Programmers on the Drive Team

[AWoL]

Originally Posted by JamesCH95

Thank you for the reply. I don't agree with your reasoning (I wouldn't want to do that on one of our robots), but I understand it.

Yup, no problem. I also forgot to mention that we do use the full forwards speed of the motors during autonomous as to complete a triple-stacked tote set in 15 seconds, and I also have a button on my controller that allows me to use full power, which is mainly for getting off of noodles (or destroying them).

[Pretzel]

Originally Posted by Skyehawk

Indicators, indicators, and more indicators. There is a lot you can do with sensors, it also makes debugging a lot easier.

While indicators may make debugging easier, I can count on one hand the number of times I looked at the smart dashboard during the last six competitions I drove for, including the Utah regional this last weekend (where I never looked at it). The only times I used it were to check in 2014 twice if we were in low gear or if two jaguars had browned out instead. I then found it much more efficient to just push my shifter button for high gear to test it.

The problem is that, for me and almost every driver I've talked to, you have to be focused in on the robot for the whole match. You need top be able to see if anything is going wrong that you need to fix, and the best way to watch for that is by looking at the robot rather than the smart dashboard.

If you do have to make an indicator, make it large and bright. Make it toggle between two colors, rather than showing words, so that the driver can see it from his/her peripheral vision. Then make a second version that can be used for debugging instead, and leave the big colorful indicators for the competition. Looking down and reading wastes previous seconds and takes your attention from the field, where it should be.

[lark95]

Originally Posted by Pretzel

While indicators may make debugging easier, I can count on one hand the number of times I looked at the smart dashboard during the last six competitions I drove for, including the Utah regional this last weekend (where I never looked at it). The only times I used it were to check in 2014 twice if we were in low gear or if two jaguars had browned out instead. I then found it much more efficient to just push my shifter button for high gear to test it.

The problem is that, for me and almost every driver I've talked to, you have to be focused in on the robot for the whole match. You need top be able to see if anything is going wrong that you need to fix, and the best way to watch for that is by looking at the robot rather than the smart dashboard.

If you do have to make an indicator, make it large and bright. Make it toggle between two colors, rather than showing words, so that the driver can see it from his/her peripheral vision. Then make a second version that can be used for debugging instead, and leave the big colorful indicators for the competition. Looking down and reading wastes previous seconds and takes your attention from the field, where it should be.

I have to agree that a driver must be 100% focused on the robot, and wont have the time to look at the computer screen. Bet there is one more way to have indicators and that is to have them on the robot. Last year we had a catching and shooting bot. To catch we lust ran the shooting wheels backwards. To aid the drivers, and human players that would be throwing into the bot, we aded led's 360 degrees around our bot. When they were both blue and red it could catch. We also had a laser for distance sensing. If we were in the right range to make the shot the led's turned off, when we were to far they were red and when we were to close they were blue.
It made it really easy on the me and the secondary driver to drive.

[Hsifeulbhsifder]

We used 2 limit switches, one at the top and one a the base, so that at the click of a button, our lift can just rush to either the top or bottom. We had also used the triggers on controller that we have for highly adjustable speed control. Holding the left trigger all the way down gives a speed of 30%, holding the right trigger grants a speed of 100%, and a neutral speed of 65% is achieved when no triggers are held. Also, the speed interpolates based on how much you press the triggers, so if I hold the left trigger half-way down, then the speed would be halfway between 30% and 65%, and if I held the right trigger 87% down, then the speed would be 87% of the way between 65% and 100%. The speed applies to both the chassis and the elevator. Also, we have glued a Lifecam USB camera to a servo, which allows it to be controllable, as well as added two fixed positions that can be reached at the press of the button. One of these positions, which aims the camera down at our claw, is snapped to instantly when the 'A' button is pressed, while the other position, which aims the camera into the distance, is snapped to instantly when the 'Y' button is pressed. We also have macros for fixed elevation and declination. So If I press a button, our claw will lift by the height of exactly one tote, and the opposite occurs when another button is pressed. Finally, we also have two buttons dedicated for exact 90 degree turns in either direction, using a gyro as a sensor.

[TimTheGreat]

Probably the most helpful thing we did for me this year was automated pickup. If I drive into the totes, it picks it up, and if I hold a button it drives until the robot is square with a tote, then raises. Makes our team 200% more efficient.

[Ozuru]

Originally Posted by TimTheGreat

Probably the most helpful thing we did for me this year was automated pickup. If I drive into the totes, it picks it up, and if I hold a button it drives until the robot is square with a tote, then raises. Makes our team 200% more efficient.

Mind sharing how you're going about detecting the majority of this? I could understand some sort of touch-based sensor for the automated tote pickup but that might be iffy and would require a large detector. How are you squaring yourself up with a tote?