Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

We did that in 2008. We won a match because we helped our two allaince partners they both drove over the 4 point line and that 8 points was enough for us to win the match. They were very excited because they had never moved during auto mode.

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

We are a rookie team but the basis of our idea is be able to select one of three things

1. Drive to the center of the arena and spin! (Donuts anyone)
2. Drive to our alliance corner (fetal position)
3. Activate our wings and fly away (Farva defense)

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

On the flip side:
These resemble conditions where you may not preload your own robot:
1. scouting shows opponents have not even a "run away" automode.
2. your team has good throwers, can throw 20 balls in 15 seconds.
3. your robot does not have autonomous scoring capability
Therefore, no preload; let your human players throw all 20 balls in the first 15 seconds.
Followup driver strategy is to recover loose balls, move the empty cells

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

I want to know who honestly thinks they're going to be precise enough with a camera this year to make some balls in the trailers. its going to be fairly difficult to complete that task.... i'd say focus on everything else rather than autonomous

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

If you can get a shooter that is accurate in autonomous mode, theres no reason you can't use it during the teleoperated mode. :)

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

There are several levels of play and a strategy for each.

1st level is the average regional eliminations. Where most teams do not have an auto mode and even moving can be hard for some.

2nd level is the final rounds of the regional, where most do well and most have some sort of auto mode.

3rd level is the division level finals at Atlanta. Where all do well and all have auto mode.

In 2007 we had the privilege of winning our division and going onto Einstein. That is where you see the exceptional teams do exceptional things, like shoot in auto mode. Not many can do it, maybe less than 1 out of 100, but things like that get you to Einstein.

Where in the first level it might now be worth trying to shoot at opponents, better shots later. But at the 3rd level that might be your best chance to shoot and make it.

Just some thoughts, I do appreciate this discussion.

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

My team, Beach Cities Robotics, is working to do that. We scored in shooting balls in autonmous mode in 2006 and we think we can do it again with active trailer tracking. The robot will approach the nearest opposing alliance trailer and when in range, it will shoot. The camera is mounted to the shooter turret so it's azimuth is always locked on. For driver controlled mode, as in 2006, we may also have a head-up display for the co-driver so that when the robot is in range and locked on he can shoot without looking at the control board.

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

Someone suggested earlier that you make multiple autonomous modes, which is a great idea because if the camera strategy, for example, doesn't work the way you wanted it to, then you can always switch to another, tested, autonomous and see if you get results that are actually ones, that you are looking for. :]

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

1529 honestly expects to make at least 80% of all the attempts from the robot.
Regrettably, the same cannot be said for our Payload Spec1al1st.

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

So, what is the ultimate auto this year? 7 balls in? We like to give programers something to shot for. No pun intended.

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

I believe the most effective autonomous mode this year will be the one that results in no moon rocks being scored in the trailer your robot is pulling. There isn't anything the robot can do in the first fifteen seconds that can't be done later in the match, so scoring seven moon rocks quickly isn't imperative.

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

All of this randomizing will give new meaning to the question "So why did it do that in autonomous?".

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

our team plans to adopt a few differnet automous modes. The main one is to go track a oppnents trailer with a cam and shoot

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

This.

Re: Autonomous Strategies
 

No ball in trailer? Sounds impossible. I don't think it would be so much your auto mode but lack of good ps shooting. OK, maybe alittle of both.