View Single Post
  #2   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 03-04-2006, 16:58
dhitchco's Avatar
dhitchco dhitchco is offline
Awards/Photo/Video "wizard"
AKA: Doug Hitchcock
FRC #1511 (Rolling Thunder)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Rookie Year: 2005
Location: Rochester, NY USA
Posts: 333
dhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant futuredhitchco has a brilliant future
Re: Can Wireless Video Cameras Be Used?

Wow,
this is an old thread re-surfaced!

1) You can do almost anything you want to do during off-field practice runs and even during Thursday practice days.

2) You can duct-tape a mini camcorder to your robot to get 'shooter-eye' view video for use later on (for strategy or just for fun as highlights video). My team did this with my Sony mini-DV camcorder and the robot almost face-planted onto the camera before tipping back upright! Yikes. It was hilarious. We had another camcorder running, so I'll do the split-screen video for the highlights footage.

3) If you try-out some sort of wireless "spy-cam" be aware of the following.
a) It surely CAN'T be used to provide any feedback to the drivers
b) The receiver also can't be in the stands where you shout to the driver "turn left" .....or something like that.
c) Any onboard camera will be susceptable to machine vibrations as well as on-board interference from motors, etc. I was told that the nanny-cams that run at 2.4GHz are problematic at best.
d) The FIRST control system operates on 900MHz spectrum I believe and there are also a lot of stuff that will create havoc with the 2.4GHz spectrum. Some of the newer pinhole spy cameras operate at the 1.2GHz spectrum

4) THEREFORE.....at the 2006 nationals, our team may play with an on-board 1.2GHz camera during practice rounds just for fun.

But, absolutely NO CAMERAS should be on-board during actual matches for ANY reason. It just opens up too many "what if" possibilities.
__________________
The THUNDER just keeps getting LOUDER in 2008....
Team 1511 now supports over 15 FLL teams

RollingThunder....Winner of the 2007 Chairman's Award at Finger Lakes Regional and Spirit Award at Boston.....Winner of 2006 Finger Lakes Regional Engineering Inspriation and Boston Imagery awards.......Winner of 2005 World Championship Rookie All-Star (plus FLR Rookie All-Star, Buckeye Top-Seeded Rookie, GTR Champion, Spirit, and Inspiration)

"Gracious Professionalism is a WAY of life".....