Communicating with the spy
 

With electronic communication out of the question, would it make sense for teams to come together and create a standard set of hand/flag signals. What do you think about the feasibility of a standard system?

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

Our team seemed to agree at our kickoff session today - we were thinking some sort of ASL or standardized gestures (depending on the extent on what the spy is allowed to do) that all teams could understand.

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

I was having the same idea. There's only one spy per alliance, so you'd either have to learn a new system each match or have it be standardized. All the spy is doing is showing where the robots are, so there's no disadvantage to having it be standard throughout FIRST.

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

First thought our team had. It would be a good idea to have an "unoffical" hand signal set so most teams would have a basic understanding and not have 30-70 (saying every team had a slightly different one at some big regional)

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

Doesn't say anything about cup-and-string communication. Technical diagram included.

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

Does a string count as a wire?

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

How about a flashlight, incandescent of course so it's not electronic......

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

The spy's role is to tell the drivers what defenses in the outer works are being damaged and which ones are fully destroyed (2 crossings). There are lights on the ramps to indicate this, but lights only face the side of that alliance. So the lights face the drive walls not the neutral zone.

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

They also are useful for helping robots line up for firing at the towers, it that robot has a firing spot that can be identified by landmarks

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

You sure? Took this from the reveal video, sorry for the blurriness.

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

Where did you get the idea that the lights are only on one side?

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

Sorry, a bunch of our mentors thought that's how it was when reading through the manual. It seems as though you guys are right, there are lights on both sides. Still though, it might be tricky for the drivers to see these lights with defenses in the way so the spy can still help out with that in addition to guiding robots.

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

I was thinking something along the lines of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaOiaC0I8pY

Re: Communicating with the spy
 

There will also be the scoreboard showing health, and probably they will still have an info screen for the coaches, but that is still unclear.