Quote:
|
Originally Posted by dlavery
Joe raises a great point and accurately illustrates how easy it would be to create an Operator Interface is USB devices were supported. And that is exactly the problem that I have with this whole idea. When we get to the point that creating the OI for our robots is just a matter of picking a gamepad out of a pile and plugging it in, then I think we have lost something very important.
OK, right up front I will admit that I am probably in a shrinking minority within the FIRST community. But there are those of us that are very concerned that the kit of parts contents, the structure of the rules, and the "easier is better" philosophy is taking too much of the challenge out of FIRST. Removing too much of the challenge removes too much of the accomplishment when you solve the problem. Removing too much of the challenge removes too much of the innovation in the solutions. And, perhaps most important, removing too much of the challenge removes too much of the fun.
-dave
|
I think there's something missing there--creating an OI panel these days can already be as easy as picking a joystick out of a pile and plugging it in. In fact, that's all 1293's done* since its inception, with reasonable results.
*Well, this season we painted them, put dental rubber bands on the return for a little tighter feel, and switched out one handle for a shift knob. But they're still stockers, deep down.
I am not Car Nack, but I think most teams would see the new USB gamepads or joysticks, shrug, and use them as they would (or wouldn't) use the current AVB joysticks, assuming that the two were of similar quality. (Now, if you put CH Flightsticks back in the KOP, I'm sure that many of the veteran teams would start dancing in the streets before realizing that they need to get designing.)
Maybe I haven't been looking hard enough, but I haven't seen anything game-changing when it comes to joysticks. There's lots of great operator panels, dashboards, mini-arms, and HUD setups and all out there, but the joysticks are more or less joysticks. Some teams will paint them or change out the handle, but almost every OI panel I've seen either uses AVBs or Flightsticks.
(Here's all the CD-Media photos tagged with "controls" for everyone's reference.)
Now, once we get into off-the-shelf breakout boards, something like 116's boards from 2006, we might be approaching the territory of too easy. (On the other hand, would that be the only way teams could get controls to work on a USB OI, unless IFI added some legacy DB15 ports?)