DPRG mailing list archives: [DPRG] Outdoor Robot Challenges

Mon Apr 14 21:45:40 CDT 2008

Maybe just a general question. There is an outside long shot chance
my new robot will be up for one of these challenges.

I could see it is may 10th, but I didn't see what time things will
start?

thanks

On Mon, Apr 14, 2008 at 1:31 PM, dpa <dpa at io.isem.smu.edu> wrote:
> Howdy,
>
>  !!Dean wrote:
>  <snip>
>  >       0) We got 3 people to build, code and try their robot; that's better
>  >            than just talking.
>
>
>  I whole-heartedly agree.  That is the main benchmark and definition of success.
>  Everything from here on out is just tweaking and refinement.  Congratulations
>  to all involved.
>
>
>  >       1) Eric visited from Dallas
>
>  which Eric?
>
>
>  <snip>
>
>  >       3) Waypoints marked with *brown* tape (hard to see against dirt and
>  >          dried leaves).
>
>
>  For future events you might consider using pre-existing markers (like water
>  utility plates in the ground, seams in the concrete, etc) which can be
>  accurately measured with an averaging GPS days before the contest, and
>  published on your website in advance for folks who might want to do some
>  testing on their own at the contest site.   Most of the waypoints that I've
>  measured at Fair Park in Dallas are pre-marked like that in some way.
>
>
>
>  >       5) Waypoint marking method was neither very accurate nor fair--if it
>  >          were a competition (Dean used his robot's GPS to read coords, placed
>  >          tape on ground under robot)
>
>
>  This is one of the main reasons that the DPRG OutDoor Challenges are
>  structured the way that they are.  I'll be interested in your impressions
>  of the way this works out next month in Dallas.
>
>
>  <snip>
>  > #1 Tip: make every effort to do a practice run 2 weeks prior.
>
>
>  I second that one especially.  The contest should not be the first time
>  your robot has ever attempted the challenges.  You learn a lot from
>  getting outdoors and running the 'bot and identifying problems and
>  failure modes as well as strategies for success.  It's also quite
>  a lot of fun.  And it's SPRING!
>
>  Hope to see all three of these new DryRun robots in Dallas next month!
>
>  best regards,
>  dpa
>
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