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Unread 20-10-2006, 11:57
Dave Flowerday Dave Flowerday is offline
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VRC #0111 (Wildstang)
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Re: Help with linking OI and RC over Internet....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Bottiglieri
Yes, but the connection from the host computer to the robot would not be broken. The connection from the client to host computer over the internet would. The robot would still think the OI is present, even if it was giving garbage data. It may not be very probable, but this system is just an injury waiting to happen.
This isn't the way it works. The RC goes into disabled mode if it doesn't receive a valid packet within some (short) timeframe. Garbage data will not keep the connection alive. There's a checksum on each packet that must pass, as well as receiving the correct team number and probably a few other things. These checks are all still in place even when using the tether. Well, technically I guess the team number check is removed since it will just program whatever team number it finds, but the checksum must still pass.

{edit}OK, I realize that this setup isn't quite what I was thinking. I thought you were just trying to remotely locate the OI but still use the OI for controls. How would someone remotely over the Internet actually control the robot? Are you thinking of interfacing a computer to the OI to do it?

I think the suggestion of going straight to the program port is the best. And, I don't think you even need to put the OI on the robot - if you set it to team number 0 it will run in autonomous mode without the OI (I believe). Then, just put all your code to read in commands from the serial port in the autonomous loop.

This would be an interesting experiment to try in a safe environment, but again I don't think you should use this in the halls. Even with a webcam on there, think of the problems: if the webcam stream stops, whoever is driving remotely may not realize what the robot is actually doing. Additionally, webcam streaming over the Internet usually involves several seconds of buffering. This means that what you see on the screen will be several seconds old, so by the time you see someone in the way of the robot and move to avoid them it may already be too late and you've already hit them. I can't imagine the school would ever allow you to do this anyway due to the liability. Are you going to have eveyone in school wear safety glasses? {/edit}

Last edited by Dave Flowerday : 20-10-2006 at 12:05.