAPR: 15.54 - KPAPR: 20.97 - GPR: 2.33
**This team can shoot. Well. Capable of putting up more than 30 in autonomous, 3015 could win their division and make an Einstein appearance. But more than that, they have a quick active gear collector that allows them to reach the 4 rotor threshold quickly. Ghost Walker will definitely give its opponents a good scare at champs.
**330 - Rank: 13 - AKPAPR: 12.43 - KPAPR: 21.81 - GPR: 3.43
**330 doesn’t hang 10, they hang for 50. They showed that they mean business at Arizona West where they achieved 4 rotors in 5/7 of their playoff matches. They also showed their potential for ball shooting in autonomous modes like this one. As reigning world champions, I expect they will try to defend their title with everything they have. Although Newton is one of the harder divisions, they could easily make their way out.
**4613 - Rank: 12 - AKPAPR: 15.75 - KPAPR: 33.88 - GPR: 1.19
**Crikey! This team has been on a real journey this year. They did more traveling over 6 weeks than I do in a year. And I travel a lot. 4613 not only upped their travel budget, but they managed to take home a banner from every single event. But they’re still not done. They have one of the best fuel bots in the Hopper Division, so they have a good shot of reaching Einstein, which would give them the record of the most blue banners earned in a single season, beating out 1983’s legendary run in 2015.
**1574 - Rank: 11 - AKPAPR: 12.78 - KPAPR: 26.88 - GPR: 1.74
**Although this bot loves to slot feed gears, they can earn their way to the top of any ranking by shooting fuel. In Roebling, this team will go far. Their shooting isreal, and their gear mechanism is almost as good. This team scored high in every way when it come to fuel. After ranking second in the Israeli District Championship, and not quite getting the win, I think they have learned their lesson.
**2122 - Rank: 10 - AKPAPR: 16.49 - KPAPR: 23.45 - GPR: 2.28
**Like a potato, 2122 started the season underground only to sprout late at Western Canada. This team has shown their ability to shoot fuel into the boiler better than most, scoring consistently 30kpa. I don’t think it will be easy to reach Einstein without any ball floor collection, but they now have an active gear collection and drop off which will allow them to take flight to the top of the rankings.
**1619 - Rank: 9 - AKPAPR: 17.66 - KPAPR: 27.08 - GPR: 1.98
**1619 is the only team on this list who looked at a 153 point lead in a finals match and said, “I think we need a change in strategy.” Even when they have a shooting mishap, they can always gear it up a notch when necessary. In their most recent event, 1619 could put 20+ kpa in auto with fairly high consistency. And they showed that they could put up 4 rotors when got felt bored of playing overhyped wiffle ball. This is one of the few robots with a full width ball collection and a full width gear mechanism. I know this pun is far overused, but 1619 will make their opponents feel pretty… Up-A-Creek.
**The Great 8
**
**1986 - Rank: 8 - AKPAPR: 28.58 - KPAPR: 48.02 - GPR: 1.42
**1986 is known for never backing down from a challenge. 40 kpa? Done. Do it all in auto? Check. Make an Einstein worthy robot with vectored intake wheels on their drive train? Well… the jury’s still out on that one. But they certainly aren’t out of the running because of it. It goes without saying that 1986 is by far the scariest fuel bot in the world. And by the end of this season, they were finally able to change their strategy enough to secure a blue banner. But that still doesn’t mean that they won’t fuel an anti gear rebellion and steam their way to Einstein.
**2056 - Rank: 7 - AKPAPR: 16.14 - KPAPR: 41.59 - GPR: 1.84
**OP followed their streak of 23 with a streak of 2, but made up for that with a stunning district championship win, setting the world record score without penalties twice in a row. They’re not the fastest gearbot, and received much help in that respect from their alliance partners, 610, but their high goal shooter has greatly improved since the start of their season only 3 weeks ago. 2056 can hit upwards of 30 kpa in autonomous now, and had time after the four rotors to top it off at 40-60 kpa.
**971 - Rank: 6 - AKPAPR: 21.59 - KPAPR: 35.32 - GPR: 1.42
**This team is so good, they don’t even have to be on the field to win an event. When they do hit the field, however, they are a force to be reckoned with. 971 is anything but spartan in their approach to FRC games, always designing a very intricate and solid mechanism to defeat the task at hand. With aninsane far hopper auton and a great shot from the peg, Spartan Robotics will find their shooting highly sought after in their division. One thing is clear, they certainly have the cool factor.
**1690 - Rank: 5 - AKPAPR: 16.45 - KPAPR: 27.84 - GPR: 1.77
**1690 showed us that they could orbit around the finals this year, but they were never quite able to land on that sweet blue banner. That being said, they were the very first team to take part in a 40kpa 4 rotor match, and may find themselves in a position to win their division in Carver this year. They handled all elements of this year’s game with ease, and hit at least one of the RP bonuses in all but two of their matches at the Israel DCMP. I sincerely hope that after this team picks their alliance at championships this year, they will be able to Bolt their way to a blue banner.
**The Highscore 4
**
**118 - Rank: 4 - AKPAPR: 18.74 - KPAPR: 38.18 - GPR: 2.33
**Although they started their season upside down, the robonauts have climbed up the rope of success. They are one of the best shooters in the world and they are causing a Ruckus. With a very high bps (Balls per Second) and accuracy, they are giving the boilers a run for their money. Although their mistakes in Las Vegas cost them a one banner season, I expect them to come well prepared with lessons well learned to CMP in Houston.
**1678 - Rank: 3 - AKPAPR: 17.68 - KPAPR: 34.31 - GPR: 1.88
**The Citrus Circuits have consistently been one of the best robots in the world for 4 years now. After stunning us with their place gear and hopper autonomous mode early in the season, followed by a two gear autonomous mode, I expected nothing less, and they delivered. Their drum style shooter allows them to shoot their way to 40 kpa quickly while their active gear collection and drop off allows them to achieve four rotors. But possibly the most important thing we have learned from 1678 this year is when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When 118 doesn’t pick you, make space lemonade.
**The Guru’s Few Two
**
**195 - Rank: 2 - AKPAPR: 18.71 - KPAPR: 36.50 - GPR: 2.04
**Although this team likes sharing, they don’t share their wins. 195 has shown their amazing ball shooter and a great gear mechanism. They averaged 49 kpa in quals at the New England DCMP and took home the win. They could consistently get more than 30 kpa in autonomous. This team is deserving of their placement in the Guru’s Few Two for their domination of every aspect of the game. We will all watch them in St. Louis to see if they CyberMight get through their division.
**The Dragonmaster
**
**254 - Rank: 1 - AKPAPR: 17.41 - KPAPR: 39.49 - GPR: 2.65
**And finally, the Dragonmaster: 254. The Cheesy Poofs have been a force to be reckoned with since their very first match. They are currently 30 and 1 in the 2017 season. While dominating the two regionals they attended, they have implemented new strategies including triggering the hoppers on the way down and picking the balls up on the way back. Their ball collection system is second to none and they have shown the ability to drop off a gear and score 30+ kpa consistently in autonomous. Very rarely have we seen a complete Misfire from 254. Overall, this robot is delicious and nutritious. I believe this is the best team of the season, and hereby give 254 the Jackie Chan Dragonmaster Stamp Of Approval. Wear it proudly, my poofs.