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#1
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
I don't think this is a super accurate version of the events.
To some extent, machine vision has been a thing since 2006 - teams used cameras effectively that year for the high goal. The main reason camera tracking was not a thing in 2009 was the new control system combined with the moving, non-lit target. Teams certainly did use camera tracking to some extent, but often / usually, manual tracking was faster. In 2010 and 2011, your robot started in a known location facing a stationary goal, so what was the camera even for? In 2012, a similar argument applied, but when teams started moving around the camera got beneficial. The rules also opened up to start allowing coprocessors sometime before 2012 which was a big help. 341 was a notable, highly visible example of camera tracking, certainly, and they had an effect, but I think it's a bit simplifying and disingenuous to suggest that camera tracking wasn't taken seriously until 341 demonstrated it being used effectively. In 2013 and 2014, see 2010 and 2011. 2015 doesn't count. So 2016 was really the only opportunity since 2012 for camera tracking to be an advantage. You had to cross defenses before shooting which made the physical position of the robot on the field not nearly as certain. This is why you saw a lot more cameras for autonomous that year - as well as flashlights for teleop. So really, the use of cameras is much more driven by the game than by the coolest example of it from a particular year - and cameras have been an available option to FRC teams in one way or another for many, many years. There certainly was a dramatic shift in capability between the pre-2009 CMUcam and the 2009 NI system, as well as a shift in 2012 the first year coprocessors were allowed when a camera was a potential advantage. But camera use is really a response to the conditions of the game more than anything else. |
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#2
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
My guess is that soon, everyone will see the merit of a 4-axis self-controlled robot arm on their robot.
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#3
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
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![]() I believe the real leap in vision processing has come in the form of cheap Android phones that are incredible powerful with great cameras on them, props to 254 for leading the way. The tracking frame-rate and ease of development you can get from building vision in an Android app is way ahead of any other co-processor/on-board vision processing I've seen. I'd love to see some common tools develop around this, the communication between the App and the Rio can be tricky right now. It would be awesome to see every kit include a powerful $200 Android phone with some standard tools to do vision processing with. |
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#4
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
How about linear actuation? Of course pneumatics have been used forever, but these electric actuators are starting to pop up. They allow you linear motion without the weight of an entire pneumatics system.
The DART actuators last year and now REV has their hi power servos and AndyMark offers their linear servo. I'd like to see the VersaPlanetary adapted for linear motion. It would provide a smaller footprint than the DART actuators with sufficient power to do many things on FRC robots. The multiple gearing options would continue to make this versatile as well. |
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#5
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
I look at this a bit more philosophically...there is a great deal of technology out there that the average team knows about or has access to with ...(fill in your favorite search engine)...but the issue is and has always been how to replicate something on a team budget, max component value of $400, CAW max of $4000, or access to advanced manufacturing methods. I think the next leap forward will depend on whatever industry drives the price down on or whatever mass sponsorship resources start popping up.
I agree that the next most probable advance will be in motion control. We are already seeing integrated industrial linear and rotary servo motion falling below $400 and at power and load ratings useful to FRC teams. We are also seeing industrial and tech sponsors catching FIRST fever, from both philanthropic and smart leveraged marketing reasons, giving more manufacturing resources to local and global teams. Also, more teams are embracing CAD and modelling to accelerate the prototyping and design process. So, my prediction is that the next wave, though less obvious and harder to measure, will be that the average team will make big leaps in build-to-print or build-to-model robot designs. We will see more off-the-shelf technology being integrated into designs as prices fall, and more CNC, laser or water-jet cut parts on the average robot. With social media and the HUGE repository of robot designs, robot reveals and match play videos, the need for testing specifics will decrease. I already see all of this happening in our district, and suspect that this will continue to grow. |
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#6
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
By far my favorite 2015 design.
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#7
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
Or maybe ramps on your robot for other robots to drive on top of.
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#8
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
Smaller, inexpensive water jet cutters that can cut 48x48x.25in aluminum to .001 in accuracy at 100 in/min for less than $1000 and a tech grant to get one in KoP
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#9
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
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YESSssssssss! |
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#10
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
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#11
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
The three biggest advances in the last six years or so are:
Swerve-in-a-box for less than $100/module, requiring nothing other than attachment to standard VF to make a drivebase, would change mobility. I think that's coming. |
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#12
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
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#13
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
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#14
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
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#15
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Re: What will be the next technical growth leap for the average team?
The next big step is going to be the continued development of consumer-grade machine tools. Additive manufacturing capability is already percolating down to the hobbyist and prosumer levels, and teams have adopted that technology already. As we see similar developments in affordable CNC mills/routers/lathes/combo machines, I suspect we'll see significant strides in machinery capabilities of teams who work out of classrooms and garages.
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