best color ID system
 

This poll is designed to go along with sandrag's thread here: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=46014

Vote on one option or two if you absolutely must

I vote for an improved version of the LEDs along with the flag. I think that optional team color CCFL underglow should be allowed as well

I have always had the big complaint that it is too difficult to quicky ID team color.

Re: best color ID system
 

I think they should make each team have 2 sets of bumpers . . one blue and one red

Re: best color ID system
 

I'd rather not. Replacing bumpers between matches doesn't sound like a good idea.

Re: best color ID system
 

yeah Never mind about that idea . . it woulnt work . . especially during the finals

Re: best color ID system
 

While I like the idea of the flags, they have had their own problems in this year's game. Especially at the Wisconsin Regional, these flags would go flying out of the PVC holders and, as Al Skierkewicz mentioned earlier, one even managed to be shot into the goal of an opposing alliance. My personal beef is that I had trouble seeing them. Call me blind, but when flags are all bunched around their poles and they are wobbling in every direction and you have a bunch of robots in a cluster playing defense, it is hard to discern which flag goes down to which team's robot.

I found myself searching for the LEDs more often than not.

Re: best color ID system
 

I think hat LEDs would definitly be the best option. Maybe they could somehow clip onto your robot?? That way your bot has a visible color! As mentioned before, those flags are pretty annoying...:D

Re: best color ID system
 

flags now that i think about it, its just simple and easy, and the flag look cool!

Re: best color ID system
 

Personally I thought the LEDs were a good idea. The rotating light was a bit difficult to place on the robot oftten because it was so big, and if you didn't place it right...BAM. The LEDs were small, practical, relatively easy to see and recognize, and provided very useful feedback as to the state of the robot. If you thought something was wrong with the field communication, or wanted to see if your robot was reading a signal from your OI, all you had to was look for the flash.

Re: best color ID system
 

I'm a rookie, and I saw the light on Immobolus, one of our past bots, and I think it is awesome. Also I think that they would be easier to see seeing as I pluged one in one day. I think the LEDs are not bright enough and that they are only good for tellling us status of the bot when you are doing something. I think that they should either enhance the LED and make it BIGGER and BRIGHTER, and/or give us like 10 lbs to add Cathode Ray lights like the green ligh this year under our bot so that it has a glow so you can see it from a distance, but this would work like the bumpers, and would be optional, if not mandatory but their weight would not count twards the 120 lbs of the robot.


Pavan

Re: best color ID system
 

I'd be a bit worried about the robot weight if they brought back the rotating light or a bigger LED etc. It's all well and good to not include it in the weight limit, but the robots are getting dangerously heavy to carry. With this years current max of 120 lbs + 15 lbs of bumpers + 13 lb battery, you can get up to 148 lbs. That's quite handleable for some bulky guys, but once when I went on the field the rest of the team was girls all of whom our robot outweighed. Not good. Add another 7 lbs and we're at 155 lbs. That's way too much. Especially when it's being carried by High School student, who, if they get their backs damaged, have to live with it for the next 70-80yrs.

Re: best color ID system
 

Why not just use the cold cathodes as the light? FIRST could make a twelve by twelve box or flexible roll of the different colored cathodes, or you might be able to put them individually (Like as underglow) wherever on the robot you wanted. The light box was visible, so cathodes have proved their ability. Compared to the rotating light, they're light, and they're almost as visible. I also found them to be very durable, on the order of the LED's.

As far as the weight issue goes, the addition of even a pound is really nothing. (Remember: when first switched to the "120 lbs, without the battery" rule, we actually gained three pounds.) It's up to the teams to figure out safely transport their robot. Should they not have any team members capable of lifting and moving the robot:

1. Design a lighter robot, or a moving device

2. Have lifting sessions ;)

Re: best color ID system
 

I would really like to the see the rotating light return, or to have a new significantly brighter light (those cathode ray lights sound good right now). My reasons...
1. Brighter, so it's easier to see
2. I personally like the idea of a big light instead of a random bicycle flag
3. I could use a CMUCam to tell the difference between my opponents and my alliance partners (I'm not enjoying trying to figure this one out for my planned autonomous modes next year)

Re: best color ID system
 

I like #3. This could really add another layer to gameplay if you could use the camera to track opponents and have the robot react accordingly. One step closer to full autonomy!

Re: best color ID system
 

I'm thinking that the best would be a frosted clear/white lexan dome with two luxeon 1W leds in it, blinking a bit faster the old LEDs did. light weight, attention getting and easily visible.

Re: best color ID system
 

I just happened to notice the LED on our robot this year and didn't know what it was.

People looked at me like I was crazy when I told them, but I swear I never noticed them before. Crazy I know, but I have always been able to keep track of who my team is against and who our allies are without any identification.

I haven't really paid much attention to the flags and lights. Maybe thats because I know the other robots really well; I don't know.

If I had my pick I'd definitely bring back the rotating lights. Yes they had their problems, but hey, they were cool :D

After all, aren't rotating lights meant to attract attention? Police, Ambulances, Firetrucks....