How do groups like Skyline Robotics Work

So yesterday at the South Florida State Championship 4411S and 7121E had won. Both of these teams are from different schools yet they are both part of the skyline organization which has 4 different robotics teams at different schools. They all also have the same EXACT robot down to every single screw, how do you think that this happens, and should this be allowed

1 Like

I’m assuming it’s like EC3 from Hardin, but I have no idea if it happens. As for same robots, there’s nothing VEX can do about that, as much as I hate to say it.

A team can make any organization they want. The organization can be a school or company, but it can also be “Vortex Alliance,” “Big Oof Robotics,” or literally anything else you type into the search bar.

And 4411S and 7121E are not identical- they’re just very similar. My guess is the people on 4411S and 7121E are friends and collaborated with design and optimization ideas all season, and probably scrimmaged and practiced together a bunch as well. As a result, their designs ended up looking alike. While screw for screw copies are not really in the ethos of the competition, collaboration and friendship are this program at its best, and I don’t see an issue with multiple teams collaborating to get one final design.

And clearly their strategy worked! Between 7121E and 4411S, they had 1 tie and no losses at states, and they won every elimination match by a landslide.

I can understand why it would be upsetting to go against two identical robots from different schools, and certainly armies of copy bots aren’t good, but I don’t think there’s anything bad happening in this particular example.

7 Likes

Yeah what you are saying does make sense, but their robots are identical, like exactly identical

1 Like

If they are identical, I highly doubt it was non-collaborative. Meaning that both teams worked towards the best possible design, code, and strategy. This is a common strategy among teams that work very closely

1 Like

Having talked extensively to members from both teams mentioned and working with the other two skyline teams in person, I can tell you they are not identical. The chassis was a season long project of 7121e while they have all worked on optimizing flywheels for their needs. One of them has a much better double shot than the other. 1533m is another skyline team but he is double catapult.

2 Likes

It is because they share CAD files that are developed during the season.

1 Like

On a slightly unrelated note, I have a very different robot from some of those I work very closely with. But, if you look closely, there are a lot of subtleties that are pretty much copied. It’s really cool to see where the same conversation can take different people with different experiences.

1 Like

As a member of 4411S, I can assure you that our robot is not a copy of 7121E, or vice versa. While some others are right in that we’re friends and worked very closely on the design together, there is no hole counting going on. Just from looking closely at the robots in our states teaser you would notice several distinct differences between the two; there are many more.

As for Skyline, it’s just an alliance of teams from across Florida that all know each other very well.

6 Likes

My teams are part of the Wisco Alliance. Which is a group of teams from Wisconsin tht know each other very well and have competed against and with each other for years. However, the robots in the Wisco Alliance are not similar at all. But that is not to knock the Skyline Alliance, we just do it differently.

1 Like

Way to revive a dead threat. They were an alliance of three South FL teams and one North FL. Two went to North States and two went to South States so they could dominate both state championships. Skyline Robotics will be the name of 910x, the only member team that didnt graduate this year. I believe 910x will be heading up another alliance for Tower Takeover although I cant fully say.