Re: Question of the Week!!! (6/21/04)
 

Oooo, now THERE's a good idea! My suggestion: In the KoP, have 2 circuit boards (like the ones from those make your own circuit board kits) and also lots and lots of little LEDs that can shine either red or blue. Each team would then place the LEDs on the circuit board so that they formed the team number. Say maybe two of these per robot, placed on opposite sides of the robot. Then during the match, it would be a trivial thing to get the LEDs to shine in either red or blue, so in addition to seeing the alliance color of the robot, you also see what team it's from.

MrToast

Re: Question of the Week!!! (6/21/04)
 

Alright, so the idea is that faster blinking/brighter LEDs won't work.

So how about just putting more on them? If nothing else, it'll give folks' eyes more of a chance to actually see the darn things.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (6/21/04)
 

I think IFI did a great job on the design and development of the LED team color cluster blocks. they were a great idea and for the first time as a running prototype, i think they turned out better then anyone could have thought. Yes there are a few problems that developed over the course of the year but i think like anything the first time its ever used, there will be some problems. I dont have a doubt though that IFI will improve on the LED blocks and have a better version for next the 2005 competition season.

Once again Thanks for all your work IFI and great job on the led's...

Re: Question of the Week!!! (6/21/04)
 

i never seen it as a problem because i never paid attention to the lights ever. as a driver and as a spectator it was never a problem knowing witch robot is on witch side

Re: Question of the Week!!! (6/21/04)
 

Okay...This is my suggestion...

Personally I don't think the LEDs are very visible, certianly not when compared with the lights. I think FIRST should bring back the lights but do it the right way. By that I mean that the lights should not count as part of the robot...similar to "bumpers"...they should not count against weight or size requirements. Personally I've always thought that it should have been this way, and it seems like the best of both worlds. Plus lights = more carnage :-) hehehe

Re: Question of the Week!!! (6/21/04)
 

Not to take this off topic but is this like how blue lightning "invented" infinate scoring in 1995...lol i mean it always seems blue lightning members have the wackiest and best ideas at some points.
But yeah if some how ifi was able to make these led clusters either blink while the robot is disabled and blink a different "speed" like they did this year during auton, but have it constant on during normal play, i think it might work better.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (6/21/04)
 

Remember that IFI had a short time to design these devices. Im a hundred percent sure that any problems with the LED's this year are easily fixable. LED's usually surpass the light bulb as a source of light in most areas.