Re: Playing Field configuration?

[Joyce Poon <poonj@ecf.utoronto.ca>]

I just want to say a couple of things --
Since the play area is really small & there aren't very many obstacles, we
should --
	avoid time-consuming algorithm (aviod thinking too much)
	get good quality signals
	act quickly (comp), don't sit around too long
	move quickly (?)
	
There is almost no place to hide (hence I think making a tag might not be
very difficult).  Successive evasion is definitely tricky.

Interference system may be a total waste of time since the comp will have
to pulse the signal(time wasted?) & given most grps are going to use high
pass filters anyway, we'll probably enhance their chances of picking 
us/a signal up rather than diminish them.

I am thinking that bandpass filters may also be yet another waste of time.
With so few obstacles & such a small play area, if 1 of them is
reflective, hopefully we'll bump into it/run away from it a few times and
then pick up the actual signal.

Forget toggle switches -- I don't want to be DQed.  The robot will be
checked before competition no doubt & Malone is not stupid.

Possibilty: Can we somehow write the map into the ROM after each run &
upload to the RAM during play time?  Or give the comp a separate power
supply which switches on after each run to maintain the map in the RAM. It
will be nice to have a robot that gets smarter & smarter with each round
of play. (Of course we don't know the original orientation of the robot
either... can something be done in the program so the robot can eventually
place itself in the original map?) 

Maybe we should ask Malone if the play area will reamin the same for the
duration of the competition & whehter the start positions for the
pursuer/evader will always be the same.

The obstacles were all weighed down.  Hence it might be difficult to to
just push them around.  If we really want to move it, consider ramming hte
obstacle at high speed. (Big strain on motor circuitry & batteries). 
However, with only 2 obstacles & shoddy software  (I'm talking about the
other grps here), one has to wonder how much confusion can moving one of
the obstacles cause.

One last thought: fast robot is definitely a must for pursuing purposes.
A not so fast, but way smarter robot is key to successful evasion.

Joyce :)