cuber wrote:Do you guys think it might be better to go with a box style frame with 3 walls, or a singular standing wall? or maybe just freestanding with a base? It seems like size matter less, only counting for a tiebreaker, so I am considering not making much of an effort to minimize my design.
Oh, size is only a tiebreaker? Seems I should have read the rules more closely...
I'd think a two-walled box would be good enough, unless you can easily remove one of the walls for maintenance (in which case I'd say three sounds fine).
oops. I was the one who misread. seems to be the standard point per cm undersized. I think a removable wall might be the way to go, more dense packing while keeping maintenance easy.
Do you think it is better to go about this event by designing the start and finish, then adding each mechanism and figuring out how to transition them one at a time, or planning it all at once leaving less room for change and improvement but optimizing every step before hand?
jrales wrote:Do you think it is better to go about this event by designing the start and finish, then adding each mechanism and figuring out how to transition them one at a time, or planning it all at once leaving less room for change and improvement but optimizing every step before hand?
Well, you should definitely have an idea of what your start and finish tasks are before you begin. In my opinion, it's best to at least attempt to plan out all your tasks. If you end up wanting to add to or modify your machine (you will), you'll have a jumping-off point.
tjhsst '20 virginia tech '24 2x codebusters national medalist
"it's not a pen, it's a principle!" - annie edison
daydreamer0023 wrote:Seems like integrated circuits, such as Mindstorms/Auduinos are allowed again? Correct me if I'm wrong - I don't see too many other ways to play "the end" when you're finished.
I don't see any rules saying you're not allowed to, although I guess you could hit a play button on an mp3 player or something similar if you'd rather.
What about using a microcontoller in between transfers? ie. balloon inflates and pushes a button, button signals arduino, arduino intiates next transfer.
daydreamer0023 wrote:Seems like integrated circuits, such as Mindstorms/Auduinos are allowed again? Correct me if I'm wrong - I don't see too many other ways to play "the end" when you're finished.
I don't see any rules saying you're not allowed to, although I guess you could hit a play button on an mp3 player or something similar if you'd rather.
What about using a microcontoller in between transfers? ie. balloon inflates and pushes a button, button signals arduino, arduino intiates next transfer.
I don't see anything in the rules against that...though I think that if you use an arduino for the middle, you'll need to use something else for the end?
"I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale." - Marie Curie
dragonfruit35 wrote:
I don't see any rules saying you're not allowed to, although I guess you could hit a play button on an mp3 player or something similar if you'd rather.
What about using a microcontoller in between transfers? ie. balloon inflates and pushes a button, button signals arduino, arduino intiates next transfer.
I don't see anything in the rules against that...though I think that if you use an arduino for the middle, you'll need to use something else for the end?
You could probably use it for both. But if they dont want us doing that I'm not sure how they expect us to use a photocell without someone to receive inputs from it.
ScottMaurer19 wrote:
What about using a microcontoller in between transfers? ie. balloon inflates and pushes a button, button signals arduino, arduino intiates next transfer.
I don't see anything in the rules against that...though I think that if you use an arduino for the middle, you'll need to use something else for the end?
You could probably use it for both. But if they dont want us doing that I'm not sure how they expect us to use a photocell without someone to receive inputs from it.
Wait you're right. I misread. :/ It said that each movable/adjustable physical object in the device must be utilized for at least one action. So Arduinos not included.
Also, for the single battery source bonus, would only a single physical battery qualify for this (ie. 4 AA 1.5 V batteries wired together wouldn't count because the source is made of 4 separate batteries)? How was this scored in the past?
"I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale." - Marie Curie
daydreamer0023 wrote:
I don't see anything in the rules against that...though I think that if you use an arduino for the middle, you'll need to use something else for the end?
You could probably use it for both. But if they dont want us doing that I'm not sure how they expect us to use a photocell without someone to receive inputs from it.
Wait you're right. I misread. :/ It said that each movable/adjustable physical object in the device must be utilized for at least one action. So Arduinos not included.
Also, for the single battery source bonus, would only a single physical battery qualify for this (ie. 4 AA 1.5 V batteries wired together wouldn't count because the source is made of 4 separate batteries)? How was this scored in the past?
Just a heads up for everyone, SO has banned Lithium batteries per the battery policy.
