Trackball inflation at regionals?

FIRST General Forum
1

It seems to me that the Trackballs at the San Diego Regional are inflated much more than what we had expected.

At home, we inflated our KOP Trackball until the diameter reached 40" (circumference = 126"). There was slight wrinkling at the seams and the ball was rather bouncy. The seams looked like what is shown in photo 10b (“just right”) in Game Manual Section 10.2.8

During the practice SDR matches, the Trackballs were definitely more inflated with no wrinkles (like photo 10c) and much more lively. I haven’t yet measured the circumference, so I cannot state how much bigger the ball is, though. The driver for Team 16 told me that the Trackballs at the MWR were approximately 42" in diameter and the seams were really stretched taut.

FIRST Q&A states that the balls may vary in pressure, but says that they are to be inflated to size. Of course, the GDC position is that variation in the ball characteristics is part of the “game challenge”. I’m just wondering how much the variation is skewed towards the “more inflated” direction.

Are the Trackballs “super-inflated” at the other regionals?

2

In every photo I’ve seen from other regionals they look the same way, overinflated.

3

The covers do not get that nice wrinkly appearance until they’ve been inflated for a day or two and cover is given time to stretch out.

Because I assume they are inflating the trackballs Wednesday night / Thursday morning, it will be hard to tell without directly measuring them.

Have any of the teams actually measured the trackballs?

4

The trackballs at NJ were definitely inflated more than our practice ball, with no wrinkling.

5

Well, at least a slightly overinflated trackball shouldn’t cause too many issues, Not like the poof balls from 2006 with 20-40% of the ball missing.

6

And the other Team 16 operator said, “Wow, did you see how high that one went?” Our practice trackballs were so beat up it was like launching laundry. Did you see them have to slam the ball through the accumulator at MWR? It certainly made our pick-up less efficient. But they managed to do well anyway - I just hope Clayton doesn’t try THAT in the Durango! Does your car insurance go up if your kid is a FIRST driver?

Hope you guys do great at San Diego!!!

7

The balls were quite overinflated at San Diego. They were all very tight in their covers. They bounced A LOT. We measured one at 43" diameter. It would not be hard for FIRST to make an apparatus comprised of two sticks a set distance apart (or a single stick a set distance off the floor) to ensure the trackballs are inflated to proper dimension. When the robot is only 28" wide, and the ball is 40" diameter, it makes a BIG difference when the ball is 43". This much of a difference I don’t think should be considered part of the game challenge, especially since it would not be hard at all to properly inflate them to a standard dimension.

Many of us design our robots to the (inflation) specifications provided to us. For FIRST to not follow their own specifications is disappointing.

8

They all look over inflated.