can you put a camra on the robocoach station?

FIRST General Forum
#1

<R102> Teams are permitted to connect a portable computing device (Laptop computer, PDAs,
etc.) to the RS-232 output of the dashboard port of the Operator Interface for the purpose of
displaying feedback from the ROBOT while participating in competition MATCHES. Please
note that AC power will not be available at the playing field so these devices will have
to run on internal batteries.

Here is the question which is up for debate, whether or not you can put a camera in the robocoach station so that the driver can see both from the robots perspective and the robocoaches perspective. I’m not sure which way it could go since the rules do not specifically state you cant as far as i can see.:confused: :confused: :confused:

#2

there isnt anything prohibiting it IMO but it could go either way.

#3

There is a rule (don’t know the number off-hand) that says you can’t have any RF communication to the player station. Also, you can’t run wires from the robocoach station to the player station (that’s due to the size limitations). Therefore, if you had a camera at the robocoach station, there’s no way of sending that video signal back to the driver.

#4

But what about if you had the signal from the robocoach
first sent to the robot which from there is rerouted to the driver operation interface
I also know its legal to put a camera on the robot and to have it send its footage to the drivers operational interface. so why couldnt you do the same for the robocoach

p.s. if u can find the rule you were talking about… please post it.

#5

You might want to read Section 8.3.8 and Section 8.3.10 of the Manual very carefully (for that matter, you should be reading ALL of the Manual very carefully, but that is another topic…)

-dave

.

#6

<R85> Any decorations that involve broadcasting a signal to/from the ROBOT, such as remote cameras, must be cleared with FIRST Engineering prior to the event and tested for communications interference at the venue. Such devices, if reviewed and approved, are excluded from Rule <R64>. Note that 900 MHz camera systems will not be approved, and are not permitted at any time.

This makes it sound like you can use cameras, though I don’t know what purpose they had in mind when writing this rule.

#7

Here is the problem with the camera rules. They say plenty when it has to do with the robot… however not so when dealing with the robocoach. the one that are there deal with robocoach to robot, not robocoach to driver

#8