Thank you!!! This is very helpful!!! On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 2:10 PM, John Barrett <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > > > Exactly. > > And my teams would also create a single master program. Specifically, > they would work on each mission separately, then a few weeks before the > regional tournament, they would make each mission's program a My Block. > Then they would string each My Block together into a single master program > (using a touch sensor to start the robot for each mission). In this case, > each mission's motor movements will "add up" or be remembered from one > mission to the next, so the motors' memories had to be cleaned before each > mission (and as Michael pointed out, sometimes during a mission). > > Wally Walter has a great (and detailed) explanation on his Mastering the > Lego Robot site http://www.masteringlegorobot.com/robot-fundamentals > > John > > ------------------------------------ > > John J. Barrett > Industrial Medium Software, Inc. | 1616 Anderson Road | McLean, VA 22102 | > http://www.industrialmedium.com > (cell) 703-231-5094 | (office) 703-286-0818 | (fax) 703-286-0888 > > > > On Oct 7, 2013, at 2:03 PM, Michael Brown wrote: > > Could not agree more, the motor reset block is extremely valuable in > getting your robot to behave correctly. > > When squaring up on a wall using a seconds in a move block, instead of > degrees or rotations, use a motor reset lock to prevent errors from motor > memory. > On Oct 7, 2013 1:54 PM, "John Barrett" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Brandy, >> Good advice all around. I would always tell my teams "Every second you >> spend in base is a second your robot is not scoring points" >> >> Practicing and perfecting mission starts from base results is much better >> scoring. And I agree that inconsistent robot performance is often a result >> of operator error and not the robot itself. >> >> I will add, though, if your team is working with a single, master >> program, then the motor memory could cause one mission to affect the next >> mission. In situations like this (one single master program), a motor >> reset at the start of each mission can help. >> >> John >> >> ------------------------------------ >> >> John J. Barrett >> Industrial Medium Software, Inc. | 1616 Anderson Road | McLean, VA 22102 >> | http://www.industrialmedium.com >> (cell) 703-231-5094 | (office) 703-286-0818 | (fax) 703-286-0888 >> >> >> >> On Oct 7, 2013, at 12:36 PM, B Bergenstock wrote: >> >> My old FLL team figured out it was never programming the missions or >> coming up with amazing attachments that killed their score, it was *the >> switching*. It was having 1 attachment do one mission, and then take it >> off and put on the next attachment that resulted in lower robot game >> scores. Their best score in their 3 years was the year they figured out to >> adapt 2 attachments to participate in 8 missions :) >> >> That and always trying to start from one place in base (as much as >> possible anyway). I know it's probably too late to help a lot of teams with >> that tip, but the more missions you have that start in one place, the >> better the chance that the operator will get it right and the robot will >> hit it's target, as just a few degrees off in a mid-field mission can be >> disastrous at the wrong angle. Sensors can greatly aid in correcting for >> small errors, but hooking or slicing the robot when placing it down may be >> difficult to compensate for since it can miss its sensor's mark. Practice >> here does make perfect! It's nice when teams keep track of whether a >> mission worked well or not. Understanding the percentages of achievement >> right before a tournament can take the guesswork out of what missions to >> run on the table in a time crunch. >> >> If you can't start in one place, at least have the team do themselves a >> favor and don't float the robot in the base. Have it start off a wall, or >> make a lego ruler to create the angle you need and be consistent with the >> starts each time. The increase in accuracy from starting off a wall is >> significantly higher than floating "the back wheel off the side of the M", >> or "having to count 7 dashes in the left side base to line up the back >> wheel". Just don't. I noticed with my team that one operator would >> complain about a mission* never *working, but put a different operator >> down there to start it off and it was a 95% accurate program. Our first >> year was fraught with us blaming the robot for what turned out to operator >> error that would have been solved by following this simple best practice >> "start rule". >> >> If you are seriously considering that two chassis concept, have the >> kids do several runs (like 5-8) with and without chassis changes and see >> what their final score would be in a timed match. I recommend not adding >> any new programs the week before competition; Perfect programming, but no >> new ones. Practicing our robot game starts and just getting lost of face >> time with the game we were going to run at competition, we learned it made >> for a much higher score! >> Regards, >> Brandy >> FTC 6193 >> >> >> >> On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 9:40 AM, Bdh612-ess <[log in to unmask]>wrote: >> >>> My team considered that, but besides the complexity issue, we worried >>> about the transition time and robot bloat issues in trying to provide the >>> switch-ability mechanism. >>> >>> That said, I'd live to see the video, could you post a link? >>> >>> Brian >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> On Oct 7, 2013, at 9:07 AM, Alex <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>> Answer for question two. >>> >>> There is a team that does the multiple chassis plan. The motors and >>> programmable brick are moved. >>> >>> There are youtube videos that show them switching between missions. >>> >>> >>> On 2013-10-07 07:46, Larry Landsberg wrote: >>> >>> 2 separate questions. Hoping for 2 separate answers. >>> >>> 1. Can you use multiple robots during the tournament, ie 1 robot (EVS) for the first mission we attempt then a second robot (NXT ) for the next mission we attempt? >>> >>> 2. Can we have two different chassis but 1 brick that we switch between chassis during the tournament? >>> >>> Thank you, >>> >>> Larry >>> >>> -- To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or leave the list". >>> >>> -- VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-ANNOUNCEMENTS-l.html to subscribe. >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit >>> https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or >>> leave the list". >>> VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via >>> VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit >>> https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to >>> subscribe. >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit >>> https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or >>> leave the list". >>> VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via >>> VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit >>> https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to >>> subscribe. >>> >> >> ------------------------------ >> To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit >> https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or >> leave the list". >> VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via >> VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit >> https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to >> subscribe. >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit >> https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or >> leave the list". >> VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via >> VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit >> https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to >> subscribe. > > > ------------------------------ > To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit > https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or > leave the list". > VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. > Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to > subscribe. > -- Blessings, Tonya -- To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or leave the list". -- VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-ANNOUNCEMENTS-l.html to subscribe.