Lights to help aim

[bigbeezy]

Originally Posted by Ninjastahr

No, I mean just looking at the camera to see the goal on the driver's station without processing the images. You can just have a set line of black pixels (using the NIVision.imaqDrawShapeOnImage() or imaqDrawLineOnImage()? in Java) in the center of the image, line it up manually with the center of the goal, and shoot the ball into the goal. It's really just as easy as setting up a spike.

As stated above, most drivers don't like looking down at the driver station. So either you'd need some form of HUD so that the driver can look at the robot and view the camera at the same time, OR simply use a flashlight to shine onto the goal to show that the robot is aligned or not. Also, any lag in the camera image showing on the dashboard will affect your accuracy. Both can be viable ways of doing it.

[Peyton Yeung]

Originally Posted by Ninjastahr

Why not use a camera and a vertical line on the dashboard output?

That would require the drivers to take their eyes off the robot.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Ninjastahr

No, I mean just looking at the camera...

First, the camera image is not always immediate. If you try to steer your robot by looking at the screen, you're very likely to overshoot the target direction while you try to line things up. Second, it's just a whole lot easier to not have to look at the laptop screen in order to aim your robot.

Basically, a moving spot of light on the actual tower, where the driver is already focusing his or her attention, is much simpler to deal with than a flat and slightly delayed image of the tower on the laptop.

[IronicDeadBird]

Originally Posted by stoddard

How do you wire a flashlight to the robot, this is our second year and there is still a lot of new stuff for us to learn?

Did someone order cheesecake?

What you will need for just the flashlight.
A 12 volt flashlight
A spike relay.
To augment the flashlight so it has a more focused beam or less light showing overall you can use
Black electrical tape
A focusing lens (a lot of science departments at schools have these for various experiments)




We use this 12 volt flashlight wired to a spike relay. This flashlight is nice because it is one where the light can pivot and it really helps that we don't need to angle the entire thing in order to aim it properly. Earlier in the build season I also borrowed a focusing lens from the physics department at the school I mentor with (most science departments at schools do an occasional light activity and should have one otherwise they can be purchased through a ) and after measuring the optimal distance for placement of the lens had a student cad and 3D print something for a smaller flashlight to hold the lens at the correct distance. We reused that mount with zip ties and tape instead of cading a new one for the flashlight I posted above due to time constraints. Since the lens we have is smaller then the flashlight we used black electrical tape to reduce the amount of light that shines through hopefully reducing the chance of it being distracting. Wiring the flashlight was simple because it is done through the spike to the battery leads which gives you the ability to turn them on and off.

With the exception of the 3D printed mount (which in all fairness you can use any sort of material to mount the lens to the flashlight) everything is all COTS and takes minimum work to put together.

Cheese it up!

[Monochron]

I am guessing there is some reason that you can't simply use a motor controller outputting 3 Volts? I would assume this was the simplest way to power a 3V light, but the fact that no one has suggested it makes me think it wouldn't work.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Monochron

I am guessing there is some reason that you can't simply use a motor controller outputting 3 Volts?

The reason you can't use a motor controller outputting 3 volts is simple: You can't get an FRC legal motor controller to output 3 volts. It's either providing no voltage or full battery voltage (in one direction or the other). Inductive loads like a motor will average out the pulse-width modulated battery voltage, but a 3 volt flashlight is likely to be very unhappy with even a brief application of four times the expected voltage.

[Codster39221924]

Hi Mike i'm Cody i was wondering how you guys mounted the flashlight? I would like to hear how you guys did it. Please reply asap. Thank You.

[Codster39221924]

Originally Posted by Michael Corsetto

What height was the beam at? I could maybe see their point if it was pointed at eye level. We aimed our beam to hit the very top of the tower, but that was more out of convenience for mounting than anything else.

-Mike

Hi Mike i'm Cody i was wondering how you guys mounted the flashlight? I would like to hear how you guys did it. Please reply asap. Thank You.

[Cothron Theiss]

Originally Posted by Codster39221924

Hi Mike i'm Cody i was wondering how you guys mounted the flashlight? I would like to hear how you guys did it. Please reply asap. Thank You.

Might be better to PM him if you need a response from him specifically.