Yellow Totes

frcteam4450 · January 31, 2015, 3:50pm

Is there anything in the Game Manual about whether we are allowed to start touching the yellow totes in autonomous? If so, would someone tell me where it is?
Thanks,
Olympia Robotics Federation

xXhunter47Xx · January 31, 2015, 3:57pm

Section 3.1.4 in Rulebook, blue box, January 30th Update.

DRIVE TEAMS may not move, nor preload TOTES (regardless of color), RECYCLING CONTAINERS, or LITTER onto their ROBOT prior to the start of the MATCH per G13. There are no rules that prohibit a ROBOT from being in contact with TOTES or RECYCLING CONTAINERS at the start of the MATCH, as long as those items were not moved from their STAGING ZONE as described in the paragraph above.

frcteam4450 · January 31, 2015, 4:10pm

Thank you Sir. Have a nice day.
Olympia Robotics Federation

xXhunter47Xx · January 31, 2015, 8:42pm

Welcome.

petercooperjr · January 31, 2015, 9:51pm

Be sure to read from the Q&A: Q58, Q94, Q162, and Q283.

You may touch the totes as long as you aren’t supported by them in any way.

2130driven · February 3, 2015, 8:34pm

what would be a good strategy when using the yellow totes in autonomous mode? any suggestions?

rich2202 · February 3, 2015, 10:19pm

Take the tote w/ the RC to the autozone.
Take the RC to the autozone, and leave the tote for another team that can stack them.
push the tote to the autozone.
Be the team that can stack and carry the totes to the autozone.

frcteam4450 · February 9, 2015, 7:35pm

Yes, it is a good strategy to mess with the yellow totes. However, our team has figured out that it is more trouble then it is worth to stack totes autonomously because we will not reliably know where the other totes are, and sensors can be rather inaccurate.
Hope this helps,
Olympia Robotics Federation

Caleb_Sykes · February 9, 2015, 11:46pm

That is a rather broad generalization.

JamesBrown · February 10, 2015, 9:04am

I would challenge both of those points. You know where the totes are withing a few inches. and a robot could be mechanically designed to pick up a tote as long as you are reasonably close to it.

Their are plenty of options for sensors that can locate the totes. It just takes some thinking about how to apply the information you collect.

rich2202 · February 10, 2015, 10:28am

If the other teams can clear the RC’s, it simplifies the problem dramatically. Too bad they didn’t put vision targets on the short sides of the tote.

Whippet · February 10, 2015, 10:35am

The FIRST Logos on the sides of the totes work pretty well as vision targets from what I’ve seen.

notmattlythgoe · February 10, 2015, 10:48am

The yellow of the tote works as a pretty good tracking target too. As long as the walls of the auditorium that you practice in aren’t also yellow >.<