Kinect in auton allowed

[dellagd]

https://frc-qa.usfirst.org/Question/...t-to-the-robot

FIRST says its ok to use. Who wants to do it?

[F22Rapture]

I see no benefit, or very little. Kinect is cool but not particularly effective.

[Johnbot]

Originally Posted by F22Rapture

I see no benefit, or very little. Kinect is cool but not particularly effective.

We programmed the Kinect for auton in our off-season last year. It was just for fun, and it was easy, but not at all intuitive to drive. To turn, you pushed out your hips, and to turn sharply, you did the robot arm sway while pushing a hip to the side you want to turn in, to go forward, double arm sway, to raise/lower the bridge, you lifted your left or right knee.

The students could control it just fine, but lowering the bridge required lifting your knee above your gut, so when one of our mentors tried it, he almost fell over trying to raise the bridge-arm

That being said, however, it can be useful for autonomous timing. Say you and another team both shoot at the same goal during auton. You can avoid any possible shot conflicts by writing a simple hand-raise-to-shoot kinect program.

[Tuba4]

I see what the q&a answer is, but it makes no sense. If some one is controlling the robot via Kinect, then it isn't really autonomous, is it? It would be under operator control!

[Brandon_L]

Originally Posted by Tuba4

I see what the q&a answer is, but it makes no sense. If some one is controlling the robot via Kinect, then it isn't really autonomous, is it? It would be under operator control!

It is called autonomous mode, but if you read the auton rules it states that you can't be physically in contact with a controlling device and have to be behind the white line in the station. As far as I know, no rule actually says something along the lines of "can not be controlled through any means by a drive team member"

[Chris is me]

There's still zero incentive to use a Kinect this year. The only reason a Kinect would be "better" than a normal autonomous mode would be if you had to react to some unforeseen event on the field, such as an opponent trying to hit you. Since once again, the autonomous modes are segregated, there should be no scenario that wouldn't be better and more repeatedly executed in a completely autonomous fashion.

[protoserge]

I think the Kinect is a very good idea. It is a much better sensor compared to the Axis camera and can be used to offload vision targeting to a computer on the robot vs. using bandwidth to the driver station.

It is certainly not a waste of time to learn how to use it, especially since it has a nice sensor for distance.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by stinglikeabee

I think the Kinect is a very good idea. It is a much better sensor compared to the Axis camera and can be used to offload vision targeting to a computer on the robot vs. using bandwidth to the driver station.

It is certainly not a waste of time to learn how to use it, especially since it has a nice sensor for distance.

This thread is discussing using the Kinect to control your robot in autonomous mode. I completely agree that it can be a more useful sensor than an Axis camera in the right hands.

[Tuba4]

Originally Posted by Brandon_L

It is called autonomous mode, but if you read the auton rules it states that you can't be physically in contact with a controlling device and have to be behind the white line in the station. As far as I know, no rule actually says something along the lines of "can not be controlled through any means by a drive team member"

Not to "lawyer" up here, but autonomous as defined in the game manual says "Robots operate without direct driver control". With Kinect the robot would be under direct driver control. It is no less direct than when a driver manipulates the robot with joysticks. In either case there is no physical contact, but driver actions cause robot reactions.

Having said all of this, control via Kinect is cool whenever it occurs.

[protoserge]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

This thread is discussing using the Kinect to control your robot in autonomous mode. I completely agree that it can be a more useful sensor than an Axis camera in the right hands.

If you are talking about a hybrid autonomous mode, I believe you may be mistaken.

There is no hybrid autonomous.

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by stinglikeabee

If you are talking about a hybrid autonomous mode, I believe you may be mistaken.

There is no hybrid autonomous.

Then why did the GDC say it was legal to use the Kinect on the Operator Console to control the robot in Autonomous?

[protoserge]

Thanks. I missed the link and only read the rules. Derp.

My experience with Kinect would think this is not a great input device for behind the line due to the ease of other people getting into the frame of reference. The IR remote might be useful though.

[Cory]

Phew, good news. We were worried we wouldn't be able to use it again

[TheMadCADer]

Does a Kinect on the Driver Station have to be pointed at the drivers? I'm currently looking for a rule that prohibits directing it at the field and using it as a sensor for the robot that isn't on the robot. Somehow I have a feeling the GDC wouldn't approve of this...

Who knows? Maybe it could be useful. Pathfinding, maybe?

[Hjelstrom]

Originally Posted by TheMadCADer

Does a Kinect on the Driver Station have to be pointed at the drivers? I'm currently looking for a rule that prohibits directing it at the field and using it as a sensor for the robot that isn't on the robot. Somehow I have a feeling the GDC wouldn't approve of this...

Who knows? Maybe it could be useful. Pathfinding, maybe?

the Kinect only senses out to about 12 ft so it wouldn't be able to see the whole field at once. Neat idea though!