Haydee:

This is not a direct answer.  Or perhaps it is :-)

From a coaching perspective, putting the zipline up is a waste of time - an "attractive nuisance" to use a legal phrase.  If you move the lever, you pretty much get the blue line or yellow line points. A team member pointed this out to me per the Robot Game Updates.

Of course this adult rationality doean't fit well with some of the kinesthetic learners on our teams, who need to physically move the pet/truck/whatever to whereever while discussing how to motion plan the item.  Every time. For weeks.

There are kids who note that the Tsunami waves roll in the direction of the evacuation sign, and hope to get both mission points with just one lever push, forgetting that it will probably take a Molotov cocktail to make that happen.  The fact that the laws of physics are against them on an ordinary Robot Field does not stop them from hoping, and praying.  For those who are not into the humor of it all, I should point out that Molotov cocktails are not permitted under Rule 4, except possibly in the Gulag Archipelago.

The key question is how to effectively move kids from (often incorrect) instinct to (unsatisfying) rationality.  I use humor a lot, though it is often tempting to use those 2x4s from the Table Building Instuctions for other purposes.

Enjoy the ziplining .. it is a great way to waste three weeks.  And give others a chance to get ahead :-)

For my teams, I am not putting that thing up until they show me some good stuff.  One should save the dessert for last.

Best,

Nari

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Anant Narayanan

McLean Robotics Institute

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-------- Original message --------
From: Haydee Cooper <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VADCFLL-L] Problem getting the zip line tower to stay put

Fellow coaches,

 

Our zip line tower keeps coming undone. The little Velcro thingies whose name I'm blanking on right now keep detaching from each other and the tower leans in from the tension in the zip line, even though we're trying to keep the arm horizontal for proper tension.

I have gone through two sets of the Velcro things and tried taping the outside to the wall with packing tape.

 

I'm wondering if anyone is running into the same problem and whether you have any suggestions. Would duct tape work better? Can I try drilling a couple of screw through the beams that are supposed to be stuck to the wall without running the risk of having them disintegrate?

 

Thank you,

 

Haydee

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