Backup Battery

Technical Electrical
#1

Does anybody know waht the backup battery is used for this year?

#2

I would assume that it is being used to keep the RC from turning off when the main voltage momentarily spikes low.

#3

I second that answer.

#4

Note: I have not read through all the rules. It could be used for a servo if someone wanted to use one. Mostly for retaining a connection of the main battery has a bad connection.

#5

From what my software team has told me, the backup battery powers servos for the camera, the camera, and sensors plugged into the RC board. so you dont need it, but then again, sensors would be nice. haha

#6

Use it for servos (shifting etc.) and sensors as being able to keep your robot running for a few seconds just in case something happens during game play. Unfortunately there is no camera needed this year but you still have a servo or two if you want to shift so there is still some use for it…

#7

Side Question: Are we allowed to use the camera’s this year? (Heard or read something about the fact that 2 of the trackballs have 12" circular spots on them for visual detection, so I’m thinking it’s allowed. Just looking for a clarification.

Tomasz Bania

#8

Check the flowchart, it is COTS and under the $400 from IFI, so it appears the answer would be yes.

Go nuts.

#9

I do NOT think you can use the camera this year as of rule R36.

<R36> COTS ITEMS from ROBOTS entered in previous FIRST competitions or COTS
MECHANISMS that are no longer commercially available may be used under the following
conditions:
• The item must be unmodified, and still in its original condition as delivered from the
VENDOR
• The item must not be a part custom made for the FIRST competition and provided in the
Kit Of Parts for a previous FIRST Robotics Competition (e.g. 2006 FRC transmissions,
custom-made motor couplers, custom sensor strips, 2006 IFI CMUcam II modules, etc.
are not permitted)
• The item must satisfy ALL of the rules associated with materials/parts use for the 2008
FIRST Robotics Competition)

Please correct me if I’m wrong, because I would love to use the camera this year for autonomous.

#10

It does not mention anything about the 2007 cameras!:yikes:

EDIT: Still a custom part, but weird why they specify 2006.

I know I heard or read something about the fact that 2 of the balls have those 12" circles to assist A vision system during the hybrid period. I guess we should start developing our own camera systems!

#11

Also on the backup battery, I’m curious to if we can use a backup battery charging circuit from last year. It doesnt list any design in the manual and rule R49 lists
When mounted on the ROBOT, the backup battery may be charged from the 12VDC primary battery by using the custom charging circuit available from Innovation First Inc.** or any similar charging circuit **(note: IFI will provide the design for this circuit on the IFI website, however teams must obtain the parts for this circuit and assemble it themselves). The use of this circuit is strongly encouraged.

With that does that mean teams can design their own circuit as well?

#12

I dont think it said a vision SYSTEM, I thought it just said to help vision. I think it will help the referees keep track of which ball is which. This game is going to be complicated for them, they need all the help they can get.
Joey

#13

That would only make sense if (for example) the red balls had the circles and the blue ones did not, but it’s one red and one blue ball with the circles.

#14

I read it this way as well… I’m not really sure about the CMU cam thing. Since you can purchase it from http://ifirobotics.com/camera.shtml, then that gives every team the chance to buy one, but, the rules disallow the use of custom KOP components from previous years. Sounds like a good Q&A question to me.

#15

See here for more discussion about the camera:

#16

Just because you can’t use the CMUcam doesn’t mean you can’t use your own modified visual system. Either way, telling the bot which to knock off would be based on the human player’s signals to the bot. “Hybrid” mode they now call it.

#17

Although if you have good programmers you can program the robot to automatically navigate to the ball instead of useing more buttons.

#18

the dots just seperate the balls from the views of the refs, as referred to above.

#19

Although if you have good programmers you can program the robot to automatically navigate to the ball instead of useing more buttons.

I was responding to your post questioning the usefulness of the circular or noncircular marks on the balls for autonomous purposes if both teams have each logo and the balls are placed randomly. Autonomous programmers would use the ball’s color before considering the markings on the ball, although the human players could indicate the correct logo to look for if they wanted to.

#20

I would understand if both balls one color were dotted and of the other not, but it’s one dotted and one not dotted for each color. Only would benefit if 2 red or blue balls went over at the same time, but even than not that important.