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Unread 09-01-2008, 18:37
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Nate Laverdure Nate Laverdure is offline
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Team Role: Coach
 
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Re: How many RoboCoach Commands?

Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryVoshol View Post
Wouldn't that be very similar to a command "Move forward for 3 seconds"? That sounds legal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eagle33199 View Post
My team and i believe the idea of a "no command sent" command is entirely within the letter and the spirit of the rule - such a command is called default behavior.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ebarker View Post
Not pressing "1" within 3 seconds is not sending a command. The bot is simply playing out it's program.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eagle33199 View Post
So how do you account for default behavior?
Wow, nobody agrees with me? I didn't expect that.

All of you are concerned with default behavior. Specifically, you all mention that when the Action (which is triggered by the Command) ends, then the robot should default to Default Behavior.

Let me first define some of my terms:
Action -- a series of clearly defined movements; can be as simple as "move faster" or as complicated as "go explore that rock, drill a hole in it, do some chemistry, and back up ten feet and stop." (credit: ebarker)
Command -- any information sent to the robot to trigger an action; according to FIRST rules, there can be no more than four distinct commands.
Default Behavior -- whatever the robot was doing before any commands were issued, and before any actions were embarked upon.

Now if you'll bear with me, imagine this: what if the default behavior was that the robot was standing still, and would remain standing still unless any other command was received?

Now my examples and previously expressed exasperation should make sense, and you should agree with me that what I describe is illegal according to the 2008 rules, but in case it doesn't make sense and/or you don't agree, I'll walk through the 15-second hybrid period, time slot by time slot. If you're just tuning in now, you'll need to refer to my previous post to understand what I'm talking about.

Time
00:00 -- Hybrid period begins. The robot begins its default behavior, which, as I previously mentioned, is standing still.
00:00 - 00:03 -- Command "1" is received. Action "A" is triggered.
00:03 - 00:06 -- No command is sent. Since no command is received in this time slot (00:03 - 00:06), Action "E" is triggered.
00:06 - 00:09 -- Command "4" is received. Action "D" is triggered.
00:09 - 00:12 -- Command "3" is received. Action "C" is triggered.
00:12 - 00:15 -- Command "2" is received. Action "B" is triggered.

Action E is triggered by the lack of a command in any of the 5 time slots, would NOT normally happen as a part of Default Behavior.

This is what I've been trying to say: it is possible to
1) transmit a command,
2) and trigger any action (including complex series of events),
without actually sending a signal to the robot. AND, if the sum total of the distinct commands (including any commands sent by a LACK of a signal) total more than four, then the robot is violating the rules.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryVoshol View Post
Dude... gracious professionalism. Come on.
I was being facetious. I don't want to break the rules-- I just want to let other people know that as the rules are currently written, there is a whole lot of room for interpretation.