Robotics strategy: analyzing and planning the game

The key to a successful competitive robot starts with a carefully considered strategy.

“[When we strategize] we look at the field to see how can we get our robot to fit on the field  and under specific elements [given the game rules],” senior Todd Nguyen said.

In addition to analyzing how to navigate the field, team members use the dimensions of the field to incorporate  precise calculations of possible angles, distances and exit velocity into their strategy to  ensure the robot can successfully complete a task such as being able to shoot a basketball into the hoop. 

M-SET collaborates with other teams from across the nation through an online forum called Chief Delphi, sharing ideas calculations and possible strategies.

Junior Ivan France also created a score calculator, which  is an Excel spreadsheet that uses mathematical formulas derived from the model as the input to predict how the challenge will play out on the actual field. The calculator is important because it helps the team assess what skills will score the most points in the shortest time.

Once the team reaches a working strategy, it is always subject to change.

“It’s very flexible because we don’t want to make anything permanent until we know it works or know it can’t be improved any further,” Nguyen said.