Partners and Strike

[malone@aerospace.utoronto.ca]

    First on another note, the People looking for partners
pages can only be accessed from ECF for security reasons.
There are some postings there now if you are still without
a group.

    We now have further information on the date of a possible 
TA strike.  The first day of the strike would be Jan 3/2000.
This means this will almost certainly affect the Engineering
Design course.  You may find in other courses your labs will
be cancelled.

    The result is, the 4 person option for RFP2 is
withdrawn as of now.  No one has been approved for it and
there are no groups with that option officially 
under discussion.  If anyone was thinking about it, it 
was certainly only a very few groups and, considering the
strike, it does not make sense for me to develop the 
infrastructure for a very small number of groups.  All 
efforts will be refocused on making the other RFPs and 
options that have been selected more viable.

    The 2 person option for RFP2 is not withdrawn.  It 
requires no additional infrastructure.  It surprizes me
that no one has selected it, yet nearly every software person
in a 3 person group so far has started by drawing a 
state machine as their control algorithm.  A state machine
is sufficient to play tag poorly.  It makes sense 
only for 2 people because by eliminating the computer, 
advantages are gained in reduction of power, complexity and mass 
leading to mobility advantages and an increased probability of 
success that may outweigh the disadvantages of simpler, less 
intelligent controller.

    Further modifications may be made to the course 
and its options resulting from issues relating to the TA
strike.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  - 
M.J. Malone,  Assistant Professor
University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies
4925 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario, M3H 5T6
Email Address: malone@aerospace.utoronto.ca     **** Email is best!
UTIAS Office: rm 183, phone: (416) 667-7942
Downtown Off: SF4003, phone: (416) 978-3130  Fax: (416) 667-7799
http://www.aerospace.utoronto.ca   http://www.utias.utoronto.ca