[Rickertsen2]

Originally Posted by Paul Marshall

The standard way of tracking one of the IR beacons is to use the IR sensor mounted on a servo. So, since FIRST has classified servos as motors, we can't use unlimited number of them. So if we want to use the servo's for something else other than tracking, how do you find the angle to the beacon without a servo?

So here is my idea of a MUCH better wah of adressing the IR sensor prob. Mount the sensors such the the "eye" end faces toward the ceiling. Above that you have a scannign mirror at a 45degree angle rapidly spun by one of the other motors, with an absolute position encoder for position feedback of the mirror. FP motors maybie? How about a globe motor geared way up. A weak columnating lense or at least a long tube would give you much better directionality. Somilar setups are common in bar code readers, disco lasers etc. It might be a good idea to stick to first surface mirrors. Tell me if i am crazy.