Last April at Cobo Center, FIRST Inspires announced collaboration with Disney and LucasFilm for its next season of robot competitions. Original Star Wars lead Mark Hammil made the pitch. [1-5]
Yesterday, things got real.
On cue, a video animation was simulcast around the world to overview “Infinite Recharge,” the First Robotics Competition (FRC) game for 2020. Readers who’ve followed Saline Journal in recent years are already familiar with backgrounders on FRC, our home team “Saline Singularity,” and the perils of making assumptions about the year to come based on last. [6-11]
As previously established, each match consists of two opposing “Alliances.” Each Alliance consists of three randomly assigned teams, “Red” on one side, “Blue” on the other. A team will likely be grouped with a variety of different other teams to form the Alliance in which it will compete, from one match to another. One time competitors may later be cast as collaborators. [12]
Matches unfold in two parts. First, robots operate autonomously for fifteen seconds during which they are tasked with scoring points by putting balls into recepticals. Higher point values are associated with more challenging targets. [13]
In addition to projecting spheres, more elaborate scoring options become available throughout the subsequent two minutes, fifteen seconds during which operators remotely control their robot actions. Accumulation of points past a threshold number unlocks more advanced levels — and the opportunity to run up their boards at a faster clip by performing very different operational functions. [14]
These include spinning an indexed wheel either specified revolutions or to stop on an indicated color segment. Their final area for scoring is also one where the greatest number of points can be added in any given move: This is where the robot must attach to an overhead beam and lift itself off the ground; even better if it can do so in collaboration with a fellow team member robot, in balance.
Although FIRST in Michigan District Events involving our area are more than two months away, high school teams are already making pivotal decisions that will define what their robots will be able to do (or attempt to do). [15,16]
- Robots will be allowed to hold up to eight balls, up from just one last year
Advantage of this capability include efficiencies in both transport and sequential launch into target recepticals. Obvious downsides would be in the onboard robot space needed for dedication to this and cargo management during acquisition and discharge operations.
- Should “Control Panel” rotation operations be attempted?
At more than three times the scoring potential of the maximum points available for any single successful ball delivery, this opportunity is only available after a set number of points have been scored. Moreover, it requires a capability very different and distinct from that of launching spheres: Robots must particularly, physically interface with their Control Panel.
Feedback must also be acquired, processed, and appropriately acted upon for available points to be registered.
- Each team must define its own approach to Alliance
Should a robot design objective be that of being capable of performing all point-scoring opportunities well, or very well? Or rather just one or two with reliably exceptional delivery — depending upon other teams in its Alliance for other aspects?
Exciting as FIRST in Michigan Events always are, on through the incredible spectacle of international Championship rounds now in their third year on our own home field of the TCF Center in Detroit, in some of the most important ways, this game is already on. [17,18]
References
- “FIRST Robotics Competition World Championship gets real at Cobo Center in Detroit as 2019 season showcases winners” Dell Deaton (April 26, 2019) Saline Journal.
- FIRST Inspires (home page).
- “FIRST RISE 2020 powered by Star Wars: Force for Change” Official FIRST (April 20, 2019) YouTube.
- Star Wars (home page).
- “Mark Hamill” IMDb.
- “2020 FIRST Robotics Competition Infinite Recharge Game Animation” FIRST Robotics Competition (January 4, 2020) YouTube.
- “What’s Missing from This Image of the 2018 FIRST Robotics Championship in Detroit?” Dell Deaton (May 3, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “FIRST Robotics Competition 2019 season officially kicks off Saturday; here’s the background you need to follow it” Dell Deaton (January 3, 2019) Saline Journal.
- Saline Singularity Team 5066 (home page).
- Saline Singularity (Twitter feed).
- “Saline Singularity FIRST Robotics Team week 1 progress report: Here’s what happened after the 2019 game was announced” Dell Deaton (January 9, 2019) Saline Journal.
- “2019 FIRST Robotics Competition Destination: Deep Space Game Animation” FIRST Robotics Competition (June 5, 2019) YouTube.
- “Autonomous Robots” Tom Harris (April 16, 2002) How Stuff Works.
- “Remote Control Robots” Society of Robots.
- “FIRST in Michigan District Event – Belleville” (March 12, 2020) Saline Journal.
- “FIRST in Michigan District Event – Lincoln” (March 19, 2020) Saline Journal.
- “FIRST Championship” (April 29, 2020) Saline Journal.
- TCF Center (home page).
