Stack 'em until they tip... break a cone!

VEX Robotics Competition Discussion VRC > In The Zone (17/18)
#1

The first thing anyone does when they get a full set of field elements is see how high they can stack the cones.

Event #1, kick-off night to show the new game and sign up students for the team. BROKEN CONE.
They stacked the cones, the cones tipped, a cone that landed on the field perimeter chipped one of the ribs on the side of the cone.

Event #2, Engineering Design & Strategy discussion group. BROKEN CONE.
They stacked the cones, the cones tipped, a cone chipped one of the ribs on the side of the cone. I’m not sure why this one broke. We didn’t have the field perimeter up, maybe it landed on another cone or mobile goal?

TL:DR Unless your robot can do it, don’t bother stacking cones past 12 cones. Stack will tip, cones will break, and you will be sad.

#2

Rip cone 2k16

#3

I noticed this, too. As soon as the kids got the cones out of the boxes, they were trying to stack them as high as humanly possible atop the high goals, and they fell over. Duh.

#4

Thanks for the warning. Just another piece of advice - puppies find the cones irresistable. We left the room for five minutes and our puppy chewed the cone…

#5

Good to know. As a proud owner of a doggo who likes shiny things, I would have expected the cones to be an attraction

#6

We broke 6 of them within a few hours of buying them from stacking

#7

The elements every year will be able to break somehow, Vex would have to make a solid sphere for an “indestructible” element. And even if they made this some team out there would find some way to break it.

#8

NbN

#9

Also beware of cones falling on the tiles. The edges are quite sharp and they have consistently made little cuts into my tiles.

#10

When the cones not only break but break other things too…

#11