To all the Beta Testing Applicants,

[DonRotolo]

Here is some info from our application. Some comments follow.

TEST PLAN ITEMS: C++ for some items, LabView for others
a) Joystick control of a prior year robot, with tank drive and throttle stick/turn stick drive, using speed controllers.
b) Navigation using PI code with a gyro and gear tooth sensor (odometer), replicating the autonomous mode from 2008.
c) Navigation using a camera and PI code to autonomously go toward a cold-cathode light and stop at a predetermined location.
d) Linear motion control employing limit switches and a settable time delay, using relay-style motor control.
e) Smart gear shifting, based on wheel speed and/or motor current data.
f) Program the robot to avoid collisions using a sonar sensor.
g) Program the robot to operate a pneumatic system, including compressor control and piston actuation.

COMMUNICATION PLAN
Team 1676 will publish our test plan (with regular status updates) and work schedule (with an open invitation to all teams). Key accomplishments will be posted on FIRST Forums immediately, along with the bi-weekly summaries. Postings will also be available on our award-winning web site. Other testers’ postings will be studied so we don’t re-invent what we can replicate and to assure our work adds to the overall body of knowledge.

Formal information-exchange events:
a) Introductory live demonstrations and information sessions at our October 18, 2008 team-run event, Pascack Pandamonium
b) A December 2008 workshop, offering hands-on programming and wiring instruction
c) A workshop at the January 3, 2009 NJIT Kickoff
d) A build-season workshop in January 2009. This session will augment our in-season support.

Team 1676 has a history of being very open with our data, designs, and code. At regional tournaments, we routinely send help crews to aid other teams and share our scouting data via a wireless network accessible to all. During build season, we present workshops at the NJIT Kickoff, mentor other teams, and host a practice/help session at our school during the final weekend.

We have four robots on which we will be testing, each platform for some specific items. The first goal is to connect it up in place of what we had in our 2008 bot, and get the following functioning (in order): Drive code (with input shaping), Limit switches, GTS & Gyro, pneumatics. Camera will be the 07 platform (where we had got it working), and sonar and the rest will be Team 637's '08 bot. The '08 test mule will be to verify some of the code on different hardware.

We expect to make our meeting schedules public, all are welcome.

Two of the beta test team are dedicated to documenting everything, that's all they'll be doing.

Our web site will have everything, there'll be a lot of activity on CD - not sure if NI or FIRST has other ideas to add to that. All the code will be posted, we plan to maintain archives of all the versions (LabView has a facility for that), and I'm going to enforce commenting on our programming staff.

One of our agreed-upon goals is to deliver 'default code' that will, with only tweaks to acocunt for hardware, be useable by any team much like the current RC default code. Debugged and commented, of course.

At each 'event' (Pandamonium, early December, NJIT Kickoff) we'll have breakout groups for the programming folks, the wiring folks, and the rest (Pneumatics, sensors, etc).

Sounds ambitious, and it is. Team 1676 is up to it.

Don

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