View source for 1997

{{Infobox Year
| bodystyle  = width:25em;
| year = 1997
| image  = {{{image|}}} 

| tag = [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/list/1997/1 1997]

| header20 = Game Information

| game_name = Toroid Terror

| number_teams = 155

| number_events = 4

| header70 = {{#if:{{{winners|}}}|Awards}}

| chairman_winner       = [[frc47|47]]
| champions             = [[frc71|71]]
| finalists             = [[frc47|47]]

| prevyear = [[1996]]
| nextyear = [[1998]]

| image2     = {{{altlogo|}}}
| caption2   = {{{altlogocaption|}}}

}}

The 1997 FIRST Robotics Competition season formally began on 
Competition season consisted of three regional events, the [[1997il|1997 Motorola Midwest Regional]] in Chicago, Illinois, [[1997nh|1997 DEKA New England Regional]] in Manchester, New Hampshire, and the [[1997nj|1997 Johnson and Johnson Mid-Atlantic Regional]] in New Brunswick, New Jersey as well as the [[1997cmp|1997 National Championship]] at the EPCOT Center at Disney World. Promotional material often referred to the game as simply "The Competition" or "The Competition 1997," and the first team update asks for game name suggestions.

This year was the first year that teams were required to display their team number on their robot. Team numbers for 1997 were generated by alphabetizing the list of teams by sponsor and school and assigning them in order. More information about pre-1998 team numbers is available [[Old team numbers|here]].

==Documentation==
===Partial game manual and team updates===
<pdf>https://www.frcarchive.com/frcwiki/images/d/d0/97gamemanual_all.pdf</pdf>
<pdf>https://www.frcarchive.com/frcwiki/images/d/d8/97updates_all.pdf</pdf>

==Playing field and scoring==
<gallery perrow=4 heights=250px widths=250px>
File:44944 - 1997 game materials.png|Top-down view of the playing field before the start of a match [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/44944]
File:45134 - 1997 game materials.png|Scoring rules for tubes as clarified in team update one [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/45134]
</gallery>

The playing field is a carpeted hexagon with a 4x4 lumber border wall. The freely rotating goal sits in the middle of the field and includes three levels of scoring pegs and an upper scoring area. The base of the goal is a triangular wooden base measuring 48" on each side that sits on three fixed caster wheels in a track with a wooden protective skirt extending downwards from the base.

The three driver stations are located outside of the playing field at three adjacent corners on one half of the field with Lexan walls shielding drivers from the field, and three human player stations are centered along the walls of the playing field next to the corresponding driver station. The human player stations are five feet wide and extended away from the field for six feet and are split into two areas. The interaction zone is the first three feet of the human player station and is where the human player is expected to interact directly with the robot to load or unload tubes, while the remaining three feet is where the human player is expected to normally sit or stand. Human players could not directly contact robots (except if it occurs for reasons of personal safety).

Each team has nine 25 3/4" inner tubes of their color. Three tubes start outside the field with the human player which can be loaded onto the robot or thrown. Six tubes start one each in the six stacks of tubes distributed around the field. Tubes need the pegs of the scoring tower to pass through the center of the open middle to count as scored. Tubes above the scoring tower are scored if the rotational axes of the goal passes through the open middle of the tube. Each tube scored anywhere on the goal is worth one point. Each tube on top of the goal doubles the current score, as does each vertical row of three tubes. Vertical rows may be completed on different sides of the goal or on a single side by scoring two or three tubes on each peg. The maximum score attainable is achieved by scoring all nine of your matching tubes on top of the goal, for a score of 4608 points (9 points for scoring nine tubes times 2^9 for having nine tubes doubling your score)

<gallery perrow=3 heights=250px widths=300px>
File:3221 - 1995 1995nh frc144 frc157 frc191 match robot.jpg|Teams [[frc157|157]], [[frc191|191]] and [[frc144|144]] setting up their robots for a match at the [[1995nh| New England tournament]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3221]
</gallery>

Although intentionally damaging an opponent's robot by stabbing or cutting it, tipping was still allowed. The rules updates also clarified specific rules for allowing the human player to walk over to a robot that went out of bounds or applied power to an out of bounds surface and was disabled and return it to the playing field during a match. After returning to the human player station, the robot was re-enabled. If a robot pushed against the floor of the interaction zone, the human player could immediately return it to the field, but the control system would remain deactivated for 20 seconds after it was originally disabled. The human player could not interact with tubes during this time, but could interact with the tubes if they chose to not return the robot to the field.

Three robots in the red, white, and blue positions play simultaneously in the seeding rounds and earlier rounds of playoffs, with two on two matches later on. Robots begin on the opposite side of the field from their matching human player station. At the beginning of each match, the goal is spun (typically by the emcee) in a random direction. Each match lasts two minutes. The control system is automatically enabled and disabled when matches begin and end.

Winning a match earns a team three seeding points. Second place receives one point, and coming third earns no seeding points. At the end of seeding rounds, teams are ranked by place totals.

===Game strategy===

Because higher multipliers could be achieved easier by scoring tubes on the top of the goal, many teams focused on being able to score multiple tubes quickly on the top of the goal. Goal "cappers," which were typically detachable, were a common offensive and defensive strategy that allowed a team to score several tubes on top of the goal and prevent additional tubes from being added unless an opposing robot could successfully remove the capper or reach tall enough to score over it, like [[frc111|team 111]] was able to do.

Like in [[1998]], [[human players]] could contribute significantly to a match's outcome. With some practice, human players could toss and score tubes on any of the three levels of the goal, and many matches were determined by human player tubes. In some matches, a single tube thrown by a human player could be the only score for the entire match. Additionally, many teams found it much easier to load tubes into their robot from the human player than picking them up from the field, particularly when the color tube they wanted was buried in one of the stacks. Some human players would toss a tube at one of the stacks to disrupt them and make it easier for a robot to pick up a particular color tube. Some robots would immediately load the human player's three tubes on a goal capper to be placed on the goal.

Pushing the stacks of tubes over towards the human player station allowed the human player to pick up the tubes and more easily load them into a claw or grabber. Opponent's tubes could be held on to to prevent them from using scored, or thrown at other robots or tubes to try to prevent them from scoring.

Because the goal spun freely, one defensive maneuver was to grab the goal or run the robot's base up against one of the sides of the goal's base and then spin it around to make it harder for other robots and human players to score. [[frc148|Team 148]] built a grabbing mechanism and drivetrain that allowed them to grab the goal and spin it at a decent speed, with their robot spinning with the goal. When playoff rounds changed to the one-on-one format, defense involving the robot became a larger focus as teams did not have to worry about the third team scoring unchecked while they defended against the second. In the [[1997cmp|championship]] finals, [[frc71|team 71]] and [[frc47|47]]'s robots spent much of each match sitting in front of the opposing team's human player to prevent them from throwing tubes or loading up their robot.

Some teams built tipping devices that would tip over opponent robots. This maneuver earned the nickname "death from below." The relative prevalence of these devices, in particular [[frc121|team 121]]'s tipper, led to intentional tipping being forbidden by the rules in 1998 and beyond.

<gallery perrow=3 heights=250px widths=300px>
File:44942 - 1997 1997frc81 1997il frc111 practice robot.png|[[frc111|Team 111]] descores [[frc144|144]]'s capper and three tubes in a practice match at [[1997il|Motorola Midwest]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/44942]
File:44611 - 1997 1997frc35 1997frc47 1997il frc148 frc67 match q26 robot video.gif|[[frc148|Team 148]] swings the goal back and forth while both opposing human players throw tubes at their capper [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/44611]
File:44687 - 1997 1997cmp 1997frc14 1997frc32 f2 frc47 frc71 match robot score team video woodie flowers.gif|[[frc47|Team 47]] sits in front of [[frc71|team 71]]'s human player while team 71's robot sits in front of theirs in match two of the finals at [[1997cmp|the national championship]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/44943]
</gallery>

==Robot construction==

Robots were constructed from materials in the [[kit of parts]], $425 worth of parts from the [[Small Parts]] catalog, and a limited quantity of additional hardware from other sources. Fasteners, spade connectors, pipe fittings, shrink wrap, and similar materials could be used in unlimited quantity as long as they were used for their intended purpose. No more than four sprockets and/or pulleys and no more than 10 feet of chain and/or belt could be purchased and used from sources other than Small Parts.

Robots must fit within a 36 inch long by 36 inch wide by 48 inch high area at the start of the match. Part of the inspection process included putting the robot into a large clear sizing box to show that it was under these dimensions. Robots could not weigh more than 120 pounds including the two drill batteries.

Like previous years, robots needed to clearly display their school and sponsor names. Additionally, the team numbers assigned in 1997 had to be displayed on robots. Numbers needed to be at least three inches tall and displayed on at least two opposite sides of the robot.

Machines competing in regional events had to be out of team's hands and shipped by Tuesday February 25th, regardless of which regional they were attending. Machines only competing in the National Championship had to be shipped by February 28th. 

<gallery perrow=3 heights=250px widths=300px>
File:44515 - 1997 1997frc155 1997il frc-49 inspection pit robot sizing cube.png|[[frc-49|Team -49]]'s robot in the sizing box at the [[1997il|1997 Motorola Midwest Regional]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3221]
</gallery>

===Control system===

<gallery perrow=3 heights=250px widths=300px>
File:44428 - 1997 control system kit of parts.png|The robot controller with [[BASIC Stamp]] in the 1997 [[kit of parts]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/44428]
File:3660 - 1997 control system dean kamen kickoff woodie flowers.jpg|[[Dean Kamen]] and [[Woodie Flowers]] with the control system at [[kickoff]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3660]
File:3637 - 1997 1997frc31 build control system frc45 robot.jpg|[[frc45|Team 45]] wiring the 1997 control system, showing an RNet radio plugged into the receiver box, two drill battery holders, two drill motors, and two Tekin speed controllers. [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3441]
</gallery>
As in several previous years, robots were powered by two 12 volt drill batteries. For the first time, the control system included a software-programmable microcontroller and programming software. The robot side of the control system included the receive box which contained a BASIC Stamp microcontroller and hardware to output PWM and relay controls. The kit of parts included software to program the controller in PBASIC. One 2048 byte EEPROM in the receive box contained the default program which would output controller buttons right to PWM outputs like some previous control systems and while the other could be selected and programmed with custom code. 26 bytes of RAM were available to user programs. This increased the potential complexity of mechanisms and automated control and allowed for more complex driver control.

The driver station side of the control system includes the transmit box with ports for two PC joysticks, with CH Products joysticks once again included in the [[kit of parts]]. An array of switches and potentiometers was included in the kit to build a third custom controller. 16 digital switch signals and 8 channels of proportional output can be sent from the joysticks and custom control box. All custom controls are subject to the same parts rules as the components of the robot, although custom controls are not counted in the weight of the robot itself.

The kit of parts included two Hitec servos, four Tekin REBEL reversing speed controllers, two drill motors and mating gearboxes, four Delco seat motors, two Delphi tape drive window motors, two McCord-Winn Textron air pumps, and two Numatics valves. The two drill motors had to be controlled by the Tekin speed controllers and would typically be used in the drivetrain, leaving two controllers free for proportional control of seat or window motors.

The pneumatic accumulator could be charged before a match as long as it was filled by the pumps provided in the kit. The compressor did not need to be mounted to the robot but did still need to be powered from two 12 volt drill batteries.

==Team list<ref name="97tl">[https://web.archive.org/web/20010709070558/http://www.usfirst.org/1997comp/teamlist.html List of Teams in the 1997 FIRST Robotics Competition]</ref>==
{{OldTeamEventListHeader
|lowerCaption = 1997 team numbers are canonical.</br>
More information about pre-1998 team numbers is available [[Old team numbers|here]].
}}
{{1997frc1 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-116 |event=y}}
{{1997frc83 |event=y}}
{{1997frc6 |event=y}}
{{1997frc7 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-67 |event=y}}
{{1997frc128 |event=y}}
{{1997frc11 |event=y}}
{{1997frc12 |event=y}}
{{1997frc14 |event=y}}
{{1997frc16 |event=y}}
{{1997frc15 |event=y}}
{{1997frc13 |event=y}}
{{1997frc71 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-117 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-54 |event=y}}
{{1997frc23 |event=y}}
{{1997frc24 |event=y}}
{{1997frc25 |event=y}}
{{1997frc26 |event=y}}
{{1997frc27 |event=y}}
{{1997frc31 |event=y}}
{{1997frc33 |event=y}}
{{1997frc34 |event=y}}
{{1997frc36 |event=y}}
{{1997frc41 |event=y}}
{{1997frc42 |event=y}}
{{1997frc43 |event=y}}
{{1997frc18 |event=y}}
{{1997frc44 |event=y}}
{{1997frc45 |event=y}}
{{1997frc47 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-80 |event=y}}
{{1997frc85 |event=y}}
{{1997frc148 |event=y}}
{{1997frc52 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-96 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-71 |event=y}}
{{1997frc55 |event=y}}
{{1997frc76 |event=y}}
{{1997frc56 |event=y}}
{{1997frc59 |event=y}}
{{1997frc60 |event=y}}
{{1997frc61 |event=y}}
{{1997frc62 |event=y}}
{{1997frc65 |event=y}}
{{1997frc67 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-48 |event=y}}
{{1997frc63 |event=y}}
{{1997frc137 |event=y}}
{{1997frc175 |event=y}}
{{1997frc176 |event=y}}
{{1997frc73 |event=y}}
{{1997frc74 |event=y}}
{{1997frc92 |event=y}}
{{1997frc80 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-110 |event=y}}
{{1997frc81 |event=y}}
{{1997frc177 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-45 |event=y}}
{{1997frc82 |event=y}}
{{1997frc87 |event=y}}
{{1997frc88 |event=y}}
{{1997frc90 |event=y}}
{{1997frc91 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-65 |event=y}}
{{1997frc96 |event=y}}
{{1997frc98 |event=y}}
{{1997frc99 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-22 |event=y}}
{{1997frc101 |event=y}}
{{1997frc103 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-97 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-83 |event=y}}
{{1997frc105 |event=y}}
{{1997frc97 |event=y}}
{{1997frc106 |event=y}}
{{1997frc107 |event=y}}
{{1997frc108 |event=y}}
{{1997frc110 |event=y}}
{{1997frc111 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-87 |event=y}}
{{1997frc192 |event=y}}
{{1997frc114 |event=y}}
{{1997frc8 |event=y}}
{{1997frc100 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-93 |event=y}}
{{1997frc116 |event=y}}
{{1997frc118 |event=y}}
{{1997frc119 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-119 |event=y}}
{{1997frc120 |event=y}}
{{1997frc58 |event=y}}
{{1997frc121 |event=y}}
{{1997frc134 |event=y}}
{{1997frc123 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-58 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-75 |event=y}}
{{1997frc133 |event=y}}
{{1997frc124 |event=y}}
{{1997frc69 |event=y}}
{{1997frc20 |event=y}}
{{1997frc126 |event=y}}
{{1997frc93 |event=y}}
{{1997frc75 |event=y}}
{{1997frc129 |event=y}}
{{1997frc130 |event=y}}
{{1997frc131 |event=y}}
{{1997frc178 |event=y}}
{{1997frc138 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-73 |event=y}}
{{1997frc28 |event=y}}
{{1997frc179 |event=y}}
{{1997frc140 |event=y}}
{{1997frc141 |event=y}}
{{1997frc142 |event=y}}
{{1997frc35 |event=y}}
{{1997frc143 |event=y}}
{{1997frc144 |event=y}}
{{1997frc145 |event=y}}
{{1997frc146 |event=y}}
{{1997frc147 |event=y}}
{{1997frc22 |event=y}}
{{1997frc136 |event=y}}
{{1997frc153 |event=y}}
{{1997frc150 |event=y}}
{{1997frc86 |event=y}}
{{1997frc151 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-62 |event=y}}
{{1997frc3 |event=y}}
{{1997frc152 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-115 |event=y}}
{{1997frc155 |event=y}}
{{1997frc157 |event=y}}
{{1997frc158 |event=y}}
{{1997frc160 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-29 |event=y}}
{{1997frc161 |event=y}}
{{1997frc162 |event=y}}
{{1997frc173 |event=y}}
{{1997frc166 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-30 |event=y}}
{{1997frc37 |event=y}}
{{1997frc72 |event=y}}
{{1997frc89 |event=y}}
{{1997frc171 |event=y}}
{{1997frc172 |event=y}}
{{1997frc95 |event=y}}
{{1997frc183 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-64 |event=y}}
{{1997frc200 |event=y}}
{{1997frc187 |event=y}}
{{1997frc190 |event=y}}
{{1997frc191 |event=y}}
{{1997frc-49 |event=y}}
{{TeamListFooter}}
*[[frc88|Team 88]] does not appear in the [https://www.frcarchive.com/frcwiki/index.php/File:97_eventprog_natls.PDF 1997 championship event program] and is not shown as attending the championship on the [https://web.archive.org/web/20010709070558/http://www.usfirst.org/1997comp/teamlist.html 1997 team list], but they did compete at the National Championship and they appear on the seeding list.
*Although it appears that [[frc110|team 110]] was registered for the [[1997cmp|1997 championship]], the seeding list implies they did not compete, and no record of them competing at a regional event exists.

==Official events==

==Unofficial events==

==Notes==
<references />