Should FIRST Keep the Drill Motors or Should they do away with them
I think they should keep the drills AND add new, better motors. More choices are good. It allows for more options and better, more diverse robots.
I say go to 4 drills next year, it would make gearboxes and swerve a whole bunch easier for the newer teams
They should never get rid of the drill motors. However, throwing in a couple extra would be nice.
the inspectors arnt that quick, they dont know everything, teams this year used 4 OR MORE drill motors and didnt have a thing said to them (well untill i said something) so it dosnt matter too much, people will do what they want, included parts or not
*Originally posted by Jeff Waegelin *
**I think they should keep the drills AND add new, better motors. More choices are good. It allows for more options and better, more diverse robots. **
Ahh, but if you give teams bigger and better robots, and 4 drill motors, you take out the innovation part. 3 drill motors means you need to be innovative and smart with what you do with them. Bigger and better motors will defeat the purpose: use limited materials to build a robot.
The idea is to use your wits, not your materials, to build an awesome robot. Bigger motors would kinda negate this concept, and 4 drill motors would blow it away. 4 wheel swerving and strafing is SUPPOSED to be difficult: that’s why it is an innovative solution, not a commonplace one.
More motors would mess up the delicate balance that has been created between materials and innovation. More materials would take a cut into teams using their wits to design and build good mahcines.
*Originally posted by Ben Mitchell *
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More motors would mess up the delicate balance that has been created between materials and innovation. More materials would take a cut into teams using their wits to design and build good mahcines. **
I totally agree with you, Ben. I think the addition of the Atwood motors, and the removal of the van-door motors, added an intresting twist. I’m up for more things like that in the future!
What makes you all think that FIRST will have the capability of supplying us with 4 or even 3 Bosch drill motors next year? I’m not saying that they definitely don’t have that ability, but they did hand out 1,923 drill motors last year (641 teams * 3 drill motors)… not to mention handing out 2 to each team the 3 years before. That’s a lot of motors, especially for a model that (if I’ve been properly informed) has been discontinued. I’m not sure what the thread starter had in mind when this thread was started. If they were wondering people’s thoughts about the drill motor’s role and performance the past few years, then I’d have to say that I have loved the drill motors. All things come to an end, even having this type of motor. I’m sure that when this motor disappears from the kits, FIRST will find a suitable replacement. Guh… I should probably shut up now.
My name is Mike from Team 522 of the Robo-Wizards Location: SI, NYC. I would be the one you call “Thread Starter”
Lioke most threads I enter and speak my opinion "Sometimes:D " I don’t know when to keep my mouth shut. As a result I have been re-wording pretty much what I’ve been saying in most threads. Reality is FIRST has given out alot of Drill Motors in the kits this last couple of years. Not to mention the motors that are bad are go bad in the competition due to Faultiness or Wear and Tear. So It would not be much of a surprise if FIRST chooses a new motor something more powerful then the Bosch or Chulupa. When the thread was originally started I was pretty much asking the opinion whether or not Should the Bosch Motors be kept in the kits or should they be removed which asks another question Do you like the motors enough due to perfromance and power to keep them or would you want something stronger and more reliable. Since you say
[quote]That’s a lot of motors, especially for a model that (if I’ve been properly informed) has been discontinued.
[quote]
that the motors might have been discontinued then the question should be as such: Is there another company that makes a Drill motor that has characteristics of the BOSCH drill Motors that we love so much b/c of its performance or will Dean Kamen and the FIRST organization find a much more powerful & torquey motor that teams will have to get used to all over again. Alot of teams that I saw had a little bit of difficulty trying to devolt the chulupa motor to the same voltage of the Drills so that the teams can use both the Drills and Chulupas in sync for a drive train. In a way I’m glad FIRST included only 3 Drills and 2 Chulupas b/c this gives the teams a challenge. How to get both types of motors running in sync with eachother without blowing something up. If FIRST makes a change in the Kit of Parts then it would be a change for the better. My opinion would be to get rid of the Fisher Price motors. reason being is because I really didn’t see much teams using them for anything. Both in last and this years games I really haven’t seen much of a fisher price motor. Then again I should look at the Tethers from this year more closely. You can use those little motors for a tiny robot (tether bot) but you really can’t use them part of the drive train. Like I said this is my opinion and everyone involved with ChiefDelphi’s website are entitled to there own. But I do agree if FIRST takes away the Drills due to Discontiuation they will then find something much better. They have not steered us wrong yet. And I doubt they will ever will 
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You know those drill motors are great for rookie teams because you can just get a drive coupler from SPI, a shaft, and some sprockets and be on your way. However, this year we had so many problems with the drill motors that its not even funny. Well, the motors were fine but it’s the gearboxes that aren’t. Clutches slipping, gearbox cases breaking, slipping out of gear, etc.
I really like the Chias but that splined armature and odd cluster gear make it hard to have a good mounting system and durable drivetrain. I would like to see some entirely new motors and gearheads/gearboxes.