According to recent posts, the black photography paper flooring for the large robot course is in poor condition. This has been a recurring problem for at least the last decade of the club, and we've always dealt with it by periodically replacing the paper. Attempts to find a more durable, portable surface haven't worked out very well (I'll admit, I was one of the ones behind the infamous "car carpet" surface).
<br><br>I'll risk a beating and stick my neck out - are members really interested in contests that require a black floor with white lines on it?<br><br>I propose eliminating the black flooring, and changing the contests in 2007 that would have relied on white lines on a black surface. I think some of the outdoor contest ideas (proposed by David Anderson, if memory serves) could be reduced to the walls of the existing course.
<br><br>Here's my reasoning:<br>While line-following is an admirable task, unless the lines can be invisibly drawn on existing floors (I don't propose changing the table top events), there's little practical application aside from a fine learning experience. . Most floors (where robots will most likely roam) aren't black and don't have white lines on them. Following from this, I'll suggest that line-following is actually a misapplication of technology for a floor-dwelling robot - instead of concentrating on line-seeking sensors, contests should encourage wall-detecting sensors.
<br><br>Anyone care to comment? Feel free to flame away!<br><br>Best Regards,<br>Jeff<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>