How about autonomous team challenge?

VEX IQ Robotics Competition Discussion General VEX IQ Competition Discussion
1

Merriam Webster dictionary defines robot as: 1 **: ** A machine that resembles a living creature in being capable of moving independently (as by walking or rolling on wheels) and performing complex actions (such as grasping and moving objects)

2 **: a) **a device that automatically performs complicated, often repetitive tasks (as in an industrial assembly line)
**b)**a mechanism guided by automatic controls
I think the current VEX competition is not giving autonomous its deserved attention. Yes, there is a skill challenge for autonomous, but there is no representation in tournaments.

How about a teamwork programming challenge? Maybe only for the tournament finals… Teams will have 30 minutes in advance to decide on a scoring strategy with their partners and adjust their programs. Or allow teams to partially use autonomous in team challenge (allowing them to switch back to manual control afterwards), where the autonomously scored points will be counted with an added weight (1.5x)? I understand this could be challenging, especially to those teams using daddy bots. But it can be fun and will help promote programming in young robotic fans.

2

VRC is your answer. Every match has a 15s autonomous period with bonus point for winner of the period. Almost every team has to code at least the teleop code and very often need to add at least minimal automation, and since 2-way alliances have to work together, the best teams are capable of augmenting their autonomous periods on the spot based on their alliance input.

Now, even in IQ, automation in teamwork happens. If it is beneficial, it shows in the scores already. Full automation is, for some reason, frowned upon by some coaches, but at one point in crossover, my team implemented a fully automated precision driving opening sequence for pullin up hexballs from the “cabbies” (their word). But where is the line to draw? Would having a button that will start a mechanism and keep it running (which will cause e.g. rings to score automatically) apply? Or code to align the robot on a line for precision ring pickup (no rings scored, but significant contribution to the success rate)?