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Unread 06-04-2010, 00:36
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mwtidd mwtidd is offline
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AKA: mike
FRC #0319 (Big Bad Bob)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Rookie Year: 2003
Location: Boston, MA
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Re: Programmers: I Have A Challenge For You

Quote:
Originally Posted by ideasrule View Post
Given the complexity of the undertaking, I think it's better to focus on one project than to have two projects going in different directions. If some people here only know one language, I can help convert C++ code into Java code or vice versa, so that's not a problem.
The initial goals of the project require both a Java version and a C++ version. We are trying to develop a code base for easy programming of Mechanisms(Drives, Arms, Shooters...), Maneuvers, and an Event System. The architecture should be able to be utilized by teams regardless of what language they are using. So don't look at it as two projects, look at it as one architecture in two languages. (i.e. Hello and Bonjor accomplish the same goal, but by being able to say both you increase the number of people you can say hi to)


Quote:
Originally Posted by gblake View Post
I'm curious who the four folks/teams are, and how you are organizing your assault on this mountain - Can you post a few of the project schedule milestones and high-level software architecture outlines? Those would be good fodder for this thread.

Blake
I am a mentor for team 319, and a senior of CS @ WPI.
History of 319 autonomous successes: pull 10 pt ball into field in 05, shoot 9/10 in 06, knock a ball in 08, shoot 2/3 in 10. The teams have recently signed on to the first forge project so not much has been organized but will be soon (I have a competition in 2 weeks for $1200 which i am trying to get to start the first FRC team in Haiti).

The goals of the project are to first get the basic architecture down so you can implement a cookie cutter program in one day.

Second phase would be to implements a more intelligent system (possibly working off some form of decision tree), which could play a match of Breakaway offensively.

Third phase would be to implement some form of localization and communication (Zigbee module) so robots could communicate with one another.

See above for basic architecture idea, but more complex is described on the firstforge page. The idea is that maneuvers are the same for every robot, and same with basic mechanisms(a drive drives, a arm raises and lowers, a shooter cocks and shoots..) by using maneuvers that can pass, fail and timeout (decided by the mechanisms) you can create a state machine of maneuvers which should work on any mechanism based system. All the programmer has to define is how the mechanism actually executes a given task, and what it believes a pass or fail to be, alternatively you can do it all on timers through the timeouts, and then the mechanism just runs that operation until it receives another.

The importance is in a simple but extendable architecture.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ Miller View Post
I'm a mentor for Team 1421 and Computational Scientist who would be happy to help with this project. I look forward to hearing more about it.

MJ
If you are looking to help that would be awesome! I am so excited by the response from teams looking to work collaboratively, I feel this is one area where FIRST has been held back ... (why for all the secrecy among teams??). As the awards that are given out are not actually monetary, I would like to see teams work together much more. But thats besides the point...

for anyone even considering working on this project please sign up for a first forge account and register under the ADK project, this is where all the tasks will be organized and delegated.

http://firstforge.wpi.edu/sf/projects/bobotics

cheers to all!
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