Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperNerd256
Though I'd never do this with a car, I'd like to try it with a go-kart our team is making, or AN ACTUAL COMPETITION BOT!!!!! Just think how cool it would be to turn an iPhone, and have your robot turn!
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To be clear, I don't have any problem with the iPhone control. It's certainly nifty and I considered doing similar with a Nintendo DS back when I had more free time.
My problem is using an FRC control system in a blatantly unsafe manner. When the cRIO dies, motors stop moving. If the motors are the dangerous things, then great. If the motors are
controlling dangerous things, then you'd darn well better have physical backups in place that will forcibly and reliably override the motors to make the system safe. This might mean heavy springs to force the brake on and the gas off under loss of power. It might mean a normally open relay to kill the electrical system. But it's going to be something you'll need to think about and implement. At the very least, you need to see if there's some way you can set you motors that would result in the machine moving even without power to the motors or cRIO.
Yes, that goes for your go-kart too. Unless you think a go-kart running into you at full speed is a good idea.