Human Arm based controller

[Andrew Schuetze]

Greetings,

Mentors on our team, 499 Toltechs, have more than a passing interest in control systems that attach to the operator. There are a few pictures in the gallery with an operator using a glove or jointed sensors strapped onto the human arm.

We would like to know how such systems faired during the heat of battle. Were they indeed more driver friendly. Did excitement or a sneeze/cough cause the operator to radically move an arm and send the robot flying across the field or throw a tetra

Please post if your team used such a system. Also feel free to send me email or p.m. s

Thanks,


APS

Examples
http://www.the-moat.net/robostangs/a...19_0038rev.jpg

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/pics/bin/111374999510.jpg

[mechanicalbrain]

Ive been wondering if i should use potentiometers or flex sensors. The potentiometers require a hard frame but flex sensors can be put on fabric. Thats actually the problem! im afraid it will bend accidently since fabric has a habit of wrinkling.

[phrontist]

Originally Posted by mechanicalbrain

Ive been wondering if i should use potentiometers or flex sensors. The potentiometers require a hard frame but flex sensors can be put on fabric. Thats actually the problem! im afraid it will bend accidently since fabric has a habit of wrinkling.

Flex sensors will not work. I'll put money on it. Even if you glued them to your skin. Oh, and they're expensive.

[Andrew Schuetze]

This question / follow-up may be in the wrong forum but, are such controllers allowed by the competition rules? I know that the control board must fit on the shelf at the driver's station but is there a ruling or interpretation that prevents the control system from being integrated with the driver or operator?

It appears from photographic evidence in the gallery that team 548, robostangs was allowed to use their human arm integrated controller last season.


Thanks,


APS

[John Gutmann]

well, I don't really remember what team did it, but there was a team that had controlls that wrapesd around their body, it wasn't technically integrated with the driver but it was suported by them. I believe it was orange and black striped. Please tel me if you know what i am taking about.

[[527]phil]

I built one for my ROBO-one robot, I just pulled apart a joystick and attacked them to some wooden dowels and angle iron. I think that approach is better because your able to have better control, and it's really easy to interface with the frc controller.