Dashboard Laptop Questions.....

[bigqueue]

I was wondering if it is legal for a driver to type at the leyboard of the dashboard computer?

If so, how about the ability to take in input from the drivers via the parallel port? (taken in by the dashboard program or a 2nd program?)

Can there even be a 2nd program running and displying on the computer screen?

Let me be clear.....the result/output of all of this is simply visual feedback to the drivers....no comtrol of the robot is desired.....only the ability to take input or statistics on the drivers themselves as they drive. (hear rate, breathing rate, nervous twitchs, finger snapping.....etc....)

Thanks,
-Quentin

[bigqueue]

I guess the basic question is whether the computer can take input from anything other than the data stream of the dashboard connector.

[ahecht]

What is this dashboard laptop program we are allowed to use? I hadn't heard of this before (once again, I am a total newbie).

[Nate Smith]

Originally posted by bigqueue
I guess the basic question is whether the computer can take input from anything other than the data stream of the dashboard connector.

I don't see why not...just remember that you can't send anything from the computer back to the OI...everything has to show up on screen and then have your drivers respond accordingly.

As far as the program, Innovation First has a simple one available on their web site, and they give you the data packet information to write your own. I have/had a OCX control that did the decoding for you, I'll see if I can find the code, and if nothing else, work on rewriting it...

[Dan 550]

The dashboard port on the Operatore Interface is the only port you're allowed to use for data travel, and it only goes out -- you can't send info from the laptop to the robot. But, you can use a dashboard program to get visual feedback from the current state of all of your sensors on the bot.

[bigqueue]

I can see in the rules that we can NOT use that computer to in any way directly control the robot....and this is NOT our intent.

Can we use that computer to take input from another source for the purpose of data logging or calculation?

The output of this "extra" function would simply be displayed on the screen or saved to a log file for later analysis.

BTW: Does anyone know what the email address of at FIRST for asking these sort of "RULES CLARIFICATION/UPDATE" question.


(Pushing the envelope!)