Robot versus Robot

Special Saturday post.

Today we find out the nature of this year's FIRST robotics "game".  What combination of driving, grabbing, launching, lifting, climbing will be required?

So this will be a long day of studying the reveal video and associated rules set.  And to decide between the various options for the most basic of components, the drive train.

We have existing test beds for a standard six wheel tank steer and for a fancy four wheeled omnidirectional swerve drive.  On Thursday we had drive practice and let the kids mix it up a bit.  Hey, they have to be ready to play defense or to be defended against....

Mission accomplished, they did bend one of the box intake arms.  Of course this is just an opportunity for the future pit crews to fix things, for the prototypers to ponder making the arm stronger, and for the drivers to get better.