Is the minibot independent from the FMS?

[AndrewD]

We are wondering this because we would like to know if the minibot is forced to stop or if we can make it come down and detach itself.

[apalrd]

s there any way for the minibot to communicate with the outside world?
The NXT is the only allowed controller, and must have bluetooth disabled.
The NXT is not required - only allowed (a switch would work).
Thus, there is no FMS interaction with the minibots. The FMS is designed to control the large robots only, the minibots are fully autonomous.

[wilsonmw04]

The minibot is completely autonomous. There is no way to interface it FMS. My kids were thinking the same thing about having it come down on their own. The weight of the NXT may not be worth it for that functionality.

[AndrewD]

Thank you.

[jethrow]

our team was thinking about a switch that when done it lets go.

[Frenchie461]

Yes. The minibot is independent from the FMS because the NXT brain has bluetooth disabled, and to the best of my knowledge (however slight that may be ), that is the only way to communicate with the minibot. So unless there is some way of killing the minibot with some new and unknown technology (think ray gun) it will stay running.

[Bryan Herbst]

All of the above is correct, but I thought I would add in that not only can you make your minibot come down on its own, but you need to.

As per <G59>, if you consistently cannot retrieve your own minibot from the tower, you will receive a yellow card (and, subsequently, a red card).

While there are ways to retrieve the minibot without making it come back down, making it come down is a lot easier and safer than trying to get up to it.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Tanis

All of the above is correct, but I thought I would add in that not only can you make your minibot come down on its own, but you need to.

As per <G59>, if you consistently cannot retrieve your own minibot from the tower, you will receive a yellow card (and, subsequently, a red card).

While there are ways to retrieve the minibot without making it come back down, making it come down is a lot easier and safer than trying to get up to it.

Something for the Q&A: Do you really need to do this?

Say your team built a custom, non-robot mounted stick with a Minibot size net on the end. You reach up with your stick and whack your minibot loose, falling into your stick's net. The Minibot is removed from the pole not under its own power. Is this legal?

[MrForbes]

Probably legal if you don't damage the field equipment. Is it wise? that's a separate question....seems to me it would be better for your minibot's longevity to make it go back down on it's own.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by squirrel

Probably legal if you don't damage the field equipment. Is it wise? that's a separate question....seems to me it would be better for your minibot's longevity to make it go back down on it's own.

Well, a "dummy" minibot could potentially just consist of two wheels and a limitswitch with proper wiring that just powers the motors when the limitswitch is active. It would be a lot easier to "knock off and catch" this minibot than it would to add the weight of an NXT to make it go back down.

[MrForbes]

There might be other ways to get it to "know" that it has to come back down, and make that happen. Think outside the control system box

[EricH]

Originally Posted by squirrel

There might be other ways to get it to "know" that it has to come back down, and make that happen. Think outside the control system box

I suspect that it might be possible to rig a set of limit switches to reverse the motor power, and lock them down to keep it reversed. Haven't actually tried it, though.