A two storied pit area would be cool and interesting but come on it has unsafe written all over it especially if there are intentions for using the second story. 
I’m kind of liking this idea. Certainly not nearly as extravagant as my original idea, but you could have the floor be all hinged panels and the bottom area compartmentalized and you could keep all your stuff below the floor with easy access. It would provide good storage and easy accessibility.
i couldent resist…
heres my version 1
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l294/fimmel2006/pitlq.jpg
complete with track lighting
I hate to burst everyone’s bubble
and before someone tells me that the rules can change i will put money on this one NOT changing
Wouldn’t it be better to focus all this attention and energy on making something useful or better for your robot? :rolleyes:
That rule (the bolded part) States that you aren’t allowed to have storage above people’s heads. That is because if something heavy falls, it will hurt the person below it. The rule doesn’t state that you can’t support your workspace above a storage area, only that you can’t put heavy things above your workspace.
However, the aforementioned rule also states that the structure cannot hold people. So that removes most, if not all, possibilities of creating a second tier/story. But if the second level was to be for storage purposes, then as Cody C says, it would not be allowed to be higher than the work area/above people’s heads.
Doesn’t it specifically state the structure cannot support PEOPLE above the WORK AREA. Now if you have supplies under you that technically isn’t the work area.
With that rule being read as you are applying to the shorter split level design, it states that no structure can hold storage or people above the work area, if we take that to mean floor then tables would be against the rules. I am pretty sure that the rule is helping to enforce the no dual level pits not isnt going to create a problem with the last 2 pit designs displayed. but when all else fails come january you can always ask in the Q&A rules section.
A sub-floor, Interesting idea. This would be a nice compromise, other than giving teams an extra 5 feet. The problem is the fact that not all teams engineer things to the same quality. FIRST is just trying to cover themselves from legalities. Sadly, most regionals already take on 1-2 lawsuits per regional, which is a sad statistic for gracious professionalism.
Originally Posted by FIRST Rulebook Section 7
7.7.4 NEW: Team Stations
These designated spaces help organize team placement and help team members, judges, and visitors find
teams easily. Please keep your numbers visible and aligned. They are set up to be as equal as possible.
Each team’s pit station will have a table and power outlet.
For safety and because of insurance regulations, teams cannot build any structure that supports people or
items for storage above the work area in their pit space. No structures should be higher than 10 feet above
the floor and must safely support any signs or displays mounted to the structure. FIRST will require the
removal of any pit structure that is deemed unsafe by event management personnel and local committee
members.
As mentioned by numerous people before me, FIRST does not allow anything go be stored above the work area. FIRST handily did not define the work area, so we can safely assume the work area can be on any plane (i.e. a table and the floor) as long as nothing is above it other than the parts and tools required to do whatever work is needed.
Some of us are familiar with the construction of the Battlebox and other robotic combat arenas. Surely we can figure out some sort of module configuration similar to what you see below.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/ronald_raygun/318b3982.jpg
Each module is 1.5’ tall and 2’ x 2’. The ones with the translucent flaps on the side(s) are modules meant for the edges/corners. The translucent flaps are the doors for the sides of the modules. The modules that have open sides go in the back and interior. The hole in the top of the module is 2" in diameter and meant for anyone to stick a finger in and remove the entire flap. I decided not to use hinges primarily because the doors could get in the way and they may end up interfering with other modules. The removable floor/door thing would make repairing the module a little bit easier.
Here is what it would probably look like when all assembled together.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/ronald_raygun/99e6d140.jpg
If I really wanted to be fancy, it’s possible to put walls between the modules so you can set up one 2x2 module section for raw materials, and another 1x2 module section walled off for tools, and a 1x1 module section for buttons, and scouting forms. The possibilities are endless. The walls on the sides are for whatever banners would be put up there. I was thinking of making the entire floor transparent or maybe a little translucent and turning the pit into a disco floor. But that’s just me and my crazy imagination.
EDIT: Look up any manufacturers of portable stages, it’s basically the concept I want to pursue with this pit. It also helps those teams who’s manufacturing capabilities are not top quality.
Any thoughts?
That’s interesting; I’ve never heard anything about litigation involving FIRST regionals before. Can you elaborate?
What’s the source of that statistic?
The module design would allow rearrangment of the entire pit and also stacking for more storage. Assuming that the supports are at least a couple inches wide, however, boxes that are more than two feet wide in any direction wouldn’t fit. Maybe there could be 4x2 modules, the size of two small ones stuck together. With horizontal supports for the top, it could still hold a lot of weight on top.
The module system would also be great if you’re going to more than one competition with very different pit sizes.
Out of sheer curiosity, by how much do the pit sizes at the regionals vary?
The standard I believe is 10’x10’. However, there are reports (a.k.a. complaints) that pit sizes reach as low as 8’x8’. Furthermore, there are even reports that pits aren’t even perfectly square.
Can someone confirm this?
OK, before this whole thing gets out of hand, let’s put this one to rest. This statistic is a complete fabrication, without any basis in reality. NASA has sponsored 42 regional FRC competitions over the last nine years. I have direct knowledge of the financial, organizational and legal status of each of these events, and significant insight into many of the other non-NASA sponsored regionals. Across this entire history, there has only been one incident involving the potential for litigation (which was due to a serious injury). The idea that “most regionals already take on 1-2 lawsuits” is, to be blunt, completely ludicrous.
-dave
Dave, does this account for ALL lawsuits against FIRST Regionals? Or only the major ones? Given the trigger-happy lawyers here in America, coupled with the presumably deep pockets of FIRST, we can all expect some frivolous lawsuits. Which might be where the 1-2 lawsuits per regional figure comes from.
Maybe. Or maybe the figure is pure horse hooey.
No source has been offered. Dave says the figure is wrong, and Dave is in a position to know.
OK, let’s try this again: **The 1-2 lawsuits - of any size, any type - per regional statistic is a complete fabrication, without any basis in reality. **Period. End of discussion. Let’s move on.
-dave
Oooh SketchUp! I didn’t think anyone else actually used it!
Ronald Raygun, Does your team use SketchUp during the build season at all?