2019 Challenge May Mean First Robot with Double Vision

By Colin Graettinger

One of the biggest changes for the Foley Freeze robot this year will probably be the importance of cameras in scoring points.

A simulated sandstorm for the first 15 seconds of each match will mean robots will need better camera systems so that they can either be driven manually or so that the vision equipment can better track reflective tape in the arena to drive autonomously, said Emma Smith, subteam lead for programming.

Speaking out of her own experience, Smith said driver’s can have bad depth perception from the position of the driver station. This can lead to error on the driver’s part. The better solution may turn out to be small cameras, called Pixy cameras, that can be used to aid the autonomous mode, she said. Pixy cameras can track the reflective tape that will mark spots in the game arena where robots need to navigate, such as lines on the floor and strips that help align loading.

“Our team has never tracked something on the floor, so this is an interesting new challenge,” Smith said. “Without the vision we are planning to utilize, we couldn’t be anywhere near as successful as we have been previous years.”

The Pixy cameras will allow a driver to command a robot to align by itself, removing the need for a human driver to estimate if they have the game piece exactly where it needs to be. This year’s game does not give much leeway with where a game piece is placed, Smith said.

Even with the Pixy cameras will make autonomous tasks more reliable, the design will also likely have to have cameras facing forward to see where the robot is going and backward for maneuvering for when the machine is driven manually, Smith said. It will be the first time the team has used two cameras.