RACK & ROLL Reaction

[ChuckDickerson]

Originally Posted by Richard

Tomorrow I'd like to try this: stand near the Rack (e.g., at station 1) holding a Ringer. Have two students stand near other parts of the Rack (stations 4 and 6) and randomly bump the bottom or middle Spider Arm Plates, while I try to put the Ringer on a Spider Arm at my station, using one hand.

I'm thinking this is going to be a test of my reaction time. And I'm thinking it would also test a driver's reaction time to try the same feat using a robot. I'm thinking that the CMU camera will only be able to tell the robot the time-average location of the swinging Spider Arm Plates.

I'm thinking that Rack scoring will be hard.

Richard, I very much agree. Our remote rickoff only had a wood mockup of the rack but I have studied the drawings and think I am correct is saying the 4 green lights remain (more or less) stationary while the spiders are able to swing around quite a bit relative to the light position. Now the wood mockup we had at the remote kickoff seemed generally pretty unstable but I assume the real deal (metal rack) will be a more rigid frame. I understand the camera can now (supposedly) track multiple targets (green lights) but I don't think that means it can track the diamond plate circles can it? What I can't figure out is if the camera system can only help you find the relatively stationary green light(s) how is it supposed to be able to track the moving spiders at all and get your ring delivery mechanism within +/- 1.5" of being on target. I derive the +/- 1.5" simply by subtracting the 10" diameter diamond plate circle from the 13" center hole of the pool ring and dividing by 2. Since the rule apparently do not allow you to hold the spider steady to allow easier placement of the rings I believe scoring the rings might be more difficult than first glance.