Driving Practice

[GMadCoolGirl]

so cool you will need a jacket

[Maffalfa]

Originally Posted by GMadCoolGirl

so cool you will need a jacket

So are we talking about something as cool as a refrigerator?

[GMadCoolGirl]

Originally Posted by Maffalfa

So are we talking about something as cool as a refrigerator?

yeah... you may need to hop in the dryer afterwards

[Maffalfa]

Originally Posted by GMadCoolGirl

yeah... you may need to hop in the dryer afterwards

Really? I was thinking more like the grill or something but that's just me I guess.

[GMadCoolGirl]

Originally Posted by Maffalfa

Really? I was thinking more like the grill or something but that's just me I guess.

I suppose that could be another option... it is a matter of preference

what ever works best for you

[logank013]

If possible, ask your programmer if they can program multiple types of joysticks. Our driver this year preferred using an xbox 360 controller for joysticks. Some drivers like the big joysticks used for things like airplane simulations. Also ask if you can have the style of joysticks programmed differently too. For instance, a normal tank drive can have different ways of driving it. Some prefer to have the left joystick control the left side front and back and the right joystick control the right side front and back. Our driver this year liked having the left joystick control front and back for both sides of the tank and liked having the right joystick control rotating clockwise and counterclockwise. Plus, it'd be a good little programming exercise.

[dirtbikerxz]

Get a controller and program controls that you like to use, not what your mentor or programmer says is the smart thing to do. Obviously listen to their advice, but if you don't like it do what you like. You are the driver, you need to use controls and a controller that you like.

I personally used a Xbox One Controller last year, and this year I got myself an Xbox one elite controller, purely because the paddles on the back make a couple of things easier to do and remember placements.

[fargus111111111]

Originally Posted by lark95

Personally i believe that the best robot to practice with is a mecanum drive-train. this is because how it drives is so very-able. if the floor is not level it will try to turn, if it is not balanced it will just be plain weird, however if you learn to position a mecanum drive train were you want it easily, then you can drive anything well.

The best drive train to practice on, in my opinion, is whatever your team uses the most, it would not make sense for my team to practice on a mecanum because we never build them, we always build some form of skid steer (arcade) drive.

As far as the best things to practice, it depends on what you are already good at, but the most important thing that we look for in a driver is smoothness, especially under time pressure. Ideally in a match the robot never stops moving unless it is shooting or loading and those should be very brief stops. I have told many people trying out for driver to slow down, don't try to go all out right away. A good way to practice this is to drive at demonstrations, especially ones with small children, you are concerned about hitting them, so you wind up practicing slow movements.

Demonstrations are really good places for an experienced driver to practice (as long as you are controlled enough not to hit anyone) because people often don't think anything about walking between you and the robot, the robot can get pretty far away from you, there are lots of distractions, and you are expected to make calculated, controlled movements. These are all things that a good driver on the field must be capable of handling. That being said, I always advocate safety FIRST. If you are not ready to drive a robot around people, DON'T! And always use bumpers in demonstrations.

Practice matches are really good for learning how to use your robot in competition however I don't find them as useful for just general driver practice. General driver practice usually takes the form of an obstacle course with consequences for major deviations off course or collisions ie lose a turn (or as previously mentioned, pushups). This helps to encourage precise and deliberate driving, both of which are far more important than fast driving.

[lark95]

Originally Posted by fargus111111111

As far as the best things to practice, it depends on what you are already good at, but the most important thing that we look for in a driver is smoothness, especially under time pressure. Ideally in a match the robot never stops moving unless it is shooting or loading and those should be very brief stops. I have told many people trying out for driver to slow down, don't try to go all out right away. A good way to practice this is to drive at demonstrations, especially ones with small children, you are concerned about hitting them, so you wind up practicing slow movements.

This is very good advice