Well, having been to Copley and seen nothing of importance, here are some more ideas to throw into the heap:
Assuming (of course!) that the first two numbers indicate an Earth position, and that position is in the middle of a brick plaza at Copley Square, it seems to me it's the playing field of the game, and that coordinates (of some sort) play a factor in the game.
Copley Square, and the whole of Back Bay, is not on a north-south grid, but (as carefully as I can do it capturing a google map and drawing a line on it using PaintShop Pro), is approximately 342.242026 degrees counterclockwise from North. I suppose my next trip to Copley I could bring some surveying equipment there and check my measurements?
Remember last years clue, with the photo of the "5" on the metal circle? There wasn't five anythings in the game -- not even five robots vs one. The "5" was simply the number on the rack that faced the audience. The clue numbers may not mean anything by itself, just that coordinates play a factor in the game. And maybe that the game is called "Copley Squares". (Copy Squares? Copling Squares? I really am not good at naming FIRST games.)
The infrared board clue may or may not have anything to do with coordinates. It seems to me that it is part of the game, and I'm guessing a part on the robot. I'm sure the number crunchers at FedEx were grinding their teeth -- what do you mean, ship a thousand packages right before Christmas?
One thought from our team -- you got 40-50 teams with tv remotes testing their robots in the Pits. Who knows how many more tv remotes in the stands. And six robots on the field receiving all these signals. The first week of competitions is going to be -- interesting. Our robot last year was chasing green light reflections off the side walls of the field in autonomous; something (as I heard it) they didn't think of. Now we have to figure out how to ignore random IR signals? I hope they've got an answer to this one.
The Tortoise and the Hare could play a part -- the statues are in the direction of 342.242026 degrees.
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Originally Posted by Elgin Clock
I'm putting Copley Square on my agenda of places to visit the next time I am in Boston.
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While I'm not trying to dissuade you, Copley Square isn't high on my list. I'll grant you the architecture is interesting and varied and worth a visit, but I guess I'm a little jaded after commuting thru there for so many years.
If you want to see Boston from up high, the Prudential Tower is still open; the Hancock tower closed after 9/11 and there is some politics about not re-opening.
The Hancock tower was called the plywood tower after it was built and all the windows kept falling out. It's safer now.
Do not even try to visit there on Marathon Day, unless you go via Hopkinton
. The whole area is closed as that is where the runners go after they finish in front of the Boston Public Library. The finish line is on Boylston between the old and new BPL buildings.
Back Bay station is an Amtrak station and the last stop before South Station. There is also commuter rail and the Orange Line. The Green Line runs under Boylston Street to the 342.242026 bearing.
Copley is also a Boston First Night (new years eve) area. In years past they've had ice sculptures.
There was a movie (durn if I remember which one) that had an explosion at the corner of Boylston and Dartmouth Streets. I had to dodge all the movie equipment walking to Copley Station on the Green Line.
Back Bay is named because it was the literally the back bay of Boston, actually tidal flats, before the Charles River was dammed and the hills of Boston were pushed into all the bays. Before Boston was on the Shawmut Peninsula and when the wind was blowing the wrong way yoiu didn't want to be there. The North/South streets are named alphabetically and I still don't know which street is which. Newbury Street is where all the ritzy shops are.
And, last but not least, if you come to the Boston competition via the subway, it's on the "B" line of the Green Line trolley (subway), and get off at Pleasant Street. My office is right opposite the Agganis Arena. And then you'll know why I drive to work instead.
