Using the driver station laptop as a controller
 

We are playing around with the idea of having our drive team manipulator student use the driver station laptop keyboard and mouse as controllers during matches. Here is more detail on we are planning on doing that.

https://docs.google.com/presentation...it?usp=sharing

• Have teams ever used the driver station laptop itself as a controller during matches?
• What issues did you run into?
• How well did it work?
• Did you run into issues where the student has to keep looking down?

Presumably the buttons on the keyboard could be used while looking at the field in all instances except for shooting.

Thanks for the feedback.

Re: Using the driver station laptop as a controller
 

Well, our team uses the keyboard as a controller during public presentations with the robot (using the QDriverStation) and we never had problems (e.g. unintentional movement, dead-band, etc). In fact, most of our drivers (including myself) prefer to move the robot with the keyboard since it allows us to make more precise movements.

However, unless you get a special application or driver to work with the FRC Driver Station, I seriously doubt that the FTA would let you use the QDriverStation in an official match.

Re: Using the driver station laptop as a controller
 

The official DS has no built-in support for the keyboard, but there is no rule or technical reason that you cannot read the keyboard and send it to the robot using the network functions. At least not that I know of.

Greg McKaskle

Re: Using the driver station laptop as a controller
 

If we hooked up a USB keyboard and mouse tot he keyboard would that be easier to work with?

Re: Using the driver station laptop as a controller
 

For most APIs, they OS will blend them all together into one. The VIs in LV will tell you which joystick button is pressed, but the keyboard stuff can't differentiate, as the system owns all keyboards. I think that RawInput API will tell you which, but I haven't done it, so can't be sure.

Greg McKaskle

Re: Using the driver station laptop as a controller
 

How about something like this? http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/farmside.html

It would connect via USB but be more of a control panel that could replace the keyboard keys.