What Are You Doing During Autonomous Period?

[3286]

Well to be honest, as I type this...we will be hoping that something functions as intended and hasn't caught fire or broken in half!

I had to throw that out there, if half of us are half as tired and have spent half as much time as what I suspect working thru this project, then there are a whole lot of us out there who need a day to rest and recharge!

GOOD LUCK

Mike

[oddjob]

Re: What Are You Doing During Autonomous Period?

I'm watching the match, that's what I'm doing.

With luck, the robot will be moving and kicking.

[jspatz1]

Kicking all the balls that are in our zone into the goal.

[thefro526]

Crying - Because we don't have an autonomous mode.

Or

Yelling - Because our programmer didn't make an autonomous mode.

It's 50/50 either way.

[Big Kid]

Originally Posted by thefro526

Crying - Because we don't have an autonomous mode.

Or

Yelling - Because our programmer didn't make an autonomous mode.

It's 50/50 either way.

Or he going to be proud because I have an untested autonomous mode that should work in two out of three positions

[PAR_WIG1350]

I was told we are programing auto in Boston. Might get done before then. I don't know.

[Radical Pi]

At the moment? Nothing. When we can get it working? Kick, drive forward, Kick, drive forward, kick. Our robot is short enough that we probably don't have to worry about getting out of the way

[darkangel]

We've got the simple drive-kick one, and, as far as I've seen, it's fairly accurate. Not sure if it can score goals (and I probably won't be sure until WPI), but it can get the balls over the bump, no problem.

[Tom Bottiglieri]

We will be staying out of our teammates' way when they try to kick and not incurring penalties, among other things.

I suggest you all do the same.

[ideasrule]

We're free to place the balls ourselves??? Until reading this thread, I thought the balls were placed randomly by field management. I got this impression after reading the rules, AND two people I've asked told me the same thing.

Our code can use the camera to track balls, but if we can place the balls ourselves, that capability will be useless. We can just drive forwards until the light sensors come on, kick, and repeat.

[JamesCH95]

We've got modes where we drive and kick 1, 2, or 3 times, though with how wide our kicker is I think we're going to program in a "shotgun" move where we herd 2 or 3 balls together on our kicker and then blast them all over when we get close to the bump.

[Taylor]

What Are You Doing During Autonomous Period?

Praying.

[onecoolc]

Originally Posted by JamesCH95

...I think we're going to program in a "shotgun" move where we herd 2 or 3 balls together on our kicker and then blast them all over when we get close to the bump.

Wait, wouldn't that be considered multiple balls in possesion? As in bad?

Originally Posted by Rule Book

<G43> ROBOT BALL POSSESSION - ROBOTS may POSSESS only one BALL at a time. Violation: PENALTY.

Because it looks like that from the first part of the defintion for Possesion:

Originally Posted by Rule Book

POSSESSION: Controlling the position and movement of a BALL...

Or if you don't have a suction/roller mechanism, would that be considered okay? (As of the second part of the defintion for Possesion)

Originally Posted by Rule Book

...a BALL shall be considered in POSSESSION if, as the ROBOT moves or changes orientation (e.g. backs up or spins in place), the BALL remains in approximately the same position relative to the ROBOT.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by ideasrule

We're free to place the balls ourselves??? Until reading this thread, I thought the balls were placed randomly by field management. I got this impression after reading the rules, AND two people I've asked told me the same thing.

Our code can use the camera to track balls, but if we can place the balls ourselves, that capability will be useless. We can just drive forwards until the light sensors come on, kick, and repeat.

I didn't think this was that difficult to understand:

<G09> BALL Starting Positions – Prior to the MATCH, each ALLIANCE is provided with six BALLS to be placed on the FIELD. The BALLS must be placed on a STARTING GRID location prior to the MATCH start. When the FIELD is viewed from the ALLIANCE STATION, the BALLS must be placed on the right side of the CENTER LINE, with one BALL in the near ZONE, two BALLS in the MIDFIELD, and three BALLS in the far ZONE. The BALLS must not be in contact with a ROBOT at the start of the MATCH.

OK, they could have said "provided with six BALLS which they place on the FIELD." That would have made it a little clearer. But still, if the alliance is provided with the balls, they aren't then taken away from the alliance to be put on the field. "Provided" means that they are in the alliance's possession. And if there was a process for someone else to place the balls, the rules would have specified that process. Such as the numbered location of the tetras in Triple Play, or the randomizer video game in Overdrive.

[ideasrule]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

I didn't think this was that difficult to understand:OK, they could have said "provided with six BALLS which they place on the FIELD." That would have made it a little clearer. But still, if the alliance is provided with the balls, they aren't then taken away from the alliance to be put on the field. "Provided" means that they are in the alliance's possession. And if there was a process for someone else to place the balls, the rules would have specified that process. Such as the numbered location of the tetras in Triple Play, or the randomizer video game in Overdrive.

In my defense, I was simplifying things a little in my last post. I initially thought the alliance was allowed to place the balls themselves, but wasn't completely sure, so I asked two other people. They were both $@#$@#$@#$@# sure that I was wrong, so I just believed them without re-checking the rules.

A big "oops" on my part. I'll have to rethink our autonomous strategy.