Robo-Cross B

[jander14indoor]

1:48 and a perfect score is a VERY respectable time. Yes there are a few teams getting under a minute, but VERY few. In MI, with its 8 or so perfect scores that would have medaled.

to ThatRoboGuy
First, as usual, the following is NOT official.
Why does that bother you?
Here's what the official FAQ says

2014-01-06 03:21 If a commercial kit is used what would qualify as a funtional modification?

As per rule 2.c, commercial kits may be used, but must have at least one functional modification. A functional modification is already defined within the rule as the lack of a modification causing the robot to either not work or working differently. This means either a robot pulled out of a box or a kit built that exclusively follows a manufacturer's directions would not be legal for competition. A team is, however, allowed to start with the raw kit/device, run tests on the device, and make modifications prior to competition. Competitors are, in fact, expected to do so prior to the competition as there is no complete device designed for Science Olympiad Robo-Cross that is commercially available.

Using the criteria in the FAQ. Can you buy a kit with ALL the pieces you saw and instructions to put it together that way? If you remove anything, can the device function the same way? I'd say not as the RC car by itself cannot pick up objects. The arm by itself cannot leave the starting square so would never score any points as it isn't long enough to reach zone B. Sounds like it meets the requirement to me.

I'll say that 2nd place in Michigan was taken by a VERY similar approach. They didn't use duct tape, but the base was a tracked RC vehicle of some sort and that exact arm was attached on top. They'd souped up the arm some so it was faster and had some special attachments the claw could use to do the job better. Not even a question was raised on its legality. PS, while I am a Robocross ES, I don't run events in Michigan currently as I'm the State Director. So I didn't rule on the device myself.

Actually I was quite impressed and pleased. With a little thinking on the attachments, a lot of test and practice, this team had a robot costing less than $100 that took second in a very competitive state. Sure pokes holes in the cost argument for this event.

Regards,
Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[1nxtmonster]

Ohio State Competition
We took third with a score of about 1:46. Our best time in practice was 1:15, but we had some flub-ups.

Wow, I hope PA isn't that competitive.

PA was not this competitive as me and my partner had a perfect score at 1:48 and we had first. Looking at all these ridiculous times on the forum, after we finished me and my partner were not even sure if we would get a medal.

Ahh.. So you guys got first. I got third at PA with 2:30. I wonder what second got?

[fudgecake6]

I guess that every robocross boils down to a kit of some kind, whether it be in the form of the electronics or the frame. I just wish teams who slapped together two preexisting kits would have to put more time into it.

Just out of curiosity, what design did you guys use? We used a claw.

[ThatRoboGuy]

I guess that every robocross boils down to a kit of some kind, whether it be in the form of the electronics or the frame. I just wish teams who slapped together two preexisting kits would have to put more time into it.

If someone said that to me after seeing my Robot, I would laugh
Now, I suppose you have to take my word for it (as I am not going to show any pictures) that our robot is completely made from scratch. Now of course, we didn't exactly build motors from some plastic and gears, but we did have to change around the gears in motors that we bought (not from a kit, just...bought). We found an old chassis in our workshop that we have no idea where its from. If you just look at our robo, you can tell it isn't from a kit (the jumbled wires and stray battery packs for the most part).

[Toms_42]

I would guess a "kit" to be defined more as a box of pre-cut parts with an instructions manual o build a specific item.

designing a robot from scratch, but building with vex, tetrix, mindstorms, etc pieces wouldn't really be much of a "kit." That is just using parts designed for compatibility. We used old vex parts mixed with the "Classroom Bundle" that our HS bought to compete in the vex competition but didn't use.

Our other robot, build from wood, hot glue, plastic egg shells, random motors/servos, and an RC plane controller, is on the other end of the spectrum, although it performs nowhere near as well. I am the programmer type, so when we got a cortex to use I was ecstatic, now it has 300 lines of code and a pretty awesome drive control loop. (we use Omni wheels on unsynced motors, so it had to be fairly complex to be maneuverable at all at low speeds.)

[1nxtmonster]

I guess that every robocross boils down to a kit of some kind, whether it be in the form of the electronics or the frame. I just wish teams who slapped together two preexisting kits would have to put more time into it.

Just out of curiosity, what design did you guys use? We used a claw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aKaBj9 ... EXwwyfkYUQ

[1nxtmonster]

I guess that every robocross boils down to a kit of some kind, whether it be in the form of the electronics or the frame. I just wish teams who slapped together two preexisting kits would have to put more time into it.

If someone said that to me after seeing my Robot, I would laugh
Now, I suppose you have to take my word for it (as I am not going to show any pictures) that our robot is completely made from scratch. Now of course, we didn't exactly build motors from some plastic and gears, but we did have to change around the gears in motors that we bought (not from a kit, just...bought). We found an old chassis in our workshop that we have no idea where its from. If you just look at our robo, you can tell it isn't from a kit (the jumbled wires and stray battery packs for the most part).

By kit of some kind I mean pre made parts. Mine is in no way a kit either. Bought and soldered a raspberry pi, soldered a motor control board on, programmed the thing, bought some servos and modified them to fit into some sort of frame (in my case legos). The batteries are a hacked lipo from one of this phone chargers for the motors and another 4x AA pack for the control board. A lot of time went into making it. You can see what I mean if you look at a video of it: http://youtu.be/4aKaBj91nr0

But still not too bad, seeing as how it placed 3rd at states (yay!). What did yours get>

[Toms_42]

I guess that every robocross boils down to a kit of some kind, whether it be in the form of the electronics or the frame. I just wish teams who slapped together two preexisting kits would have to put more time into it.

If someone said that to me after seeing my Robot, I would laugh
Now, I suppose you have to take my word for it (as I am not going to show any pictures) that our robot is completely made from scratch. Now of course, we didn't exactly build motors from some plastic and gears, but we did have to change around the gears in motors that we bought (not from a kit, just...bought). We found an old chassis in our workshop that we have no idea where its from. If you just look at our robo, you can tell it isn't from a kit (the jumbled wires and stray battery packs for the most part).

By kit of some kind I mean pre made parts. Mine is in no way a kit either. Bought and soldered a raspberry pi, soldered a motor control board on, programmed the thing, bought some servos and modified them to fit into some sort of frame (in my case legos). The batteries are a hacked lipo from one of this phone chargers for the motors and another 4x AA pack for the control board. A lot of time went into making it. You can see what I mean if you look at a video of it: http://youtu.be/4aKaBj91nr0

But still not too bad, seeing as how it placed 3rd at states (yay!). What did yours get>

Oh, I remember you! I think we talked briefly, and you explained your forklift and raspberry pi. Our run was awful, our belt that we used to pick things up got jammed, so moving objects became a big challenge, and we ended up spending much more time trying to maneuver the jug, as we had only practiced using sticky tape on normal milk jugs, not the ridged plastic ones you see in the video. Somehow we still got 12th.

[jander14indoor]

<SNIP>You can see what I mean if you look at a video of it: http://youtu.be/4aKaBj91nr0 <SNIP>

Nice design. That claw looked pretty effective and the forklift approach was very solid for control.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[1nxtmonster]

Oh, I remember you! I think we talked briefly, and you explained your forklift and raspberry pi. Our run was awful, our belt that we used to pick things up got jammed, so moving objects became a big challenge, and we ended up spending much more time trying to maneuver the jug, as we had only practiced using sticky tape on normal milk jugs, not the ridged plastic ones you see in the video. Somehow we still got 12th.

Yeah, I remember talking to you as well. Too bad that a battery got jammed in your belt, your bot sounded like it had a lot of potential.

<SNIP>You can see what I mean if you look at a video of it: http://youtu.be/4aKaBj91nr0 <SNIP>

Nice design. That claw looked pretty effective and the forklift approach was very solid for control.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

Thanks! The forklift and claw were very effective to use.