1519 - Video of "Speed Racer" in Autonomous

[Ken Streeter]

With our regional tournament, the Granite State Regional, starting tomorrow, we decided it was high time for us to post a video of our "Speed Racer" driving in autonomous (hybrid) mode.

The video is now available on the team's webpage at http://www.mechanicalmayhem.org or http://www.team1519.org

You can go directly to the page with the video on it at http://www.mechanicalmayhem.org/teamvideos.asp

Enjoy!

PS: Oh, and yes we know that "Speed Racer" didn't have bumpers or a flagpole on it when this was filmed -- don't worry, we've built those too and they'll be on the robot at GSR...

[Branden Ghena]

THAT'S FAST

What kind of speed is it 15 fps? Looks cool.

[Ian Curtis]

I posted this in another thread, but instead of thread jacking that one, it's probably better asked here:

Wowser, that's fast! You guys got any object avoidance plans/software? Or is it more of a "get as many lines as we can before getting into a spectacular collision with another robot" plan?

[BenjyPoore]

The robot's max speed is about 20 fps.

If you look on the video, at the front of the "lid", there are 3 ultrasonic sensors we are trying to use for obstacle avoidance. They are currently getting too many false positives, we're guessing, from the floor. We will try to improve it more tomorrow at GSR.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by BenjyPoore

The robot's max speed is about 20 fps, but to improve the handling, we slowed it down to 60% power, I think.

If you look on the video, at the front of the "lid", there are 3 ultrasonic sensors we are trying to use for obstacle avoidance. They are currently getting too many false positives, we're guessing, from the floor. We will try to improve it some more this afternoon.

I made an autonomous rc car with obstacle avoidance using ultrasonic sensors.

Some of the false positives may be caused by vibration; I was getting a lot and I read it in a thread from 2006 here. I then mounted my ultrasonic sensors on foam to damped the vibration and they worked much better.

[iwin2000]

Sorry for my stupidity but you use a gyro to stabilize during the turns right? Our team has never used one and looking at your video it seems like a good idea to have one...

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by BenjyPoore

The robot's max speed is about 20 fps, but to improve the handling, we slowed it down to 60% power, I think.

If you look on the video, at the front of the "lid", there are 3 ultrasonic sensors we are trying to use for obstacle avoidance. They are currently getting too many false positives, we're guessing, from the floor. We will try to improve it more tomorrow at GSR.

All I got to say is, it may not be the fastest bot at GSR, nor the only one with a SONAR collision avoidance system

Best of luck guys, we'll see you at GSR.

BTW, very nice 'bot.

[Tetraman]

whats does gently bumping to ask a robot to move sound like?

'Crash'?

hahaha. Good work. thats nuts!

Are you still trying to make that and your other robot weigh less than 120 lb together? If so, are you planning to switch out RC's or something?

Looks good though.

[Tapoore]

Originally Posted by Jaybee1405

Are you still trying to make that and your other robot weigh less than 120 lb together? If so, are you planning to switch out RC's or something?

Looks good though.

Yes, both robot configurations are still under 120lbs together. They both accept exactly the same electronics board. The only other things that need to be swapped are the flag holder and the IR board.

Cool. How does the bumper rules apply for you? And how are you going to go to inspection, with one on top of the other?

I really like this idea.

[LizzieP]

Apart from one shared bumper, we have separate sets for each robot configuration. Together, they weigh just under 15lbs.

For inspection, the speed-racer configuration would fit inside the hurdling configuration if necessary.

[Doug Leppard]

Let me make sure I got this right. You have two configurations of the robot, one a hurdler other a speed racer and you put on the field which one is needed most?

Did you really go across 9 lines in 15 seconds, wow 45 points?

Very creative.

[dbell]

Originally Posted by Doug Leppard

Let me make sure I got this right. You have two configurations of the robot, one a hurdler other a speed racer and you put on the field which one is needed most?

Did you really go across 9 lines in 15 seconds, wow 45 points?

Very creative.

Yes, you got it right.

Yes we cross 9 lines.
9 lines x 4 points = 36 points (not 45)

[StevenB]

And how are you going to go to inspection, with one on top of the other?

I don't think that's required. <R12> requires that all configurations combined meet the 120 lb. limit, but doesn't say that they must all simultaneously meet the size requirements. Of course, this is an issue that FIRST hasn't dealt with very much, so I would put it within the judgment of the referees.