Team UPDATE - 2014-01-10

FIRST General Forum
1

The ARENA
The VISION TARGETS

There are four (4) VISION TARGETS on each end of the FIELD: two (2) dynamic VISION TARGETS and two (2) static VISION TARGETS. There is one (1) dynamic VISION TARGET located above each LOW GOAL. Each dynamic VISION TARGET is located behind the polycarbonate panel on the ALLIANCE WALL. The dynamic VISION TARGET is horizontal and begins 5 ft. 8 in. above the FIELD carpet, is centered over the LOW GOAL, and consists of a panel with one (1) 4 in. wide, 1 ft. 11 ½ in. long strip of retro-reflective material (3M 8830 Silver Marking Film) adhered horizontally along the length of the panel with a 2 in. black ABS plastic border surrounding the retro-reflective material. The dynamic VISION TARGET is actuated to show the retro-reflective material when its corresponding HIGH and LOW GOAL are HOT. It will rotate to hide the retro-reflective material (pointing it upwards) when its corresponding HIGH and LOW GOAL are not HOT. Both of these conditions are shown in Figure 2-9.

**Before the MATCH starts and throughout TELEOP, both dynamic VISION TARGETS are positioned such that the the reflective material faces the FIELD. **

The static VISION TARGET is mounted such that half is behind the polycarbonate sheet above the LOW GOAL and half is behind the acrylic panel of the PLAYER STATION. It uses vertical reflectors which are located above the inside edge of the LOW GOAL. The vertical reflector consists of a 4 in. wide, 2 ft. 8 in. tall stripe of retro-reflective material bordered by 2 in. wide black gaffers tape on the left and right sides. The vertical reflectors begin 3 ft. 1 ½ in. above the FIELD carpet.

Game Details
MATCH Logistics

Although an ALLIANCE may start a MATCH with up to three (3) BALLS, the PEDESTAL will only be illuminated when the last BALL that started the MATCH is SCORED, effectively reducing the number of BALLS in play per ALLIANCE to one (1).

BALLS that are ejected from gameplay during a MATCH will be delivered to the closest HUMAN PLAYER of that BALL’S ALLIANCE by event staff at the next safe opportunity. This includes BALLS that go in GOALS but don’t meet the criteria to be considered SCORED.

If a BALL becomes damaged or completely deflated, it will be replaced by a new BALL of the same color at the next safe opportunity. Once the new BALL enters the FIELD, the damaged BALL is invalidated, considered debris, and can no longer be used in MATCH play.

**If an ALLIANCE’s BALL becomes stuck in an ALLIANCE’S ROBOT, the ALLIANCE may signal to the Head Referee that the BALL is “dead” (specifics regarding the signaling process are yet to be determined). At this point, the Head Referee will suspend the CYCLE (TRUSS and CATCH points are maintained, ASSIST accruals are voided) and re-illuminate the PEDESTAL, beginning another CYCLE for that ALLIANCE. If the dead BALL is freed, that BALL must be removed from the FIELD through one of the ALLIANCE’S GOALS or by passing to an ALLIANCE HUMAN PLAYER before the ALLIANCE can earn any more points. Each ALLIANCE is allowed to indicate one (1) BALL as “dead” per MATCH.

If an ALLIANCE’S BALL becomes stuck in an opposing ALLIANCE’S ROBOT, the Head Referee will signal an extended infraction of G12 (the assumption is that the ALLIANCE has already been penalized for the initial G12 infraction). At this point, the Head Referee will suspend the current CYCLE and re-illuminate the PEDESTAL, beginning another CYCLE for that ALLIANCE. If the stuck BALL is freed, that ball will be considered FIELD debris.

If a BALL becomes stuck on the TRUSS, the Head Referee will shake the TRUSS to free the BALL. In this situation, the ALLIANCE will not earn TRUSS points. While shaking the TRUSS, the Head Referee will take care not to impact gameplay of the other ALLIANCE. **

root
Game Manual
General Updates

Windows 7 activation update:

If you’ve had trouble activating Windows on your Classmate, the procedure, 2014 Windows 7 Activation Procedure_Rev0, to activate the Windows 7 images posted on the Intel FRC Image Portal has been posted at http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/technical-resources.

In order to activate the copy of Windows 7, teams must download this tool and run the application.

Sounds like a reasonable resolution to the ball stuck issues. Glad to see an activation fix.

2

"If a BALL becomes stuck on the TRUSS, the Head Referee will shake the TRUSS to free the BALL. In this situation, the ALLIANCE will not earn TRUSS points. While shaking the TRUSS, the Head Referee will take care not to impact gameplay of the other ALLIANCE."

New criteria for head referees, be very strong.

On the serious note, if the truss can be shaken enough so that a stuck ball will be freed, what precautions will be made to prevent the truss from falling down if a larger force was applied (ie. robot with ball extending above 62in)? Also, what happens if the ball stays stuck for an extended period of time or even the whole match?
(#trussfall)(#trussfail)

3

Good solution, the best way, to do this.

4

Lots of weights on the truss bases. :wink:

5

Agreed. This season is 2/2 in terms of good team updates so far!

6

Look at what is the base of the truss… It aint falling over from shaking or a robot hitting it.

7

Great solution for a ball stuck during teleop.

However I’m not sure I understand what this means at the end of autonomous, likely for balls “stuck” in a non-moving robot.
More interestingly how about two balls stuck in multiple non-moving robots?

8

I speculate that the truss is not so rigid that it will not vibrate, so a ball can be dislodged using that vibration, but it not so compliant that it will fall over.

9

Question: does this mean that teams will suspend work on their automatic ball eject systems? :yikes:

10

I think FIRST has accounted for the occasional failure or communication error with this update. The teams now have to hold up their end of the bargain, and design their robots so this does not happen often.

11

pertaining to the opposing alliance getting your ball stuck: “If the stuck BALL is freed, that ball will be considered FIELD debris.”

Is this ball going to be handled the same way as a dead ball?

12

Field debris: Better known as out of play permanently. See Section 3.1.2.

13

It appears that the team update was revised. Here’s the new stuff:

General Rules
G12

An ALLIANCE may not POSSESS their opponent’s BALLS. The following criteria define POSSESSION :

“carrying” (moving while supporting BALLS in or on the ROBOT),
“herding” (repeated pushing or bumping),
“launching” (impelling BALLS to a desired location or direction), and
“trapping” (overt isolation or holding one or more BALLS against a FIELD element or ROBOT in an attempt to shield them).

Violation: TECHNICAL FOUL per instance. If extended, another TECHNICAL FOUL. If strategic, RED CARD for the ALLIANCE.

Motors & Actuators
R29

The only motors and actuators permitted on 2014 FRC ROBOTS include the following:

Table 4-1: Legal Motors
Add Banebots M7-RS775-12 / RS775WC-8514

It also looks like the classmate windows activation info was deleted.

14

Violation: TECHNICAL FOUL per instance. If extended, another TECHNICAL FOUL. If strategic, RED CARD for the ALLIANCE.

Sure hope they come back and clarify saying that traditional red card rules apply in that instance (offender carded in qualifiers, alliances in elimination) because that could be a real gem-of-a way of tanking an alliance partner you are randomly matched with.

15

So by the terms of possession, if the robot is immobile with an opponents ball, is it considered possession since the robot is not moving? If it is considered possession, then that means an immobile robot with a ball on an allied robot is also considered possession meaning any robot, mobile or not, that is fully supporting a ball is considered in possession of the ball. Unless of course an immobile robot with a ball on it is not considered possession. Right?

16

I just made a thread for this very topic not 5 hours ago:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=124434

17

I think it’s a way of ensuring that you keep your partners off of your opponents’ ball.

If your own is stuck, you declare dead ball, the ball is dead, assists are reset, and you get a new ball–and to be clarified, you might get goal points from it if it comes free.

If your opponents’ is stuck in you, you get 100 points in fouls, possibility of an alliance red card…AND they get a fresh cycle! Translation, if you know a partner has a tendency to chase and possess the wrong ball, keep them far, far away from the opponents’ ball, by using the E-stop if you have to!

18

If a BALL becomes stuck on the TRUSS, the Head Referee will shake the TRUSS to free the BALL. In this situation, the ALLIANCE will not earn TRUSS points. While shaking the TRUSS, the Head Referee will take care not to impact gameplay of the other ALLIANCE.

Am I the only one who let out a hearty laugh when reading this?

Also, I wonder if you can get Catch points if you got it after it was shaken off the truss?

19

Can’t get Catch points if you don’t get Truss points–and if it’s a Shake instead of a Truss, no Truss points are awarded.

20

So…sounds like we would all be better off designing our robots so they CAN’T catch. Too big a risk for infrequent 10 pt gain verses risk of 100 pt penalty or worse? I can just see big basket fold outs waiting innocently for their partner to lob their ball over the truss and their opponents misfire bounces right in. I think the penalty is too extreme for an incidental event like an unintentional catch of your opponents ball…it would seem more fair to allow a no harm clause if the catching robot immediately returns the ball to the opposing alliance.