Re: Game Hint #2
 

Just read the bold parts...

Take your machine out of the shop on Colorado in Paramount;
stop by and get connected on Central in Phoenix;
drive by and make a pickup on Minnetonka in Minnetonka;
then head to the field on Evergreen in Dover.

I think that's wayyyy more important than the places.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I think that is a water "tower" (not elevated). It is too small to be a dome for a sports facility at the least.
-Ryan

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Are you suggesting that the places are red herrings? Half this thread is analyzing the places. They're there for a reason, and I'm willing to bet they go hand in hand with their respective tasks you bolded. The places mean that there is a certain displacement in between the tasks.

Remember 06, where there were four periods of play: Auto, Offense, Defense, and free-for-all. It took time to get from one period to the other. Likewise, it takes time to get from one of those places to the other. I see the return of the periods of gameplay.

Don't rule out the places so fast;)

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Ahahahaha!! I don't discredit your guess, since it's indeed very plausible, but isn't that what we currently do already??? O_o

(Machine out of the shop) - Get out of the pits!
(Get connected) - Make sure your electrical system works and/or hook up to driver's station!
(Make a pickup) - Be sure you have that flag for your alliance color!
(head to the field) - Get your bot on that field!

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Where is Adam West when you need him?

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I agree with you completely that the places are just as important as the actions.

If you want me to think about the places...I'll say that Colorado is a square with 4 corners, Pheonix is in the state of Arizona a state with 3 corners, Minnetonka is in the state of Minnesota a state with 2 corners and Dover is in the state of Delaware a state with 1 corner.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

How are you defining "Corners"? If you look at the NW corner of Delaware, I think you will find a second corner. There may be more in other states depending on how you define a corner.
-Ryan

Re: Game Hint #2
 

90 degree corner

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Honestly, I think this is the best analysis I have read yet.
The only hole is that we get the flags before we get connected. The order is off.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I would say the places are red herrings. FIRST knows very well our tendency to over analysis everything, and the hints themselves are usually very simple. This thread on the whole is spending too much time with google maps and place names, trying to figure out the game from those, when the real hints are probably in the first part of each line. Why? The locations are just obscure enough to seem like viable clues, but have enough connections to send us on a wild goose chase.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I'm going base a portion of my theory off of this.

We start with a connection of some sort (possibly with another robot or the addition of a manipulator or field piece to our robot), then put the manipulator through a window to fish something out (possibly a fish).

I believe the last part is saying that this is a hint about the field itself, not necessarily that the clue is about playing the game.

The first clue (a fish) connects nicely to Minnetonka (and Minnesota as a whole), as there is a lot of fishing here. Billbo's idea of a window could also connect to the "window" that ice fisher's make in the ice while ice fishing, and the zamboni idea would fit in with it well too- the connection could be the fact that zambonis move on ice more so than the fact that they smooth over the ice.


On a completely unrelated note, I definitely felt a little burst of happiness at Minnesota being in a hint.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Not necessarily, maybe this year they won't tell us what alliance we are on until we come onto the field.:ahh:

Re: Game Hint #2
 

That would defeat the whole purpose of alliances.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Last year, they used places. I think that the places may actually be more likely to be hints than the first part of each line.

C, P, CA
C, P, AZ
M, M, MN
E, D, ? (could be NH or DE)

Looking at the above list (hint's Street, City, State first letter), I don't see any recognizable patterns, unless you count the CAM in the state names. Not being sure which Dover is referred to, I left that one questionable.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Not really, you would just have to make up strategies with you team mates on the fly, which could even be fun!

Re: Game Hint #2
 

But again, aside from the speculations that have been running around this thread, what easily discernible information is there in the names? Compare that to the first section of that line, where some obvious hints are laid.

"Make a connection": communicate with something during autonomous, or simply a reference to the new control system.

"Make a pickup": our robots need to pickup the game pieces, and based upon the fish, this could involve picking them up from up high or from a hole

"head to the field": Dump the scoring pieces in a goal of some sort, or park the robot in a scoring area.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I was thinking the same thing sorta. The making a connection makes sense because we are now using IP adresses.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

OK

The new Control System comes with this fancy new $230 camera. They obviously want us to use it. My guess is:

Take your machine out of the shop on Colorado in Paramount;
Take your robot out of the pits. Reference to ice, slippery surface. Machine capable of driving on ice.

stop by and get connected on Central in Phoenix;
Plug in your driver station and get your robot ready. Microsoft on Central, moonfish is an audio tracker, connect to something using audio/video tracking (my guess is video with the camera, find something on the field and go get it)

drive by and make a pickup on Minnetonka in Minnetonka;
When you start the game, pick up a game piece and take it to the actual playing field, maybe hand it over to another player and keep feeding them pieces or something.

then head to the field on Evergreen in Dover.
Take the piece to the field, kind of lumped it in with the last one.


Either way, I'm banking on camera's as a very important piece. That is almost a given in my mind.

I think the clue is a representation of a match. Where it starts and ends and what relates to what is still up in the air.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Obvious? I don't think you read one of my posts earlier, where I talked about an alternative meaning.

"Make a connection" with your buddies to "make a pickup" game of your favorite sport. You "Head to the field" to do that, don't you?

And why would they include the last part of each line if it doesn't help attempts to decipher the hint? With the GDC, every element of a hint has a meaning. Even the shape, if it has one, can have a meaning. If it doesn't have a meaning, the hint would have read

"Take your machine out of the shop;
stop by and get connected;
drive by and make a pickup;
then head to the field."

It doesn't make much sense that way, does it? Looks like a todo list.

On the other hand, if you just have the locations, you get a bunch of locations and nothing else to help.

"on Colorado in Paramount;
on Central in Phoenix;
on Minnetonka in Minnetonka;
on Evergreen in Dover."

Now it really doesn't make sense.

In a sense, it is a todo list. But it tells where, not just what.

Wait a minute. Amazing Race has a set of clues that tell contestants what to do. I wonder...
GDC, you're a year late with this one!

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I agree that GDC wouldn't simply have part of a hint without a reason, however, as I stated earlier, IMO the locations are in the hint as red herrings, to make us over analyze. And when I said "obvious" I meant that work required to decipher the first part of each line is much less then the amount of work put into deciphering the locations. Though I agree that a robot form of the amazing race would be awesome.





EDIT: Another idea as to the third line: Perhaps we once again have human players handing game pieces to the robots, only this time from the sides, not ends, of the field.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

"Take your machine out of the shop;
stop by and get connected;
drive by and make a pickup;
then head to the field."

This has to be describing pre-game activity
1- out of the pits
2- form strategies as to what your robot will be doing in particular
3- possibly every robot starts with certain game piece
4- start the game

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Yes, cooperation between a human player and a robot in autonomous robot would be cool, because it would require better control both by the human player and by the autonomous code. Slots on the side of the field for pieces would facilitate the robots "make a pickup" then "head to the field".

Re: Game Hint #2
 

pulling a few ideas together, maybe we have to construct a goal and score by going up and down slippery ramps (unlevel playing field) to get the object most likely a sports ball, such as a foot ball basketball or such, and score by putting through the goal constructed. this game woud even allow for defense by trying to stop the other team from scoring. (maybe a few defensive bots might get thier ankles broken playing D)

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Goin' Postal ?!? The game's a shoot 'em up?? :eek:

Re: Game Hint #2
 

That's cool. It's neat that teams can easily be made to feel a part of the process. Little bursts of happiness should happen more often.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Is it wrong that when I read Goin' Postal, I though of the Discworld book?

Re: Game Hint #2
 

The game hint is - There is no change in robot prep if you do it already.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

all right
Take your machine out of the shop on Colorado in Paramount;
we drive out of the "shop" (some structure on the field)

stop by and get connected on Central in Phoenix;
we have to get on the light rail that runs down the middle of Central

drive by and make a pickup on Minnetonka in Minnetonka;
we then have to pick something up in Minnetonka (I don't know what yet)

then head to the field on Evergreen in Dover.
then we load what ever we pick up in Minnetonka into the cargo planes at
Evergreen air field.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

OK, I'll take a poke at this one as well :p

I believe each statement is a hint as to what you have to do, and where you will be doing it

Take your machine out of the shop = each team will have a starting zone
on Colorado in Paramount = starting zones will be on a (very) high promenient spot (example in FTC?), possibly just off the field.
Stop by and get connected = you will need to join with a game piece ... possibly like a train coupling or trailer hitch. Game piece may be needed to score further (or only game piece can score)
on Central in Phoenix = in the center of the field ... Phoenix I'm not sure about here. Possibly the 'connected game pieces' recycle or replenish.
drive by and make a pickup = You'll need to 'load' what you connected to. Ammunition?
on Minnetonka in Minnetonka = The 'loading device' must be small.
then head to the field = head to where you can score
on Evergreen in Dover = scoring zone will be illuminated and elevated (re: Cliffs of Dover in England)


Feel free to tear this theory apart.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Not at all, I thought the same. Maybe it will be a water game, but it will use water from the Ankh, so we'll be able to just drive over it anyways :D

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Not at all! I, too, am familiar with the exploits of Moist Van Lipwig! :cool:

Re: Game Hint #2
 

the first one refers to a Zamboni shop, which "cleans the ice" of ice rinks
the second and third refer to ice hockey, and possibly to figure skating
the fourth refers to field hockey

Re: Game Hint #2
 

what was the game hint #2and how did you find this out?

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Please read the first post on this thread.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

take machine out = game start (let the robots roll)
stop by and get conected = posible a loading station (what for though?)
drive by... PICK UP = mabey a little fishing/claw game action (the Opah)
then head.... field = scorring zone all point scored objects need to be un loaded.:D

Re: Game Hint #2
 

It is a fish!

Oh, sorry. Wrong clue.:ahh:

The game will involve leaving the home zone to a location where robots will gain advantage(s) by linking up in some way (likely physically), going to some other area to obtain the game piece and then transporting it to a scoring zone.

Remember, early in the 'new robot controller' era the cRio* was touted as having the ability for robots to communicate with each other?

*Actually, the wireless thingus was what enabled the communication IIRC

This is my only speculation post in this thread as well.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

i have. it makes a weird square. one end is more narrow than the other... possible track shape? who knows?!

Re: Game Hint #2
 

From what I previewed from reading this whole forum was a couple of things. I don't really think the places are to important. I do think that that the robot will have to stop somewhere on the field to obtain an object, or when it says drive by and make a pickup, this could mean the players can also plac this object on the robot, then they head over to a possible green lighted area (like in a before competition, where you sought out the green light) using your camera. The first hint I think adds to this, and you should look at the games they already have made. FTC game, there are two rugged areas on their field so this could mean two different rugged areas, because the new control system can handle rugged terrain, and since it is a "moon fish", and the moon is rugged, this also suggests for some rugged terrain. I can't figure out specifically what the rugged terrain is or what the objects are, but that's my best guess.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Yeah, robot-robot communication would be a fun challenge. I definitely believe FIRST is going to make it something that takes advantage of the new system dramatically, while still making the game as easy or hard as you want it to be, as in '08, where you could have just driven laps if you wanted.

Point is, it won't be something that would make every team do a ridiculous challenge. That said, however, it might be a ridiculous challenge for one of the alliance members.

Maybe the robots will be able to have variable amounts of communication, the more communication you have, the more possible points.

There are so many separate ideas that I can't even write what I want to say. Let's just take all the ideas, put them together and shuffle the words. Whatever comes out of that will be the consensus.:p

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Just kind of a horrible little tidbit but there is a giant field at the end of what is a very short "Evergreen Ln" in Dover New Hampshire.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

A quick google search for "connected on Central in Phoenix" came up with a law office which is on Central Ave in Phoenix, Arizona. Apparently, they are having a "Stay Connected" seminar. Coincidence? I think not ;)

here's the link: http://www.lrlaw.com/events/xprEvent...etail&event=79

Re: Game Hint #2
 

First, I agree with you, they are most definitely going to take advantage of what the new control system can do. I think the communication among robots will be limited to teams, I hope, otherwise there might be an interference factor, and the opposing team could potentially talk to your robot, but I don't think the competition will be to ridiculous. The communication idea for points wouldn't be such a bad idea for the game either.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Even weirder it is event #79, our team number.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

This is team 2614's guess.
Take your machine out of the shop on Colorado [color-auto] in Paramount [very important]; stop by and get connected on Central in Phoenix; link up with another robot visually, follow it around like schooling fish (the opah is specifically a non-schooling fish, a misleading clue or a 3rd robot that is independent). {could be referring to route 66 passing through Pheonix, following some-sort of trail}
drive by and make a pickup on Minnetonka in Minnetonka; place objects (probably colored or different shaped) into the other robot and vice versa (like dump trucks) then head to the field on Evergreen in Dover. end the match on a certain area of the field (possibly a different color than the rest of the carpet) {white cliffs of Dover in the English Channel, sailors would know that they were almost home when they saw them}

Re: Game Hint #2
 

moon fish..... moons also have different phases.... and bumpy surfaces:confused: :confused:

i still stick with the bumpy (or moonlike) (ramps?) this way vets could get to harder places making a dynamic game but newbies could still be productive (like in overdrive... overpass = vets.....laps = newcomers) everyone wins!

we need to do a complete recap of what connects with the old fish and what ideas that peaple spent countless hours on can be swept away...:(

to many ideas have been introduced to come up with any type of conclution (for the most part) - you know its sad when within 7 hours over 100 posts were created

either way... i cant wait till january! :ahh: :ahh:

Re: Game Hint #2
 

One of our team members is thinking that since all the places on the map seem to "cross" all over the "country" that this would be some sort of cross-country field, that is, one that is not flat. Which would make sense when it comes to the uneven surface of the moonfish. I'd also like to point out that we're a vet team and we lapped in overdrive, to great success (holding several records at peachtree).
1533

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I think ideas that should definitely be kept are:
- rugged surface
- some form of object will be picked up and placed at some end of the field
- the camera will most definitely be used to sense either a specific area or object
-robots will need to communicate with each other to do whatever the task will be

I am not sure on the other ideas, but I think these four should be kept while weeding out 'bad' ideas for a conclusion.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

thanks you .... somebody agrees

and sorry i didn't mean it like that.... a lap bot was almost required on winning alliances...:D what i meant was... hurdleing was a chalanging aspect to the game that produced more points if done well.... hurtling wasn't worth it unless done efficiently ... like getting the harder to get points are worth more ... if done efficiently

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Re: Game Hint #2
 

#150 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Thanks, I am not sure if I got all the ones that should be kept however, but I do know those four are in from what I've read from most people's posts in this forum as well as in hint #! forum, you can make additions to the list, but taking away from the current four is probably not a good idea, I don't mean to sound egotistical or anything.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

On the bot communication note, maybe an allied bot will take over what has historically been the human player role - but on the field, of course. Like a shuttle run, where some object has to be handed off from one bot to another.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I think that there will be a major point bonus that teams will have to work together to attain.

To clarify: maybe there is a section on the field that an alliance has to be in order to score.

Evil thought: Get two robots to hang balanced on either side of a teeter totter.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I'm going to add slick surface to the list. If you take the hint as a whole, at least 2 of the 4 seem to point to ice. If I had to guess, the slick area would be on top of the rugged surface based on past games (2003, 04, 06).

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Well there, I think, has always been an end of game point bonus, like 08 game was leave ball on the rack, so there will be a point bonus, and teams are going to have to work together to get it, like years before, I personally think the major point bonus will have something that requires bot communication, and without it the point bonus will be impossible, that's my thought.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

As I said before in a previous post, if you look at the FTC game their game has both a rugged and slick surface, so there might just be two types of surfaces that the robot must bypass in order to complete the game.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I had an interesting thought about autonomous, has it been announced anywhere whether it's hybrid again this year or not, if not do the hints point to autonomous being hybrid again?

Re: Game Hint #2
 

nice! this seems the best one so far :eek:

Fake
 

Sorry to stop the fun. As of 3pm PDT there was no announcement of this on the FIRST website. I think it is a fake clue. It has been done before.

Re: Fake
 

It isn't on the FIRST website, but it is on Bill's Blog. I think that pretty much means that the clue is valid.

Re: Fake
 

Someone must have hacked his blog then.:yikes::p

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Sorry if this has been repeated before but heres my thing about the locations:

Paramount California is the home of the Zamboni

Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona is currently the epicenter of the population in Phoenix.
Its where everyone is. So everyone is going to be going to a certain point to meet or something. Start in the same place?
Also, central avenue is where the rd numbering system in phoenix starts. So its like 0 and the nxt is 1 and so on.

Minnetonka means "great water"

and dover... well theres a field by evergreen dr. dover OH that was mentioned previously i believe.

But yea, go at it

Re: Fake
 

Hypothetically if it was a fake clue, would FIRST tell you it was fake? Because if they don't say whether it is real or not, then there would be an argument whether it was real, and all that time trying to analyze it would be gone to waste.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

when and where did we get this game hint?:ahh: :yikes: :ahh:

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Looks like it came right from Bill's blog there.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Bill's Blog http://frcdirector.blogspot.com/

Re: Game Hint #2
 

On the idea that robots start with a certain game piece, has anyone considered, that rather than a multiple of one type of game piece there could be say 3 individual game pieces per alliance? Perhaps one tetra, one track ball, and one box. That'd be interesting.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

ive read this entire thread
and their are so many good
guesses and they all
are ver possible

Re: Game Hint #2
 

with that...is it official?

Re: Game Hint #2
 

good question
its not on the First website

Re: Game Hint #2
 

That's what is being figured out, no one can say, because even though the blog is linked in FIRST it just might be a gag hint, since last year's 2nd hint was actually posted on the FIRST website and not a blog, it was legit, but with this it is hard to tell.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

*warning opah joke*
There is something fishy going on here...:rolleyes:

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Maybe we will have to do something like: http://www.mailorderexpress.com/shop/prdpics/110617.jpg

With a wall on one end, and different shaped game pieces, your robot has to put the block in the correct whole, maybe even just different colored holes.
(autonomously?)

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Yes, there is, my guess, is that it may not be official since last year's hint was on the FIRST website, and this one is just linked off the FIRST website, so I would suggest not taking this particular hint so literally, and if there are any hints listed on the actual FIRST site, actually use those.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

The first hint of this year was posted on the official FIRST website. This one was not. By no means though don't stop debating about if it is real or not. It is fun to watch.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

You are describing a child's play toy type game, but there is still the question of how to implement a rough terrain in that as well as camera, personally I don't think that's it.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

We recieved an email blast about Bill's Blog, it has been mentioned on the First Forum and on the FRC page, I say it is legit. Also if you look back a few posts you will see a link to the opah picture.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

On Bill's blog, the first hint is a link to the FIRST website. This one is just posted there. For all we know bill could be pulling are leg. It might just be me but this is pretty suspicious.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

That's interesting, didn't bother to look back, well I agree since the blog includes both hints, still a little iffy, but more certain then before.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I personally think, just analyze it, don't debate it, I mean this is all about good fun, so just to be safe and just to get enjoyment, I think we should assume it to be a real hint, but that's just me.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Rough terrain: put it on the ground, put robot on terrain. done.
Camera: Colored holes and colored objects say, each team has 3 different coloured blocks and they have to put those blocks into the correct hole at the end of the field. This color could be recognized by the camera in autonomous.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

did someone say rough terrain?

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=70519

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Could work, but just the mere fact of trying to do that autonomously would be hard to program for, unless they were at a set area, but then you would have to pick the object up just right, I don't rly see it, it's a good thought, but from what I've read, I don't see this as the game...but don't let me squish your imagination. :)

Re: Game Hint #2
 

To start, I don't really think it will be that either.

That said, My idea was have a robot start with the piece and just choose which bin/hole to put it in.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

If Bill was faking, I would suggest a new photoshop victim to Heidi. After what she put Dave through... Or better yet, see if Dave wants a new challenger on Krispy Kreme eating.

Bill is the FRC competition director. I think he is on the GDC. Bill's Blog has been recognized by FIRST as the official regular update channel (or something like that).

And last year's first hint was sent directly to teams. People thought it was a joke/prank at first. Then FIRST came out and said "Yes, it is from us" and people quieted down a lot. It did take a day or three, though.

I'll call shenanigans if it isn't acknowledged/disavowed by my Statics final. That's Tuesday, 7:00 AM MST.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Oh well that is different then what I thought you were originally thinking of, srry misunderstood your original idea. But yeah that could be more of a possibility, a very interesting possibility, and would be more likely the game, then what I originally thought you meant, but with that said, I still do think, even with this idea, it prbly won't end up being the game, but who knows?

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I wouldn't be to afraid to bet that we are all wrong. :)

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Yeah me either, it will most likely be a game that all the hints pointed to, and it will be really obvious, and there was no need to over analyze it or anything, then I would just laugh, or it might be a game that might relate to the hints in a way that no one thought of.:o

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I am not sure about the rest of the clue but I have an idea about the "get connected" part of the clue. Given that NASA is a big sponsor of FIRST, NASA is planning a new set of moon missions, and the first hint was a moonfish; perhaps there is a period of the game where the new camera must be used to connect to a scoring element, and that cannot be seen from the driver station. Similar to what was done during the Apollo missions, when the Orbiter had to dock with the lunar lander, via a remote "targeting" display, that could be located on the driver station. Perhaps during the autonomous/hybrid period, the robot is meant to do it automatically, but you are given the ability to make some minor corrections. You can never infer the entire game from the clues, and I am most likely completely wrong, but this would be a cool use of the new cameras abilities.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

That would most definitely be a cool autonomous portion of the game, and the camera, I am almost positive, will be used in some way to detect an object for scoring, but to detect an object like the Apollo missions, is a new thought, that is actually interesting.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

22:16:40!

Can't wait any longer. Opah now controlling all system resources. Total system failure in 5... 4... 3... 2...:)

Re: Game Hint #2
 

maybe (reffering to camera use and bonus portion) we will not have autonomous or hybrid.

maybe there will be a period at the start of the match where there are curtains in front of the drivers station window and we have to use our cameras to see.

then (maybe) there will be a pause as the curtains are lifted and the bonus portion ends and we return to our normal mayhem.

and for the technical details, the curtians will be on motorized rollers (like the screens in some theaters (not movie theaters...Stage theaters)).

scary thought.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

that would be so cool...and that is the best guess at a good use of the fancy new camera we are getting

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I doubt very much that any of the people involved in designing the game or engineering the field would ever joke about a game hint. They might make a joke with a game hint, but the hint itself will be a real hint. Bill Miller is one of those people and is in a position to decide what information will be released when.

While the FIRST engineers are people like anyone else, they also have a high and sometimes lonely calling. Imagine working with only a few other people for most of a year and not being able to tell anybody about it. I have been there, years back when I worked in The Dark World. In some ways it was very exciting, but in the end it was more frustrating than anything else, and I still can't talk about some cool stuff except to people I don't see anymore. But they have it worse, if teams don't like the game they hear about it from 10,000 people, and will continue to hear about it for years to come. I've seen FIRST people shudder at the mere mention of a tape measure, people who weren't even involved with FIRST in '02. (newbies are encouraged to research the "tape measure controversy" of 2002)

To purposly put up a "joke" would seriously damage the credibility of the poster in the FIRST community. Something the FIRST engineers want to avoid at all costs. They understand just how much this means to all of you and they truly want to do a good job. They are not going to blow it for a chuckle.

I like Elgin's interpretation. It fits the clues, and only tells us that the flow if the event will be similar to years past. Which is a fancy way of saying nothing at all. Just the kind of thing I expect from the GDC.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I think the best use of the camera would be for autonomous. Driving around robots with joysticks isn't very robotic, more RC. I think we need a longer Auto mode, and a camera would make that possible(er).

Re: Game Hint #2
 

I haven't read past page 3, but I am really up for this "capture the flag" game.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

Isn't the new camera just visual spectrum? How would we be able to convert that into useful autonomous data?

Re: Game Hint #2
 

i think that part of the game may include some sort of ice fishing, based of the moonfish and minitonka. Think, you could have a hole in the ground or box and you have to stick your arm or hook threw it and fish out the object (possibly one in motion). even then using your camera to find it in the hole which mormally can't be seen by the drivers. Intresting idea.

also in response to ice game field, they could use those Ez-Glide Synthetic ice rinks. http://www.ezglide350.com/ezvideo.php

Re: Game Hint #2
 

It isn't too hard. The CMUCam II was able to track a target light that only output on the visual spectrum, if you could program it right and find the weight and space for it. It was quite good at it too. All you have to do is have the target be visually different enough from the background. Do your programming magic and you can do a lot of things just by looking at one green area. (Of course, the CMUCams had a tendency in testing to track anything but the light, for some poor programmers...)

I think these cameras are a little more advanced than the CMUCams.

Re: Game Hint #2
 

About "stop by and get connected on Central in Phoenix;"
this could have something to do with the new light rail in phoenix
most of central has light rail tracks and the grand openning is Dec 27th and 28th

http://www.valleymetro.org/images/up...arter-line.pdf