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Unread 05-04-2005, 15:17
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breakdancaz
AKA: ryan
FRC #0624 (CRyptonite)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Re: The arc of optimism...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Hibner
I agree with you, Dave. The time constraint WAS too short when all we had to worry about was operator control. Now it's WAAAAYYY too short. I was just thinking the other day about how much different things are now with autonomous control. We now have 3 times as many people working on controls than we used to have before there was an autonomous portion of the game.

One possible comprimise is to give teams the control systems and sensors one or two months in advance. If we had that extra time to work with the camera, I'm sure we would be capping vision tetras in autonomous. We decided that the time wouldn't allow it so we went with a more tried and true autonomous method.

not to be rude, but our most difficult thing to program was the camera. we literally spent 3 or so weeks, working every day out at oceaneering, to get the camera to track correctly. at that time, we hadnt finished the robot, and had more or so created an assembly line where the pieces of the robot came together close to the end (besides the tranny and drive frame). there was, therefore, enough time. it just had to be managed properly (not to be rude or haughty, like i said).

not to mention, think of it this way: this year WAS the "practice" chance to utilize the camera on the robot. you now have the software and hardware to accomplish the task during the summer or even sooner on a previous robot (or this one if you get it back and arent going to nationals). the first year of infrared was ridiculous, and, in a sense, so was last year. they canned it for that reason. THIS, however, is well designed and only takes the right programming to get it to work (what a statement). once the code is perfected, it works every time. the infrared wasnt reliable in that sense. considering that, you have the time now and later--you could even order another camera. we did.
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Last edited by dradius : 05-04-2005 at 15:20.
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