So I have noticed that the referee tablets are being placed in different places at events? Some events have them pushed right up against the field and others have them further away (safer option for refs). But like really are they supposed to go? Where would someone find out where they go? Pictured below is two events in the same district but with completely different placement of the ref tablets. Teams should be able to expect some level of consistency between the events they attend.
When the tablets are pushed up directly against the field it creates a much higher risk of a referee getting injured. My recommendation to this would be to have predetermined location for the referee tablets that creates a safe environment and the ability to properly referee the game. In the first picture the referee tablet is extremely close to the field making it much easier for a team hit it. Maybe move the referee tablet back 2-3 feet? This would reduce the risk of getting. Or maybe move it back the full 4 feet of the extension limit so it for sure doesnt get hit.
I do believe it is up to the event’s FTA(s), usually they are up against the field perimeter but due to this year having many robots with long arms that happen to go outside of the field perimeter and I have personally seen ref panels knocked over multiple times in one event, it may be preferable to have them back a tiny bit.
Also depends on how long the cords are, and the queuing traffic directions.
For example, just to pick on the two pictures shown:
-The first picture is on the scoring table side of the field, which so far this season I haven’t seen a single queuing crew avoid loading in from. Note the nice blue arrow on the right side. If you back the panel away from the rail, you land in robot travel path, and get run over in between matches. And that’s even if you pull the tablet closer to the end of the field (which can affect scoring view) to get more available cord.
-The second picture is on the Substation side of the field, and clearly has available cord. This area tends to be less robot traffic if the venue is expansive enough, and the traffic has more room to move out without clocking the tablet from behind. The catch is, though, that that location is close to the lane which puts the ref at risk of an elbow, cone, or cube from the nearest HP.
