Author Topic: First Robotics (Read 4067 times)

SKBT · « **on:** January 16, 2011, 06:31:09 PM »

Anyone involved in FIRST Robotics? I'm in FRC with a team that was at the Nationals last year.

FIRST is a "task oriented" robotics competition. ie your robot has to do something like play soccer, climb stuff or lift and move stuff. This years challenge is called LogoMotion. The challenge is the robot has to carry innertubes across the arena and hang them at various heights ranging from ~3-10 feet off the ground.

If anyone gets the chance join a FIRST team. It's not battlebots but it is a lot of fun.

Sparkey98 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2011, 06:36:44 PM »

I used to be in First lego league, but I dropped out because the "coaches" decided that only the 8th graders knew about robotics and made sure the 6th graders couldn't control anything. I argued with my team for an hours strait on how our bot should be tank steering over car steering, just for the "coaches" to come in and tell me I knew nothing about robotics, and that they "had more experience." I dropped out before the tournys started but from what I heard they made our bot so tall and unsteerable that it got caught on a bridge and flipped over

But I digress, looking back at it I probably should have stayed in it despite the teachers (I didn't compete in the the boxbots circuit for three years for nothing......)

Resetti's Replicas · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2011, 07:17:19 PM »

I was for awhile, but I wasn't too happy with the lack of freedoms allowed to a task-based robot; we were basically just assembling a kit, which I was doing enough of at home in my spare time.

FIRST's founder is not just anti-violence, but anti-competition as well. If he had his way, the robots would all work together, and achieve one big combined score, rather than having winners and losers. He called it a "Co-ompetition", ugh I need to wash out my mouth after saying that word.

I respect FIRST, I just disagree with some of their philosophies.

Sparkey98 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2011, 07:20:01 PM »

Co-ompetition? That absolutely makes no sense what so ever. That goes against the complete definitions of the words.

Somebody · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2011, 07:56:23 PM »

My school doesn't have a team but if it did I would be on it.

kill343gs · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2011, 08:44:22 PM »

My school doesn't have a team but if it did I would be the captain.

Pwnator · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2011, 01:39:36 AM »

FRC '09. Member of the national team (Team 3105), team won Highest Seeded Rookie award and Best Rookie award.

russian roulette · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2011, 05:38:38 PM »

I was the captain of my high school team, we won our heat-thingy, I can't really remember how far we went or how the competition even worked 4 years ago but I remember that we had to remove debris from a field. Our design consisted of a complete control clamp design, I actually got to meet Derek Young who was there and complemented our design saying that he wished he did the same thing HAHA. It was fun but now I got alot on my plate before I get back into robotics.

MikeNCR · « **Reply #8 on:** January 22, 2011, 01:52:38 PM »

I was head of design & manufacturing for Team 675 for three years in HS. Haven't been involved much since then as college and combat bots has kept me quite busy.

Sage · « **Reply #9 on:** January 22, 2011, 04:19:08 PM »

Just got a team this year. I know nothing of real robotics but it seems i can apply my ra2 mindset and still be an effective member of the team.

Conraaa · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2011, 04:57:12 PM »

Add more razors and shrink the chassis?

SKBT · « **Reply #11 on:** January 22, 2011, 05:14:44 PM »

Quote from: Conraaa on January 22, 2011, 04:57:12 PM

Add more razors and shrink the chassis?

Nah snapper loading is the way to go. :P

Somebody · « **Reply #12 on:** January 23, 2011, 09:08:07 PM »

Don't forget to stack those batteries. But if we are going to do the realistic rule, don't forget them flails.

Sage · « **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2011, 09:35:16 PM »

More like problem solving, effective extender use (well not really extenders but just the setup itself) and other such things.

Also:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MahtomediZBots#p/a/u/1/cYCke_ysnTU

SKBT · « **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2011, 10:21:46 PM »

I was wondering what team you were on. I'm on the Metal Moose.

As a side note please tell me your team is powering all 6 wheels and not just using the outside four as casters.

Do you have a good minbot design? My team is out of ideas.

Sage · « **Reply #15 on:** February 17, 2011, 10:56:05 PM »

Quote from: SKBT on February 17, 2011, 10:21:46 PM

I was wondering what team you were on. I'm on the Metal Moose.

As a side note please tell me your team is powering all 6 wheels and not just using the outside four as casters.

Do you have a good minbot design? My team is out of ideas.

Nope, outside 4 are castors. The middle wheel is slightly below the level of the other two, meaning the robot will always be on four wheels out of six. This added stability counteracts the high center of gravity from our robotic arm.

As for the mini-bot, our design works pretty well. It has two motors on a V shape, one on each end, with big wheels facing inwards. When the pole is pushed between the two wheels, it pushes our locking mechanism (made of surgical tubing and held in place by hollow metal cylinders) and snaps the V shape shut around the pole. The two wheels carry it up the pole.

Sparkey98 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2011, 11:05:38 PM »

So to sum it all up it's a real life Symbiote?

SKBT · « **Reply #17 on:** April 08, 2011, 09:49:03 PM »

My team is currently ranked 13th going into day two if he Philly Regional Tomorrow after catching on fire once, having screwy code all day, and wining a 2 on 3 match.

To put it simple playing defense, having a good driver (me) and a killer mini bot can win matches.

Edit: man this post is incoherent and I can't think about how to fix it. :P

SKBT · « **Reply #18 on:** April 09, 2011, 09:53:10 PM »

My team finished 6th in the qualification rounds and went on to get 2nd place in the FIRST Philly regional in the elimination rounds.

Scrap Daddy · « **Reply #19 on:** April 09, 2011, 10:53:18 PM »

where are you from shish? pa?