1996
Archive tag | 1996 |
---|---|
Game Information | |
Game name | Hexagon Havoc |
Number of teams | 93 |
Number of official events | 2 |
Chairman's Award winner | 144 |
Winner | 73 |
Finalist | -114 |
← 1995 1997 → |
The 1996 FIRST Robotics Competition season formally began on February 10, 1996 at the kickoff event in Nashua, New Hampshire. Attendees were introduced to Hexagon Havoc, the kit of parts materials, some of the rules, and the playing field. Competition season consisted of the 1996 New England Tournament in Nashua, New Hampshire and the National Championship at the EPCOT Center at Disney World. Teams did not need to qualify for the Championship and could participate in the New Hampshire Tournament, Nationals, or both.
During the 1996 season, FIRST dropped the "U.S." in the U.S. FIRST name that they had operated under since being founded in 1989.
The Woodie Flowers Award was introduced in 1996 and was first awarded to Woodie Flowers himself. 1996 also saw the introduction of the modern black and clear acrylic trophies with FIRST logo on top and round medals for the event winners, while other awards were an acrylic plate in a wooden frame.
Documentation[edit | edit source | hide | hide all]
Partial game manual[edit | edit source | hide]
Playing field and scoring[edit | edit source | hide]
The playing field and starting positions in one-on-one-on-one rounds [1]
Side view of the goal [2]
Top-down view of the goal [3]
Rear view of the human player station [4]
The field is a carpeted hexagon with 16 foot long sides rimmed with 4 by 4 lumber. As in 1995, a plastic-covered cable fence surrounded the field.
The central goal is hexagonal with 25-3/4 inch long sides with an upper and lower section surrounded by wooden posts. A triangular frame forms three overhanging triangles where three of the large balls begin the match. A 24 inch wide circular hole in the top surface of the goal allows access to the lower area of the goal, as does the exposed portion of the lower goal itself. The goal is constructed from 2 by 4 lumber, 3/4 inch plywood, and 1-1/2 inch dowels. Other than the downwards force from the weight of the goal, the goal was not affixed to the carpet and could be pushed around the field or even tipped over by a strong enough machine.
The human player area consisted of a 3 foot 7 inch wide by 3 foot long 3/4 inch thick plywood ramp angled away from the playing field where it meets the base plate. The base plate is another 3 foot 7 inch wide by 3 foot deep piece of 3/4 inch plywood sitting flat on the carpet. The boarder lumber and fence extend along the sides of the ramp and base plates. Two vertical 2 inch diameter PVC pipes extend upwards from the bottom corners of the ramp with an 8 foot long horizontal pipe located so that the top of the pipe sits 60-3/4 inches off the carpet across them.
Team 141 ready for a match in the red position at the National championship [5]
Three robots in the red, yellow, and blue positions play simultaneously in the seeding rounds and earlier rounds of playoffs, with two on two matches later on. Each team has two large and twelve small matching color balls. One of each color of large ball starts scored on the triangular corners of the goal directly in front of the robot in its colored position. The second large ball of each color begins the match 1/3rd of a clockwise rotation around the hexagon away from the robot in that position. A large ball that ends the match on or above the triangles is worth five points, while a large ball inside or above the main portion of the goal is worth ten points. Eight small balls start in a somewhat diamond-like configuration on the field 1/6th of a counterclockwise rotation from the robot in their colored position and four more start at the bottom of their matching ramp. Small balls scored inside or above the goal are worth three points. The scoring area is defined as the extension of the hexagonal profile of the goal (or the triangles, for scoring large balls on the triangles). The maximum possible score is 56 points.
1996 also marked the introduction of the human player. Human players were seatbelted down in the base plate and could remove balls from the field from under the horizontal PVC bar between the base plate and ramp or around the upright supports but could only get them back into play on the field by throwing them up and over the horizontal bar. Human players could not make contact with robots.
Each match lasts two minutes. The control system is automatically enabled and disabled when matches begin and end. At the end of the match, referees score the balls in the goal. In seeding matches, winners receive three seeding points, runners-up receive one seeding point, and losers receive no seeding points. At the end of seeding rounds, teams are ranked and play in a double-elimination tournament until eight teams remain, at which point a one-on-one best-two-out-of-three series begins with quarterfinals.
Game strategy[edit | edit source | hide]
Most simply, matches involved collecting balls and scoring them as quickly as possible. Because of the positioning of the balls at the beginning of a match, some teams would scatter an opponent's cluster of small balls on the way to pick up their own. Generally, small balls were scored by aligning a portion of the robot with the wooden support structure of the upper goal and ejecting balls over the lower fence structure. Some robots collected the small balls into a box which could be pushed into the bottom of the goal and take up space, potentially blocking other teams from scoring. Covering or blocking the top of the goal with netting was also somewhat effective, assuming your robot could get into position and block before another robot began to score (and ideally be able to also score your own balls at some point as well). Because balls are considered scored when their geometric center is inside or above the goal, blockers were more ineffective against robots which could lift the large balls particularly high above the goal. The goal filling up with small and large balls (and lower goal blockers) was very possible and being able to hold on to a ball high above the goal was advantageous in general, especially because the first match tiebreaker was decided by the large ball in the highest position.
Because of the way that the scoring area was defined, and the overall construction of the goal, a completely legal strategy was to tip over the goal and score balls in the now closer-to-horizontal scoring area. Teams like team 42 used a small flipper to tip the goal over and either sit the robot in front of the opening or aim it towards the human player station which could be loaded up with balls inside the scoring area.
With a well-controlled machine, knocking the opponent five-point balls off their starting position was fairly easy, especially with another large ball already in the machine's grabber to make it easier to hit them off. Against machines that could not manipulate the large balls this was very effective, but against machines that could score large balls in the middle of the goal this potentially saves them some of the trouble of trying to pick up (or knock off and then pick up) the five point ball from the corner to score it for ten points instead.
Team 73 pins 141 in quarterfinals four match two of the National championship after scoring all their balls [6]
Human players could assist the robot in picking up balls or could take opponent balls from the robot and keep them to prevent them from being scored. Human players could also attempt to score in the goal or try to knock opponent five point balls off by throwing balls above the horizontal bar. Throwing a ball to scatter the starting configuration of the small balls on the field was also a common move.
During the later one-on-one playoff rounds, robots that could score either the maximum score or a very high score quickly could shift into playing defense for more of the round. With only one opponent to worry about, and no penalties for pinning indefinitely, some matches saw fast-scoring robots pinning their opponent for thirty seconds or more. Team 73 scored several perfect rounds in a row at the 1996 National Championship where they would pin their opponent for the rest of the match after scoring all their points.
Robot construction[edit | edit source | hide]
Some of the materials available in the kit of parts [10]
Similar to previous years, robots were primarily constructed from items included in the kit of parts and $425 worth of materials from the Small Parts catalog with a handful of outside allowances. Fasteners did not count against the price limit as long as they were actually being used as fasteners. Like in 1995, no more than four pulleys and/or sprockets and 10 feet of belt and/or chain from outside sources could be used, and these components had to be used in the drivetrain. Building custom "suction cup" devices to hold onto balls was allowed in the rules, although all other pneumatic components had to come from the kit and could not be modified.
The kit included a variety of raw materials and components such as several types of shaft, aluminum, wood, polycarbonate and rubber sheets, four small wheelchair wheels, a selection of hinges, pivots, and magnetic catches, ball bearings, and springs. Allowed outside materials included some additional sheets of aluminum, polycarbonate, and a few varieties of pipe.
Robots had to display their sponsor and school name so that judges and referees could identify them during a match. Canonical team numbers were assigned, but were only used to order from Small Parts and pick up kits of parts.
Robots must fit unconstrained in a 36 inch cube at the start of a match and weigh no more than 120 pounds including batteries, almost doubling the 70 pound weight limit from 1995.
Control system[edit | edit source | hide]
The receiver and relay box (center), with RNET radio (above), drill motor and cooling fan (upper right) and Tekin speed controller (right), batteries and battery holders (below), pneumatic pump (lower left), and Delco seat motors (upper left) [12]
Two off-the-shelf PC flight sticks from CH Products were included in the kit of parts. These plugged into the bespoke Transmit Box and allowed for three axis of proportional control from each joystick (two for the joystick itself and a third for a thumb wheel) with two digital buttons on each joystick. An additional port on the transmit box could be used to wire in an additional custom controller at the expense of some of the controls on the joysticks.
The receiver and relay box functioned similar to the individual receive and relay boxes used in 1995, with relays being used to control the Delco seat motors and air pumps and PWM outputs driving the Tekin speed controllers.
The transmit and receive boxes contained no software-programmable hardware, with joystick and button inputs just passing directly to the robot where the signals could be wired to speed controllers or relays. As in previous years, DIP switches allowed different buttons to control different outputs from the receive/relay box and limit switches could be wired in to automatically turn a motor on or off when hit or released.
The transmit and receive boxes could communicate wirelessly using a pair of RNET radios or a tether cable and adaptor plugged directly between the two boxes. RNETs would be surrendered before competition began and operating in the pits required use of the tether and tether adaptor.
Four Delco seat motors and two Milwaukee drill motors with gearboxes were included as well as two Tekin reversing speed controllers. Two Textron pneumatic pumps and a selection of pneumatic hardware including two pistons and two solenoid valves were also included. A computer-style muffin fan was provided to blow cool air over, typically, the drivetrain drill motors.
If used, drill motors had to be paired with a Tekin speed controller. Drills could not be plugged directly into the receiver or relay box and the seat motors, air pumps and valves, and muffin fan could not be plugged into the speed controllers.
Team list[edit | edit source | hide]
Team number | Team name | Team location | Robot | Archive link | Events attended |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
-65 | 3-Dimensional Services & Brandon High School |
Rochester Hills, MI | 1996 frc-65 | 1996nh, 1997cmp | |
-116 | Aavid Thermal Technologies & Gilford High School |
Laconia, NH | MCΔT |
1996 frc-116 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
98 | A.C. Horn Precision Metal Fabrication Company & St. Mark's School of Texas |
Dallas, TX | 1996 frc98 | 1996cmp | |
6 | Alliant Techsystems Inc. & Washburn High School Millers |
Hopkins/Minneapolis, MN | |
1996 frc6 | 1996cmp |
83 | Alliant Techsystems Inc. & Kamiak High School |
Mukilteo, WA | 1996 frc83 | 1996cmp | |
8 | Applied Materials & Palo Alto High School |
Santa Clara, CA | 1996 frc8 | 1996cmp | |
-43 | Lockheed Fort Worth/Azle High School |
Ft. Worth, TX | 1996 frc-43 | 1996cmp | |
12 | Bath Iron Works/Wright Pierce Engineers & Bath Regional Vocational Center/Morse High School |
Bath, ME | 1996 frc12 | 1996nh | |
13 | Baxter Healthcare Corporation & Johnsburg High School The Bio-Hawk Team |
Round Lake, IL | Biohawk |
1996 frc13 | 1996cmp |
16 | Baxter Healthcare & Mountain Home High School Baxter Bomb Squad |
Mountain Home, AR | 2 Minute Warning |
1996 frc16 | 1996cmp |
71 | Beatty Machine and Manufacturing & Clark/Gavit/Hammond/Morton High School |
Hammond, IN | Beattyjuice |
1996 frc71 | 1996cmp |
-108 | Boeing Commercial Airplane Group & Lindbergh High School |
Seattle, WA | |
1996 frc-108 | 1996cmp |
23 | Boston Edison Company & Plymouth North High School |
Plymouth, MA | |
1996 frc23 | 1996nh, 1996cmp, 1996ratr |
33 | Chrysler Corporation & Avondale High School The Turbo Chuckers |
Auburn Hills, MI | |
1996 frc33 | 1996cmp |
36 | Codem Systems, Inc./High Speed Technologies & The Derryfield School Codem CyberCats |
Hollis/Manchester, NH | |
1996 frc36 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
42 | Daniel Webster College/Lockheed Martin Commercial/Premier Industries/Highland Tool & Alvirne High School Alvirne P.L.A.D. |
Hudson, NH | |
1996 frc42 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
43 | Dart Container Corporation/Dart Foundation & Mason High School The FOAMIN' BullDAWGS |
Mason, MI | Dart Vader II |
1996 frc43 | 1996cmp |
45 | Delco Electronics Corporation & Kokomo High School KHS FIRST |
Kokomo, IN | Sabre Kat |
1996 frc45 | 1996cmp |
-14 | Delphi Energy & Engine Management & Rider High School/Witchita Falls High School/Hirschi High School/Carrigan Center |
Wichita Falls, TX | |
1996 frc-14 | 1996cmp |
47 | Delphi Interior & Lighting & Pontiac Central High School Chief Delphi |
Troy/Pontiac, MI | |
1996 frc47 | 1996cmp |
85 | Drawform, Inc. & Zeeland High School |
Zeeland, MI | |
1996 frc85 | 1996cmp |
148 | E-Systems, Inc. & Greenville High School |
Greenville, TX | The Big Red Slammer |
1996 frc148 | 1996cmp |
-114 | E-Systems-ECI Division & Lakewood High School |
St. Petersburg, FL | Too ESY II |
1996 frc-114 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
28 | Eco Sales/Degraphics/Hertz Rent-A-Car & Pierson Middle & High School |
Sag Harbor, NY | 1996 frc28 | 1996nh, 1996cmp | |
-96 | Emerson Electric Company & Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School/Normandy High School Arch Rivals |
St. Louis, MO | |
1996 frc-96 | 1996cmp |
-71 | Ensign-Bickford Company/Peter Shapiro & Associates & Simsbury High School |
Simsbury, CT | 1996 frc-71 | 1996cmp | |
75 | Ethicon, Inc. & Hillsborough High School |
Hillsborough, NJ | |
1996 frc75 | 1996cmp |
166 | Ferrofluidics/Unitrode/Conolly Crowns Laboratory & Merrimack High School Merrimack Tomahawks |
Merrimack, NH | Nu-Clear-Blue |
1996 frc166 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
61 | Foster Miller Corporation & Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School |
Upton, MA | |
1996 frc61 | 1996nh |
-84 | General Electric Corporation/IMO Industries, Inc. - Gems Sensors Division/Northeast Utilities/Elizabeth H. Norton Trust/Plainville Board of Education & Middle School of Plainville RoboDevils |
Plainville, CT | |
1996 frc-84 | 1996nh |
86 | H.K. Smith Charitable Fund/Amu Pro, Inc./Jacksonville Electric Authority & Stanton College Preparatory School |
Jacksonville, FL | 1996 frc86 | 1996cmp | |
26 | Hadco Corporation/PolyVac, Inc. & Pinkerton Academy |
Salem, NH | 1996 frc26 | 1996nh | |
176 | Hamilton Standard & Windsor Locks High School |
Windsor Locks, CT | Hook |
1996 frc176 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
175 | Hamilton Standard Space Systems Intl. & Enrico Fermi High School |
Windsor Locks/Enfield, CT | Buzz |
1996 frc175 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
73 | Harris Corporation/Rochester Institute of Technology & Edison Technical School |
Rochester, NY | Tigerbolt |
1996 frc73 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
74 | Haworth, Inc. & Holland High School |
Holland, MI | |
1996 frc74 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
80 | Honeywell, Inc. & Cortez High School RoboColt |
Phoenix, AZ | 1996 frc80 | 1996nh, 1996cmp | |
-110 | Honeywell, Inc. & North Community High School |
Minneapolis, MN | The Claw |
1996 frc-110 | 1996cmp |
81 | Honeywell's MICRO SWITCH Division & Freeport Senior High School |
Freeport, IL | |
1996 frc81 | 1996cmp |
177 | International Fuel Cells & South Windsor High School |
South Windsor, CT | The Hexorcist |
1996 frc177 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
88 | Johnson & Johnson Professional, Inc. & Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School TJ^2 |
Raynham, MA | |
1996 frc88 | 1996nh |
90 | Johnson & Johnston Associates/Digital Equipment Corporation & Salem High School J.A.B.S. |
Salem, NH | Revolution |
1996 frc90 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
99 | Light Machines Corporation & Memorial High School |
Manchester, NH | Dark Horse |
1996 frc99 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
-68 | Lockheed Martin Manned Space Systems/University of New Orleans & Benjamin Franklin High School |
New Orleans, LA | |
1996 frc-68 | 1996cmp |
-97 | Marathon Electric Manufacturing Corporation/Navi Dowty & Associates, Inc./Intercity State Bank/Auto Glass Specialists/Etco/M&I; Bank & D.C. Everest High School |
Wausau, WI | |
1996 frc-97 | 1996cmp |
105 | Massachusetts Electric/New England Electric & Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School |
Worcester, MA | 1996 frc105 | 1996nh | |
97 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School |
Cambridge, MA | 1996 frc97 | 1996cmp | |
-83 | McDonnell Douglas Corp. & Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School |
St. Louis, MO | |
1996 frc-83 | 1996cmp |
110 | Motorola, Inc. & Richland High School Rebels |
Fort Worth, TX | |
1996 frc110 | 1996cmp |
111 | Motorola, Inc. & Rolling Meadows High School/Wheeling High School Wild Stang |
Schaumburg, IL | |
1996 frc111 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
108 | Motorola, RPG/Florida Atlantic University & Dillard Computer/High Tech Magnet Technocrates |
Plantation, FL | |
1996 frc108 | 1996cmp |
116 | NASA Headquarters/America On Line/University of Maryland Space Systems Laboratory & South Lakes High School Gresenators |
Reston, VA | 1996 frc116 | 1996cmp | |
120 | NASA Lewis Research Center/Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority & East Technical High School |
Cleveland, OH | |
1996 frc120 | 1996cmp |
58 | National Semiconductor & South Portland High School |
South Portland, ME | 1996 frc58 | 1996nh | |
121 | Naval Undersea Warfare Center & Middletown High School |
Newport, RI | Ragnarok |
1996 frc121 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
-36 | New Hampshire Ball Bearing & Laconia High School |
Laconia, NH | 1996 frc-36 | 1996nh | |
124 | Northeast Utilities Company/U.S. Coast Guard Academy & Montville High School/Williams School |
Waterford, CT | 1996 frc124 | 1996nh | |
69 | NYNEX & Quincy Public Schools |
Quincy, MA | Spectrum |
1996 frc69 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
126 | NYPRO Inc. & Clinton High School Gael Force |
Clinton, MA | |
1996 frc126 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
-67 | O.S.D. & Alton High School |
Alton, NH | 1996 frc-67 | 1996nh | |
129 | Oscar Mayer Foods & Sherman High School |
Sherman, TX | Oscar |
1996 frc129 | 1996cmp |
131 | Osram Sylvania & Manchester Central High School |
Manchester, NH | |
1996 frc131 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
130 | Osram Sylvania, Inc. & Hillsboro Deering High School |
Hillsboro, NH | 1996 frc130 | 1996nh | |
138 | Parker-Hannafin & Souhegan High School |
Hollis, NH | |
1996 frc138 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
141 | Prince Corporation & West Ottawa High School |
Holland, MI | The Panther Robot |
1996 frc141 | 1996cmp |
144 | Procter & Gamble Company & Walnut Hills High School |
Cincinnati, OH | Operation Orange |
1996 frc144 | 1996cmp |
146 | Public Service of New Hampshire & Manchester West High School Blue Lightening |
Manchester, NH | Hexcalibur |
1996 frc146 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
100 | Raychem Corporation & Woodside High School |
Menlo Park, CA | Stealth II |
1996 frc100 | 1996cmp |
-70 | Regal Research/Karlee Company/A&A; Manufacturing & Garland High School |
Garland, TX | 1996 frc-70 | 1996cmp | |
20 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute & Shenendehowa High School River Rats |
Troy, NY | |
1996 frc20 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
151 | Sanders, A Lockheed Martin Company & Nashua High School |
Nashua, NH | Veloc-a-Raptor (The Nor'East Beast) |
1996 frc151 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
72 | Semiconductor Research Corp. & Harding University High School |
Research Triangle Park, NC | Rambot |
1996 frc72 | 1996cmp |
-115 | SMC Pneumatics, Inc. & Ipswich High School |
Topsfield, MA | 1996 frc-115 | 1996nh | |
155 | Stanley Hardware/Stanley Manufacturing/Sherwood Tools/Camm, Inc./Automotive Controls Corporation/Canberra & Berlin High School |
New Britain, CT | The Viper |
1996frc74 | 1996cmp |
155 | Stanley Works & C.M. McGee Middle School Berlin Bashers |
New Britain, CT | The Basher |
1996frc75 | 1996nh |
157 | Stratus Computer/Water Instrument Operations & Assabet Valley Regional Vocational High School |
Marlboro, MA | Scorpion |
1996 frc157 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
158 | Structural Dynamics Research Corp. & Great Oaks/Live Oaks Campus |
Milford, OH | |
1996 frc158 | 1996cmp |
55 | Texas Instruments & Austin Academy for Excellence |
Dallas, TX | |
1996 frc55 | 1996cmp |
-112 | Texas Instruments & Gunter High School Terminoodles Intensified |
Dallas, TX | |
1996 frc-112 | 1996cmp |
161 | Textron Automotive Company & Cass Technical High School Hurricane XT |
Troy, MI | |
1996 frc161 | 1996cmp |
-82 | Textron Systems Division & Wilmington High School |
Wilmington, MA | 1996 frc-82 | 1996nh | |
173 | United Technologies Research Center & East Hartford/Hartford Public/Rockville/Bloomfield/Weaver High Schools |
East Hartford, CT | |
1996 frc173 | 1996nh |
-30 | University of Idaho & Moscow Senior and Junior High Schools |
Moscow, ID | 1996 frc-30 | 1996cmp | |
140 | University of Massachusetts Lowell & Tyngsboro Junior and Senior High Schools |
Lowell, MA | |
1996 frc140 | 1996nh |
37 | University of Miami & M.A.S.T. Academy/Coral Park High School |
Coral Gables, FL | 1996 frc37 | 1996cmp | |
-54 | University of Texas at Arlington - Engineering Division/Automation & Robotics Research Institute/Bell Helicopter Textron/Rainwater Foundation & Bluebonnet Applied Learning Academy |
Fort Worth, TX | 1996 frc-54 | 1996cmp | |
171 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville & Platteville High School Mozzarella Madness |
Platteville, WI | |
1996 frc171 | 1996cmp |
172 | UNUM/Corning Co-Star/Nichols Portland & Kennebunk High School/Gorham High School/Old Orchard Beach High School |
Portland, ME | 1996 frc172 | 1996nh | |
153 | Visual Inspection Technologies, Inc./Rutgers University & Somerset County Vocational & Technical School |
Flanders, NJ | |
1996 frc153 | 1996nh |
-76 | Washington State University/Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. & Pullman High School |
Pullman, WA | 1996 frc-76 | 1996cmp | |
200 | West Irondequoit High School |
Rochester, NY | 1996 frc200 | 1996nh | |
190 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute & Mass Academy of Math & Science |
Worcester, MA | The Phoenix |
1996 frc190 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
191 | Xerox Corporation & Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School X-Cats |
Webster/Rochester, NY | Hexcat |
1996 frc191 | 1996nh, 1996cmp |
Official events[edit | edit source | hide]
Unofficial events[edit | edit source | hide]
News and unofficial media[edit | edit source | hide]
Kokomo Tribune (March 11 1996)[1]
ASME News (June 1996)[1]
https://www.frcarchive.com/frcwiki/index.php/File:1996_June_Circuit.pdf Circuit (June 1996)][1]
Boys Life (December 1996)
Forbes (1996)[1]