FMS For FLL

Other FIRST Lego League
1

Hi everyone.
It has been a few years since i have been involved with FLL. My former FRC team has been running a FLL scrimmage for the past couple of years. This year, we are looking to go official and run one of the potential Massachusetts State Qualification tournaments for FLL. This year, I have been put in charge of looking into some of the more logistical stuff for this event seeing as i am now a mentor for my team.

Now if some of you aren’t aware, in FRC, we have what is called a FMS, or field management system. It manages robot connections, scoring, audience interaction, match results, scheduling, and time keeping. I was wondering if there was a similar system out there for FLL and if not, what types of systems have people been using?

I should explain that in the past, my team has used a simple projector and computer timer but this has led to confusion with scoring as well as scheduling.

I look forward to hearing everyone’s input on this.

2

FIRST Lego League has a hybrid LabVIEW/HTML-based* timing/scorekeeping application for use at tournaments. Contact your affiliate partner for more information, but in the past the software hasn’t been available until shortly before the first tournaments occur.

*One computer uses LabVIEW to run a web server. The other computers can access the server using either using their own LabVIEW-based clients or by simply using a web browser. Typically, one computer is used for score entry, one is used for timekeeping and one or more computers are used for score/time display(s). The server can run on one of these computers or be on its own computer.

3

This is excellent I know our team is intrested in making a FLL overlay for livestreams and replays. So we will definitely have to check that out.

4

What software do you use for the video mixing of the livestream?

5

Well we haven’t actually started it, but we have looked into it. WE were thinking of a simplified version of Spectrum’s broadcasting method.

6

I was kind of thinking of setting up a similar method, i currently on my desk at home have two Roxio Game cap devices and a Hauppauge HD PVR. I plan on using my old sony handycam with the PVR and maby an eos Rebel with one of the game caps, Another option i currently have is run everything into a radioshack video switcher and output that into the pvr. I dont know what option i am going to do right now. it all depends on what camera equipment i get available to me.

7

do the computers have to have lab view, My team does not have labview and i am currently funding a decent amount of this equipment out of my own pocket (granted alot of it is stuff i wanted to buy for other purposes as well just did not have an excuse.) and dont have a means of getting labview.

8

I believe the LabView Runtime Engine is bundled in with the installer. Otherwise, the LabView Runtime Engine is a free download. You don’t need the paid version of LabView (used for developing code).