Some of you have heard the news about how we plan to run the FTC World Championship re: the Field management System (FMS). If you have not, the plan is to allow teams to run the FMS directly from their own laptops at the playing fields. We've tried this in Florida and it worked well giving teams more control over their robots and the pairing process, and speeding up cycle times at the field.
The only disadvantage is that teams have to bring laptop computers with them to the field.
Some questions might be:
What if I need to stop my robot mid-match? - Ans. you can do that but you're playing against the field clock - not your own clock.
What if teams don't all press "Start" at the same time? - Ans. like in any other sport the referees will determine if a robot scores (or de-scores) after time expires. Each team will set their timers to the :30 second and 2:00 minutes. We saw zero issues with this in the Florida test.
What if something happens to my computer during the match? - Ans. there should be less chance of problems in total under this format. Each computer will maintain a single BT connection and up to two joysticks via USB - less than the centralized FMS. Teams also have lots of time to test their code, robot, and computer, just as it will be used in competition. Idiosyncrasies should be ironed out by the teams. If the system (robot and computer) fail during the match the play will continue. If teams have problems prior to the match they'll be given a chance to fix (re-pair/connect).
Can my coach access the computer during the match? Ans. sure, but time will continue to run on the field.
I think this format will make the World Championship run smoother. The biggest benefit is that teams can run the FMS, on their own, as many times as they'd like to test their robots.
See you in Atlanta,
Ken
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Quick Post - World Championships Plus
It's been a hectic final few weeks of the FTC regular season. The FTC staff has been scattered far and wide covering just about every event as the season winds down and we get ready for Championship.
A few quick observations from the season.
#1 teams are getting it. The designs we've seen have been pretty creative and the programming options are allowing teams to really get into the sensors and autonomous to excel in competition. There are quite a few "dump truck" style designs but how these robots protect the pucks and find the goals is where the thinking really comes in.
#2 we have a great group. As in all competitions there are challenging individuals - however FIRST and FTC seem to have an overwhelmingly high percentage of great people willing to help others and make the events incredible.
#3 we have a great platform but room to improve. The field management system and the content of the kit will evolve. The power and strength of the new kit combined with the sensors and programming are a foundation for an exciting future.
Last note - I was fortunate to spend two full days brainstorming on game design for next season this week. The feedback we've got on Face-Off! has been great - and that sets the bar pretty high for next year. We feel that pressure and we're committed to another challenging game for next year. Details will have to wait until September but we're working hard.
See you in Atlanta,
Ken
A few quick observations from the season.
#1 teams are getting it. The designs we've seen have been pretty creative and the programming options are allowing teams to really get into the sensors and autonomous to excel in competition. There are quite a few "dump truck" style designs but how these robots protect the pucks and find the goals is where the thinking really comes in.
#2 we have a great group. As in all competitions there are challenging individuals - however FIRST and FTC seem to have an overwhelmingly high percentage of great people willing to help others and make the events incredible.
#3 we have a great platform but room to improve. The field management system and the content of the kit will evolve. The power and strength of the new kit combined with the sensors and programming are a foundation for an exciting future.
Last note - I was fortunate to spend two full days brainstorming on game design for next season this week. The feedback we've got on Face-Off! has been great - and that sets the bar pretty high for next year. We feel that pressure and we're committed to another challenging game for next year. Details will have to wait until September but we're working hard.
See you in Atlanta,
Ken
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