Software Crew - Progress

Preparation period

At the Beginning of the year, before the kick-off, we have been through a preparation period, in which we have learnt how to use "LabVIEW" and practice it in order to program the robot for the 2010 game.
Firstly, we learned how to use the basic actions. For example- Boolean variables with logic gates (AND, OR, NOT…), numeric integers with mathematic actions.
As a practice, we have created a calculator application in which the user defines 2 inputs and an action and the application generates a result.
After we finished dealing with basic functions, we started working with last year's robot.
We went through the classes and functions of the cRIO project, and built the complete software for the 2009 robot, including some new functions for practice, for instance a gradual value increase (the driver provide a value with the joystick and the motor value increases from it's current value to the joystick value to avoid lack of wheel friction).


Building Season

First week:
On the first week of the "build season", we have been working on the team strategy with the rest of the team. Afterwards, we tried to figure out a way to detect the vision targets above the goals using the camera.

Second week:
At the beginning of the second week, "FIRST" released a completed camera tracking function. On that week we tried the function, and worked on using it to follow the target and figure out the robot's distance and angle from the target. In addition, we wrote a driving program for the practice robot, to check it's driving quality and it's ability to pass the "Bump".

Third week:
On the third week, we have created a VI called "Kick & Wait", which gave the old kicker a command to push the kicker (with solenoids) and then pull it back inside the robot. Also, we have created a VI called Camera Servo Control", to control the camera both manually and according to the target position. On that week we also started writing autonomous moves according to the strategy crew. We have built an array of functions which control every move of the robot during the autonomous phase.

Fourth week:
During the fourth week we have improved the autonomous class, as well as worked with all the sensors. We have defined them in the software, connected them to the system board and verified we can get values from them.