[Al Skierkiewicz]

We have used a compass in the past. Not as effective as we had hoped. Many require a neutralizing high current pulse to demagnetize the chip and surrounding area before a read. They depend on being able to sense the earth's magnetic field and can be confused by ferrous metals and other magnetic fields. All of our motors use permanent magnets and trying to position a compass within the robot is a daunting task. Several teams have used them over the years but it does present some challenges.