Quote:
Originally Posted by Ether
Could you elaborate please? What is it greatly simpler than?
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It greatly simplifies it from control setups can be observed at (I'll conjecture) any FRC Regional, where the drivers themselves do not seem to have a full understanding of the best way to move the bot around. That problem is a result of either complex controls or lack of practice. In either of those cases, it's advantageous to simplify the controls. My case here also assumes that the drive train is geared for a balance of speed/acceleration (10-11 fps) for a typical* 140-150lb robot.
Here are what I consider 'bloated'
- 2 Joysticks that control different degrees of freedom**.
- 1 Joystick that has a "twist" action for a z-axis rotation, in which users (from novices to veterans) unknowingly twist it ever so slightly while trying to strafe
- Control software code where (as an example of negligible amounts) 10% more rotation control input from a joystick translates to 10% more rotational output from the robot even while the robot is strafing
- Overly sensitive controls where fine muscle movement is needed (like game pad thumb sticks) for the difference between (example) strafing left and strafing the forward left diagonal. This is particularly noticeable when combined with the 3rd bullet.
Additional programming or practice may alleviate the problems of the above situations. However, starting with something fundamentally simpler would also alleviate the problem with less impact on the robot's schedule. In other words, the drivers get more practice learning the robot's interaction with game elements rather than learning how to make the durn thing move as expected.
I was able to observe many matches with Mecanum drive trains as Scouting mentor in 2010. I was also able to observe hundreds of little kids at the
USASEF last weekend as they drove a couple of Mecanum drive trains on the mini field. So really, this is all just based upon my observations and opinions, for whatever one feels they're worth.
*Typical here is what I've seen on field. A CIM motor that drives a 6" Mecanum wheel that is mounted directly to an AM Toughbox (or Nano) moves the robot at roughly 10.5 ft/s. Under normal conditions, the motor load across 4 motors for such a setup is near peak efficiency of the CIM motor regardless of a Mecanum drive train's wheel base (since all 4 force vectors assist in turning on a Mecanum drive train).
**I've yet to observe a driver who is naturally a master of the Halo-style of driving without having spent many hours playing Halo already.