Day 1 Week 1

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by lasereyes

Before we shipped our robot, we added a layer of Lexan on the robot. It was also in front of the IR board. It worked fine, so I don't think Lexan affects an IR signal that much.

I agree. We made a lexan case for our IR receiver and no problems receiving signal.

[Betty_Krocker]

ok now i am worried. i am a week two regional, and have some concerns. first off he have fiberglass grippers that go around the outside of the ball and i am concerned about them snapping off since people say that there is a lot of arm to arm contact. also during testing at home, we forgot to pick the wheels up off the ground when loading the program, and it shot forward (while still tethered) and we ended up herding a table! has anybody broken their arms yet...
like i said we are using fiberglass grippers that i molded, which are only 2 or 3 layers thick, with a plywood rib on the back...
does anybody think there will be a problem?

[Storcky]

Originally Posted by Wayne C.

Everybody is velcroing their control systems to the operator station because runaway robots in autonomous are smashing the far walls and tossing the controls off the shelf.

Ever since our joystick snapped during the autonomous of the Pittsburgh semi-finals two years ago, 1629 has used a very heavy control panel with rubber pieces on the bottom. I think that adding the extra velcro will help.

[JB987]

Originally Posted by Wayne C.

As stated in our "unveiling" thread- we had two problems caused by the field today

First- the height dimension for the overpasses has been getting lower and lower. By days end the sag had them down to 76" from the floor. A number of robots, including us, want to clip the bottom of the ball just under the overpass to pop it up. So if you counted on a more or less 78" be wary because it may be way off from that. We slammed the crossbar on our first outing and spent the rest of the day trying to finagle some solution to this inconsistency.

Second- Our IR system worked flawless at home. We pointed a dozen different remote controls at it, shot it through windows, pipes, cupped hands- well you get the picture. In the pits it worked like a charm.
On the field it suddenly became erratic and lost signal. Hmmm. After an afternoon of anguish we found the culprit- that damned flag beacon. The IR system to count the laps was mounted right next to our receiver and the beacon was blasting the system. We cut power to the beacon and it worked fine. So we moved the receiver and shielded it and that seems to work fine. Thanks to 1676 for the button we formed into a beacon shield.

As for game play- picture driving at rush hour when you are in a hurry to get home. Everybody- arm or no arm- needs the walls to corner the ball. And there is fair arm to arm contact.

Everybody is velcroing their control systems to the operator station because runaway robots in autonomous are smashing the far walls and tossing the controls off the shelf.

Overall the game is not as wonderful as I would have hoped.

WC

It would be helpful for teams to know the answer to this really big question, Wayne...which side of the velcro is facing up on the control station -fuzzy or loops?...and thanks for the tip regarding ir receiver positioning! Good luck on the track everybody.

[MrForbes]

I knew it was in there somewhere....

"6.4.2 Player Stations

Attached to the Alliance Station Wall are three aluminum shelves to support the robot control systems of the three teams on the ALLIANCE. The support shelf measures approximately 60 inches wide by 12 inches deep. There is a 4-1/2-foot long by two-inch wide strip of Velcro tape (“loop” side) along the center of the support shelf that may be used to secure the ROBOT controls and Operator Interface. Each setup location includes a competition cable that attaches to the “Competition Port” of the Operator Interface. This cable provides power for the team’s Operator Interface and controls communications with the ROBOT. Emergency Stop (E-Stop) buttons for each team are located on the left end of each Player Station shelf. Arena components (including team number displays, competition arena hardware, alliance lights, control hardware cabinets and clock displays) are also located above the Player Station and below the shelf"

You need the hooks on your Operator Console, to grab onto the loops on the strip on the shelf.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by JB987

fuzzy or loops?

Originally Posted by squirrel

"6.4.2 Player Stations

... There is a 4-1/2-foot long by two-inch wide strip of Velcro tape (“loop” side) along the center of the support shelf ...

The loop side is the fuzzy side, right? The hooks are the plastic side.

I think we'll be making a modification to the back of our control board on Thursday in Detroit.

[MrForbes]

We're just planning on bringing the roll of velcro and javing the drive team take a piece or two with them for the first practice match, and make sure to put it on in the right places.

[ChuckDickerson]

Originally Posted by Wayne C.

Everybody is velcroing their control systems to the operator station because runaway robots in autonomous are smashing the far walls and tossing the controls off the shelf.

While I think this is a great idea I don't understand what everyone is velcroing their controls to? Is the shelf somehow different from previous years? In the past it was just an aluminum shelf and to my knowledge velcro (hook/loop part) doesn't stick to aluminum very well. If you are meaning teams are actually sticking the sticky side of the hook or loop half to the aluminum is FIRST allowing this? Whatever they are doing per the combination of <R13> (the operator controls are part of the robot except for weight) and <G34> (robots may not grab, grasp, grapple, or attach to any arena structure.) I didn't think we are allowed to attach the controls to the shelf.

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by DeepWater

While I think this is a great idea I don't understand what everyone is velcroing their controls to? Is the shelf somehow different from previous years? In the past it was just an aluminum shelf and to my knowledge velcro (hook/loop part) doesn't stick to aluminum very well. If you are meaning teams are actually sticking the sticky side of the hook or loop half to the aluminum is FIRST allowing this? Whatever they are doing per the combination of <R13> (the operator controls are part of the robot except for weight) and <G34> (robots may not grab, grasp, grapple, or attach to any arena structure.) I didn't think we are allowed to attach the controls to the shelf.

Yes the shelf is different. Squirrel already quoted the description from the manual in this thread.

[ChuckDickerson]

Thanks! I can't believe I missed that! Now I get it.

[Racer26]

What I want to know, since we're missing a webcast of BAE, is how 1519's speed demon of a robot is keeping up with decent hurdlers.

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by 1075guy

What I want to know, since we're missing a webcast of BAE, is how 1519's speed demon of a robot is keeping up with decent hurdlers.

I don't know from 1519's robot, but my first idea seeing the game announcement was, "I wonder if someone will build a mini-bot racer with Ackerman steering, high-grip wheels, and rear-wheel drive, just ignoring the ball completely." Sort of like a scale model Nascar racer, complete with stagger and the inability to turn right. Anyone build something like that?

[Robotoer]

My team (Team 1678) built pretty much the exact robot you just described: Ackermann steering, high traction back powered wheel, an optional ball herding device.

[Dad1279]

Originally Posted by Wayne C.

As stated in our "unveiling" thread- we had two problems caused by the field today

......

Second- Our IR system worked flawless at home. We pointed a dozen different remote controls at it, shot it through windows, pipes, cupped hands- well you get the picture. In the pits it worked like a charm.
On the field it suddenly became erratic and lost signal. Hmmm. After an afternoon of anguish we found the culprit- that damned flag beacon. ........

Wish I saw this sooner..... Our IR is right next to the beacon!! Quick fix tomorrow morning, and I hope our auto will work again.....

Do the balls at NJ seem overfilled?

Those robots with forks.... plan on getting them caught in the fencing.....

[StevenB]

I don't know from 1519's robot, but my first idea seeing the game announcement was, "I wonder if someone will build a mini-bot racer with Ackerman steering, high-grip wheels, and rear-wheel drive, just ignoring the ball completely." Sort of like a scale model Nascar racer, complete with stagger and the inability to turn right. Anyone build something like that?

That's basically 1519's speed racer (except that it can turn right). You can find video of it at www.team1519.org/teamvideos.asp
However, 1519 has another robot configuration which is a hurdler. They built both configurations to meet the robot requirements together, so they could place either one on the field, depending on what other teams were playing.
Unfortunately, they have not been allowed to use this strategy, and have only used their hurdler in competition.