**FIRST EMAIL**/Invitation to Beta test the New Control System

[weinbergmath]

Congratulations to all the teams selected!

I want to make a request of those teams selected. Testing the system at the sophisticated end of applications will certainly help work the bugs out of the system (which is the point of a beta test.) Our proposal was based on creating a scripting language similar to what Robolab provides teams in FLL so that the less experienced teams would have less of a curve, and could piece together an autonomous program as FLL teams currently do.

While there are a number of reasons I feel this is necessary, one was to dissolve some of the mystery surrounding an effective autonomous that seems to limit many NYC teams from even attempting it.

I know that the selected teams have a lot of work ahead of them. I also don't know if teams have already planned to do what I propose (in which case, would certainly explain why they were selected!) If this is the case, I apologize for being redundant.

If teams have not proposed this, I ask that in the course of creating a detailed test plan for the 15th, the selected teams also include a plan for development of some additional tool that will directly benefit rookies, along with documentation that will help them use it during the 2009 season.

Just a suggestion - I can't wait to hear about how the playing is going!

Congrats again,

Evan