Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyehawk
Indicators, indicators, and more indicators. There is a lot you can do with sensors, it also makes debugging a lot easier.
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While indicators may make debugging easier, I can count on one hand the number of times I looked at the smart dashboard during the last six competitions I drove for, including the Utah regional this last weekend (where I never looked at it). The only times I used it were to check in 2014 twice if we were in low gear or if two jaguars had browned out instead. I then found it much more efficient to just push my shifter button for high gear to test it.
The problem is that, for me and almost every driver I've talked to, you have to be focused in on the robot for the whole match. You need top be able to see if anything is going wrong that you need to fix, and the best way to watch for that is by looking at the robot rather than the smart dashboard.
If you do have to make an indicator, make it large and bright. Make it toggle between two colors, rather than showing words, so that the driver can see it from his/her peripheral vision. Then make a second version that can be used for debugging instead, and leave the big colorful indicators for the competition. Looking down and reading wastes previous seconds and takes your attention from the field, where it should be.