Update: Here is a a “proof” of my above logic:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/pictures.php?&action=single&picid=13260
This isn’t proof of anything. These three teams chose to work together (and have done so for 2 years now?) and design their robots together. I see this as a good thing because the more people you have looking at a problem the more ideas there will be to solve it. It is not about copying an idea, but more collectively deciding on what they think is best.
I think this thread has strayed from its original purpose of a place for teams to share their information, but that’s what this entire site is for. Chief Delphi is not just a place for people to talk about robotics, but its a place where people can show off their accomplishments and spread ideas and information. Case point Dewalts and banebots. MANY teams use these transmissions and if it were not for CD then these things would have taken allot longer to spread throughout the FIRST community. If you feel that you do not wish to share information, then don’t. But please do not criticize or get angry when people do share information. There will always be people willing to share information and ideas. And CD is a good place for them to share them.
Eldarion–“leaving the matches up to random chance!”
More Driver’s skill than random chance.
I have some “gripes” about “teasers”. Sure teasers are great the first few weeks of the build season. But why when its week 6.9 are we still having teasers??? If you can change your design in ~24 hours you shoud be national champions, but let me ask…is keeping your design SECRETIVE even after shipping really worth it? Sure, I can see it for the suprise at the regional, but when teams are still posting teasers even after ship, I feel is just plain rediculous.
IMHO, I would rather show my idea in week 4.5ish then let the general public constructively criticize me and hopefully get some ideas to better OUR design. I know FIRST has way to many honest and gracious teams to “steal” my design. Granted in the past once I’ve seen a robot on Delphi, I’ve said “why didn’t I think of that” and usually take notes for next season. I have never said or heard anyone say…“wow that bot looks great, lets change our design because of it”.
Let me know your opinions
Ken is on target again!!!
We help rookie and veteran teams by sharing info. especially if it enables those who cannot otherwise complete the necessary task. For example we figured out how to modify globe motors by milling off .25" of the housing on the gearbox. We then remove the outer layer of planetary gears to increase the speed to over 400rpm. Now we tell people about this because it helps some teams who might otherwise spend many hours or even days coming up with an equivalent which might be expensive, heavier and/or bulkier.
Giving this info away doesn’t put our chances in jeopardy; other teams would have to copy almost everything else we have to do that.
Having the exact same robot on different teams still has variable outcome possibilities due to the human factor and strategy. Case in point:
Here’s our bot by the way.
http://media.putfile.com/Team-329-ball-pickup
This is not NEARLY the same thing as this thread is about… I think that alot of people got offended by alot of other peoples posts, and because of that we end up a with close-minded arguement in wake of an openminded discussion.
The bottom line is… If every single team had the same robot, then there wouldn’t be much of a competition at all, would there? The difference between showing a team a finished result and giving the team a finished design is that with the later… the team actually learns something. It’s the same reason that they don’t give me the answers to my chem problems with the questions. They just give me a final result, and have me figure the rest out on my own. It helps me learn more, which is part of what FIRST is about. My team prides ourselves on being student built, and if we were offered a professional design… I doubt we’d take it. This brings us back to human nature as a whole… Our will to compete insures that there will never be a Startrek Utopia where everybody shared everything.
This discussion really is about cooperation/competition , or FIRSTs “co-optition”. Its about helping others without giving away your stratigic (sp?) advantage.
If a team, other than my own, asks for help I will help them with THIER design. I won’t design it for them, for I believe that the process by which they come up with thier strategy / design is as important as the design itself.
We, in 1058, don’t share our designs before the competition. We will explain how (and why) we designed our robot the way we did at the competition so that they may learn from what we did and apply it in the future, if they so desire.
One of the things I try to teach the kids is that this is a competition, and the goal of a competition is to win. However, it is what you do to achieve that goal that defines the person, and not achieving the goal itself.