Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 1/14/2000 7:00 PM MST
Eric has mentioned throughput several times since the kick off (at least once on this board). Dean also mentioned throughput in his unveiling comments.
So… How many matches per hour do you think FIRST will get on this one field with 2 sets of driver stations?
At our Chief Delphi Invitational we had 10 minutes per match with only one set of driver stations, BUT… by going to time based matches (matches were scheduled based on TIME and the went of whether every robot was ready or not), we had a very easy time meeting this thoughput. We could have easily gone down to 7 or even 6 minutes.
With FIRST going to two driver stations, I think that they MAY be able to hold about a 5 minutes per match rate (2 minutes for the match, 1 minute to score, 2 minutes for the old teams to get off as the new teams get on).
But… this is probably too aggressive. I suppose 6 minutes is about the min.
So… 10 matches per hour. 7 hours on Friday + 3 hours on Saturday implies 100 qualifying matches.
This would mean that at a regional with 40 teams, each team would get 10 matches. Not too bad.
The bad news for us at the Great Lakes Regional is that with 70 teams we will each get only about 6 matches per team, not nearly enough.
Ah well.
Any other ideas on throughput? Please share them.
Joe J.
Posted by Raul.
Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling HS and Motorola.
Posted on 1/14/2000 9:35 PM MST
In Reply to: Throughput posted by Joe Johnson on 1/14/2000 7:00 PM MST:
Would it be so difficult to fit two field at Bowden (did I spell this correctly?) Fieldhouse? I suppose that FIRST will not have enough field because there are too many regionals happening simultaneously.
But wait, if they intend to put up 4 fields on 2 stages at Disney, then Great Lakes can still get 2 fields and the other smaller regionals running at the same time get just get one. Is that fair?
Raul
Posted by Nate Smith.
Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Ypsilanti HS/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 1/15/2000 8:53 AM MST
In Reply to: Put up 2 field at Great Lakes! posted by Raul on 1/14/2000 9:35 PM MST:
: Would it be so difficult to fit two field at Bowden (did I spell this correctly?) Fieldhouse? I suppose that FIRST will not have enough field because there are too many regionals happening simultaneously.
I haven’t seen the exact field dimensions yet, so I might be wrong on this, but from what I’ve heard(correct me if I’m wrong here), this year’s field is roughly twice the size of last year’s. With the space available at Bowen, they could in theory fit two fields in there(I think), but in the process they would be eliminating almost all of the pit space that they used when the Competition was there in '98. I’ve had to be inside Bowen a couple times so far since I’ve been a student at Eastern, and I haven’t seen any place else near by that they could use for a pit area if they set up a second field…
Nate
Posted by Bill Beatty.
Other on team #71, Team Hammond, from Team Hammond.
Posted on 1/15/2000 8:48 AM MST
In Reply to: Throughput posted by Joe Johnson on 1/14/2000 7:00 PM MST:
Joe
Of all the throughput things you guys did at the CDI, I think the biggest factor was the ease of scoring. After the match ended the refs needed only a few seconds to verify the score. A big time saver. This game should be much better than last years, but will be more difficult than scoring the CDI.
Bill B
Posted by Michael Martus. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central H.S. and Delphi Automotives Systems.
Posted on 1/15/2000 2:43 PM MST
In Reply to: Scoring Is Big Key posted by Bill Beatty on 1/15/2000 8:48 AM MST:
Thanks for the good words.
At the end of most matches we had the score before the refs could walk to the table. Very easy for the crowd to figure out.
Posted by Eric Rasmussen.
Engineer from FIRST.
Posted on 1/15/2000 10:57 AM MST
In Reply to: Throughput posted by Joe Johnson on 1/14/2000 7:00 PM MST:
We are working with the initial assumption that we can run a match every 5 minutes. That should yield 7 matches/team in Michigan with a reasonable length schedule. We will know alot more once we hold the 1st weekend of events.
-Eric
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 1/15/2000 11:42 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: Throughput posted by Eric Rasmussen on 1/15/2000 10:57 AM MST:
5 minutes is very aggressive, but I believe it is in everyone’s interest to help them keep to that schedule.
By the way, if the same rate holds in Florida at EPCOT, there will be 12 matches per hour per field. Four teams play each match. With four fields and 10 hours of qualifying matches, that works out to 1920 slots for teams.
I can’t recall the exact number of teams at the Nationals but I think it was about 250. That would mean 7 to 8 matches per team. Not enough but better than the 6 we had last year and even better than the 7 Eric says are planned for the Great Lakes Regional.
By the way, oh how I wish we had signed up for the 25 or so team Long Island Regional – 20 MATCHES !!!
Stick time is all (or nearly all) in this game.
Joe J.
Posted by Eric Rasmussen.
Engineer from FIRST.
Posted on 1/15/2000 12:15 PM MST
In Reply to: Let’s help them do it… posted by Joe Johnson on 1/15/2000 11:42 AM MST:
: By the way, oh how I wish we had signed up for the 25 or so team Long Island Regional – 20 MATCHES !!!
Actually, we are not going to run the full 10 hours at smaller regionals. That would result in too many broken machines and not enough time to fix things. I think we set the cap at 12 or 16 qualifying matches/team (or something like that). I don’t remember right now.
: Stick time is all (or nearly all) in this game.
Stick time?
-Eric
Posted by Michael Martus. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central H.S. and Delphi Automotives Systems.
Posted on 1/15/2000 2:41 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: Let’s help them do it… posted by Eric Rasmussen on 1/15/2000 12:15 PM MST:
Eric,
Stick time is a hockey term.
The more time your stick is on the ice the more you score.
As Red Green says ‘Keep your stick on the ice’.
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 1/15/2000 5:55 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: Let’s help them do it… posted by Michael Martus on 1/15/2000 2:41 PM MST:
Pilots refer to stick time (or at least my one friend who is a pilot does).
It is the time spent flying the plane. I suppose that they must refer to the steering wheel or some other control input as ‘the stick.’ Now that you question the reference, I am not so sure.
Where is Dean when you need him? 
Joe J
Posted by Jerry Eckert.
Engineer from Looking for a team in Raleigh, NC sponsored by .
Posted on 1/15/2000 8:08 PM MST
In Reply to: pilot reference posted by Joe Johnson on 1/15/2000 5:55 PM MST:
: Pilots refer to stick time (or at least my one friend who is a pilot does).
: It is the time spent flying the plane. I suppose that they must refer to the steering wheel or some other control input as ‘the stick.’ Now that you question the reference, I am not so sure.
You’re right on the money, Joe. Remember that in military aircraft, as with most FIRST robots, the steering control is a stick.
Jerry
Posted by Ken Patton. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #65, The Huskie Brigade, from Pontiac Northern High School and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 1/17/2000 10:42 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: pilot reference posted by Jerry Eckert on 1/15/2000 8:08 PM MST:
In sailboat racing we say stick time or tiller time!
Ken
Posted by Andy Baker.
Engineer on team #45, TechnoKats, from Kokomo High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 1/18/2000 8:38 PM MST
In Reply to: a sailing term, no? :)) posted by Ken Patton on 1/17/2000 10:42 AM MST:
: In sailboat racing we say stick time or tiller time!
: Ken
Ken,
Will we be seeing you as the next Dennis Conner??
I can see it now:
…a black, gray, & white camo sail
…Ken barking out orders to two students who are controlling the boat via Innovation FIRST robotic controls. ‘no,no, I said to turn starboard!!’
…Huskie Brigade team giving out awards to other sailing teams, such as ‘friendliest first mate’, ‘tightest knots’ or ‘cleanest deck’.
Now you see what sleepless nights can do to a guy!
Andy B.
Posted by Ken Patton. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #65, The Huskie Brigade, from Pontiac Northern High School and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 1/20/2000 8:01 PM MST
In Reply to: Husky Brigade: America’s Cup? posted by Andy Baker on 1/18/2000 8:38 PM MST:
I’m STILL laughing…
Ken
(NOT hardly the next DC - I couldnt carry his duffel bag)