The communication tides are shifting...

[Deetman]

Originally Posted by RoboMaster

The point with the cRIO and WiFi connection is that we can get experience with real-world technologies and practices. The IFI controller and its radio were unique to FIRST, so they didn't help us in that way.

If the D-Link or TCP/IP were to be scrapped for something better, what would work well that other people/industries actually use?

I keep thinking of the DIY hobbiest community and its similarities. What would people use if they were making a robot? Arduino ethernet and wifi shields come to mind, with XBee modules. RC cars, airplanes, and helicopters also come to mind, what technology do they use? (I mean pro hobbiests, not $20 RadioShack toys).

And if these are not applicable or too hobbiest oriented, what technology do they use in industry? How do iRobot's military robots communicate? Boston Dynamic's Big Dog? All those quadrotors in development by universities? The ones companies can buy?

Hobby wise, at least for remote control, I believe Spektrum is the go to for radios/receivers. They use the 2.4GHz ISM-band and some fancy techniques and redundancies for improving reliability. People fly heavy, multi-thousand dollar R/C aircraft with these things so they certainly don't want any loss of communication. But again, this is an apples to oranges comparison as Spektrum controls the protocol from top to bottom.