Control System Test Wish List

[Kims Robot]

So the 2009 Controller is coming, there are teams gearing up to fill out their applications, teams are ready to work together for the common good, get the bugs ironed out and make sure this controller works well for all!!

So as there are so many different robot implementations, sensors, control circuits, autonomous inputs... What would you want to know how to setup using the new controller? If someone could give you exact documentation on how to set it up and use it, perhaps even post a YouTube video, or sample code, what would you want to know how to do?

Some simple ideas to get us started...
*Wire up a potentiometer and create a feedback loop to drive a motor to a certain location and keep it there.

*Wire up dual beam break sensors and be able to track balls moving through a feeder system.

*Hook up and Use an IR Remote to send turn/straight commands to a robot

We are developing our list as I type... whats yours??

[Greg Needel]

I want to see a side by side comparison (with code) of the old and new control system. Pick 10 tasks like line following, camera tracking, IR following, etc. and use 2 identical robots (competition and practice) one with the IFI system and one with the Ni. Then the team posts the code of each task and comments on how hard it was.

[JesseK]

*Wire up a potentiometer and create a feedback loop to drive a motor to a certain location and keep it there.
More specifically, I'd like to see how you can insert or tweak a specific control algorithm to do this from a Labview VI (not C/C++).

[intellec7]

If team 108 gets a change to participate, we plan to document the debugging process on the cRIO, including changing variables from a Virtual Instrument on the PC. These variables could be, oh say, PID coefficients :).

We'd also like to develop abstraction code for different types of bases so that you can specific Cartesian coordinates/orientation, and the code would apply feedback-controlled commands to motors.

[Kims Robot]

If team 108 gets a change to participate

Actually here is the interesting thing, I was viewing this thread more of a collection of "if they only give out two systems, and you DONT get one of them, what would you like to see the Beta Test Teams do?" :)

[tennispro9911]

My team would be interested in at least one Beta Test team testing drive code for Mecanum wheels using closed loop encoder feedback, and/or gyro feedback to keep the robot straight.

[Billfred]

I'd love to see a marketing-major-tolerant waypoint system for skid steer systems. (Or holonomic, if that's your thing.)