In one of the team updates (i believe it was a team update) FIRST stated that mobile goals would be placed randomly. From those who either have had this clarified or have seen it at competition, what does this mean. Does this mean that it is the same as is in the drawings (goals placed on each side of 2nd platform) and randomly refers to which side of the field, or can goals start out anywhere on the field?
at the pittsburgh regional the mobile goals were always placed on the same side of the field, pretty much pushed up against the center platform
I think by ‘randomly’ they only meant they will not be placed in exactly the same postion to the nearest fraction of an inch, or perfectly aligned in any direction
they are more or less pushed into place as shown on the field drawings.
The goals always stay on the same side of the field (your alliance’s colored goal is on your right, I believe). Also, they are always more or less in the middle of the field. Random refers to the orientation of the the goal. they can be turned any which way, and won’t necessarily always have a point or flat facing a robot.
When looking out from your player station, your goal will always be on the right. The goals always start with a flat side flush with the platform. The randomness refers to the PVC’s orientation on the goal. They won’t be arranging it so the PVC is in any particular configuration. This is, effectively, random placement.
What I believe they meant by this was that the goal would be placed on the same side of the field every time, but at a random orientation
For example, they could place it so one “flat” of the hexagon was parallel with the side of the platform, or in any other orientation.
[edit] practically everyone beat me to it :)…
Cory
We always had a point facing our robot. I think the randomness refers to the eight PVC poles, not the six sides of the base.
Your color is always to the right side (looking from the driver’s view).
The mobile goals are placed exactly in the middle of the field with a
flat side against the 12" platform. (the point always face the driver).
Hope this help.
Thanks for all the quick responses. 
Glad to have that cleared up.
At St. Louis on Friday they were always oriented with a point towards the robots, flat to the platform. Saturday they called a drivers meeting and stated they would be more random with the placement. From that point on it was flat or point to the robot.
No, the randomness does refer to the six sides. They will either place it with a point or flat side against the platform. Some matches one would be flat and the other would be point.
I don’t like this update at all. I’d prefer they just stick to placing a point against the platform. It is easy and super accurate. That is why I thought they have the tape line there. At St. Louis there was at least one team that had cool autonomous modes that grabbed the mobile goal and such before they started using this update. With difference orientation I didn’t see anyone attempt this. I think they should stick with the orientation that was printed into all the regional booklets.
Hmmm…from what I understood, what the randomness referred to was the orientation of the caster wheels, ie which side was flush up against the wall. I am pretty sure that in every match it is supposed to be flush, but I suppose I’ll have to wait a few more days till Sacramento to find out (this could really mess up my autonomous!).
Nope, sorry. Randomness meant the complete orientation of the goals, at least at St. Louis. Sometime the goal would be flush against the platform while other time only the point would be touching the platform. And it’s random. I don’t like how they are doing this because it really makes it hard and confusing for programmers. It isn’t quite as fun to watch robots set dead for 15 seconds.
At St. Louis, it sounds incorrect.
