[RyanCahoon]

Originally Posted by carrillo694

Interesting. But perhaps it would be better to try and stick as close and relevant to FRC as possible? A routine that relies on an overhead camera isn't particularly useful or usable in a regular FRC autonomous match. I'm hoping that teams would ultimately develop control techniques here that they could then apply in actual matches in later seasons.

I think the overall idea is that it's beyond the capabilities of a vast majority (if not all) of FRC teams to do a full match autonomously, otherwise it would already be happening. Some adaptations will be needed. This could change over subsequent years as teams are able to handle bigger challenges, but it seems like it would be best to start with an easier formulation of the problem.

Could go the opposite way and put beacons (I'm imagining something close to the vision targets from 2009, but with more color options to make each beacon distinct) around the arena and cameras on the robots. Such beacons would be most effective if they are directly overhead. I see it as harder to suspend a bunch of beacons in the same locations from venue to venue than it would be to hang a couple of cameras from the lighting trellises where it's convenient to do so and simply calibrate their positions relative to the field using software. Since the cameras are provided by the field, only one calibration has to made and maintained.

Originally Posted by carrillo694

How difficult would an overhead CV system that could report the location of different robots be? My guess is sufficiently complicated that it would be as if we were designing a new competition altogether.

Part of the reason for using the butterfly patterns is that designing a CV system to recognize them is actually pretty easy. If you're thinking of designing a system that works for a robot without the addition of special markers (or perhaps just red/blue bumpers) it wouldn't be too difficult to create a system that identifies robot positions by using background subtraction and segmentation, but there would be no reliable way to determine the robots' orientations nor to distinguish one red robot from another unless additional markings were utilized.

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A logistical issue that would have to be addressed is the feasibility of such a competition for teams that don't have ready and persistent access to a practice field. The localizing system utilized would likely have to be flexible enough to allow the camera and/or beacons to be set up in a shop environment and in such a way that programs could be transferable to the actual playing field. Or would a practice field be an implied requirement?