Originally Posted by BigJ (Post 1200757)

I really hope there is not a strong "Kinect Bonus". Professional game studios have problems using a Kinect properly in a controlled living room environment. Some of the most successful Kinect games (Happy Action series from Double Fine) are arguably about making fun of how bad the Kinect is. Perhaps the next generation of this hardware will be more worthwhile to work with.

Originally Posted by dcarr (Post 1200759)

Valid point, but I'd hardly call a "living room environment" "controlled." There's no telling what size the room will be, distance from the user to the Kinect, lighting conditions, background color, etc. In my playing with the SDK, the Kinect does a pretty good job despite this. That said I'd rather not have my robot's ability to play the game well hinging on the Kinect's ability to respond properly in a given situation.

Originally Posted by BigJ (Post 1200762)

What I meant was that the Kinect hardware is more likely tuned to work in a variety of living room lighting situations as opposed to sports arena lighting conditions :p

Originally Posted by Tetraman (Post 1200428)

Welcome to the 2013 FIRST robotics competition and this year's game, Eye Spy. Eye Spy is played on a 27x54 foot field. Two alliances of three teams each stand on opposite sides of the field.

Each team will receive in the kit of parts a "Target Board". Surrounded by 3/4" PVC is a 1 foot hard corrugated board with a Sight Target on it, similar to that of the 2010 target, however one side confirms a Red Alliance and the other confirms a Blue Alliance. A Robot must have the Target Board on their robot for each match - it my be placed anywhere on the robot and maneuvered in any way, but can not extend outside the frame perimeter. A robot that plays a match will need the Target Board to be set at the side with their alliance color.

The field contains a number of EYE TOWERS. An Eye Tower is made up of a short-range optical sensor and two LED light bulbs - one Red and one Blue. When the Target Board of an alliance robot is aligned at least 1' away from the optical sensor, the sensor recognizes the target and lights up the bulb of the corresponding alliance color. There is one Eye Tower in front of each Human Player Station, and there are three at various heights on the long sides of the field.

During a 15 second autonomous mode, robots use pre-programed instructions to "capture" as many of the Eye Towers for their alliance as possible. Kinect Drivers can also be used to control the robots at this time. At the end of the PreGame Mode, the alliance that captured the most eye towers gains a 1 point bonus.

During the remaining 2 minutes of the match, alliance robots will do what they can to capture eye towers. Not only can Eye Towers be captured, but also converted from one alliance color to the other. Red alliance will try to convert blue towers into red, and vice versa.

Also during the match, robots will have the option of controlling one of three BASES. These are large octagonal shapes, similar to that of the Zone Zeal goals without the PVC pipes. The Bases are not used until the final 30 seconds of the match, in which robots are able to climb up onto the Bases to score additional points. (The Bases are 2 feet high, and on casters) Additional CoOp points will be scored if two robots of opposing alliances are on top of a single Base.

No rules against pinning in this game, similar to that of 2009.

1 Point is scored for each Eye Tower an alliance has captured AT THE END OF THE MATCH.
1 Point is scored for being the alliance who captured the most Eye Towers in the PreGame Mode. (1 Point for both if both alliances tied)
1 Point for each Robot on the top of a Base at the end of the match.

In Elimination Matches, one of the three Bases will be removed from the field, and one Base will be marked for only the Red Alliance and the other for only the Blue Alliance.

Originally Posted by BigJ (Post 1200762)

What I meant was that the Kinect hardware is more likely tuned to work in a variety of living room lighting situations as opposed to sports arena lighting conditions :p

Originally Posted by dellagd (Post 1200593)

I was thinking that because of the increased interest in the Kinect, and how almost nobody used it last year, they would use the extra time for an increased Hybrid period.

Originally Posted by jawebste (Post 1200964)

Good catch. That metal bar resembles the Bishop Wisecarver track for bushing wheels in the FIRST Choice parts selection.

Originally Posted by jawebste (Post 1200964)

Good catch. That metal bar resembles the Bishop Wisecarver track for bushing wheels in the FIRST Choice parts selection.

Originally Posted by Tetraman (Post 1200843)

Ever since, Autonomous Mode has never really been important enough. I'm sure it has helped win games, but it never had an impact like 2006 did. If the GDC wants more teams to utilize the kinect, they need to make it not only worth it, but there would be a large disadvantage to not giving it a try.

And I just don't think that is possible.