are computers allowed on field
 

our team is planning on using camera tracking this year, and in addition to that, we wanted to use it to make sure that our robot is lined up for the beginning of autonomous. are we allowed to bring a computer onto the field when we set up robot to get camera feed and have that computer tell us if we are in the right location?

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

Last year, my team setup aiming from the driving station, show left or right with hands, and thumbs up if it is aimed well. I am not sure though. I was assuming that if we were going through all that trouble, it wasn't allowed, plus I've never seen a computer on the field before.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

This might raise some eyebrows (and it might be considered a violation of G07).

Instead, you could have your camera feed visible in the Dashboard, and just communicate with a driver in the alliance station to get things lined up.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

does dashboard run even before enabled? what if you create dashboard from scratch?

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

what if you do it in literally 15 seconds and are the first team set up

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

Nothing stops you from seeing the camera feed before the match (heck, if it's the Axis camera, you can just pull up the web interface in a browser).

You'd need to check with the FTA at each event since this is an unconventional practice.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

You'll usually be chased off the field before the robot has finished booting, so don't plan on it.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

Alignment devices are not allowed (G07). However, you can just display the camera image on the dashboard, allowing somebody in the driver's station to direct you in your alignment. It has worked for us the last few years.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

At the regionals we attended last year, teams were instructed to power on their robots while in the queue before coming onto the field.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

same here but i didn't realize that dashboard runs even before robot is enabled. So as soon as it is connected to FMS it will send camera feed and you will be able to see it on dashboard. Ok thanks that is exactly what i was wondering

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

For your reference...
G07
TEAMS may not cause significant or repeated delays to the start of a MATCH.
Violation: ROBOT will be DISABLED.
TEAMS are expected to stage their ROBOTS for a MATCH safely and swiftly. TEAM
efforts that, either intentionally or unintentionally, delay the start of a MATCH will not be
tolerated. Examples of such delays include, but are not limited to:
A. Use of alignment devices such as templates, tape measures, laser pointers, etc. to
precisely place and/or align the ROBOT.
B. Late arrival to the FIELD.
C. Being indecisive about where/how to position a ROBOT.
D. Installing BUMPERS, or any ROBOT maintenance or assembly, once on the FIELD.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

I wish FIRST had expressed themselves a little more clearly here: "significant" is open to wide interpretation, and it seems odd that an insignficant but repeated delay would be subject to sanctions. (Not to mention: if you delay a match in two different, insignificant ways, are you in violation?)

I expect that the head referees will come up with a uniform standard if FIRST doesn't get around to it, but it would be nice for that to be communicated to teams at some point.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

Yes, there is a wide definition to be had by using the term significant. However, there is a need to keep the competition flowing. If team chooses to take an additional 30 seconds to line up the robot on the field or to wait for things to boot up, in a nine match weekend, 4.5 minutes would be lost just in qualifying. If everyone did that, over more than one hundred matches we would still be playing finals on Sunday.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

It's probably a bad idea to make plans based on external circumstances not under your control. At least not without backup plans.
Just have a fallback solution and don't cry if you can't use your camera.

Should your robot fail to connect right away, or has a gyro that requires the robot to be positioned on the field becore booting, then you won't be allowed time to use your camera to position.

Starting robots in the queue is at the sole discretion of the FTA and field crew. It's done usually to speed things up after they've fallen behind because of people taking too long on the field. :rolleyes:
It's NOT done at other times to avoid or investigate potential interferrence issues, or as a general safety precaution.
Circumstances are fluid, so the rules are a bit fluid.

If you are consistently the last people off the field, and the arena is all sitting around watching you, then pressure will start to build to get you off sooner.
If your drive team is snappy, faster than everyone else, and you're first off the field, then no one will give you grief. The field crew will be thanking you instead.
At the beginning of the event they are more lenient, since half the drive teams are new and don't even know how to plug their Driver Station in, have setup their laptop incorrectly, and a certain amount of training is going on, e.g., how to queue, where to put your cart, where/when to stand, where to get the starting game pieces, how to return games pieces, how to move off the field safely and quickly, reminding you to take your things with you when you leave, etc. By the end of the day we're expected to know how to do our jobs quickly and efficently and be much faster. If we design and plan to take longer than the average team setting up, then we're doing it wrong.

At LI last year (tilky's Regional) starting robots in the queue wasn't done until late in the day to make up time lost to earlier matches.

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

Exactly—is that a significant delay or an insignificant one? Is it only significant if other teams also delay by a similar amount and the competition gets behind schedule? Or if someone takes the time to track the culprits closely?

Re: are computers allowed on field
 

Tristan,
Believe me, it doesn't take long for field staff, refs and FTA to notice the culprit(s) who are holding things up. When match reset falls behind, most events will start working through breaks and meals to catch up. That means volunteers will not get a meal or will only get something cold and quick if at all.

At some point an inspector is likely to be asked to find out what the problem is and try to get the team to correct it. If you are such a team and want to risk being disabled every match, that will not go un-noticed by your alliance partners or potential alliance partners for finals.