Here's a clarified list of things that need to be measured for field-awareness, based on the Autonomous Planning discussion.
- What region of the field am I in?
- How available are the gamepieces?
- What is the current score?
- Are there any 'bots blocking me?
- Are there any 'bot helping me?
(1)"region of the field" has been pretty much covered: track your location with the gyro and encoders. However, there's still a high possibility that this would get thrown off when a robot goes over a bump. Is there a way to compensate?
(2)"where are the game pieces" could probably be done with a camera. Is there a faster or more efficient way to find soccer balls?
(3) "what's the current score?" The camera has been brought up as a method of reading the scores off of the screen. I think that would be extremely difficult (due to lack of testing) to have working at competition. Would this information have to be supplied by the drivers?
(4 -5)"Finding nearby 'bots". This year, the bumpers were the key to determining a robot and their alliance. I'm still reluctant to use the camera for that, but I wonder about the possibility of a directional color sensor. I2C would probably be ideal, since it won't take up analog channels, and therefore several could be used for each side of the 'bot.