Robocoach Command Clarification

[FRC449]

According to rule <R65>, the signaling device may "be able to switch between no more than four states or conditions". According to rule <R69>, "The ROBOT shall not dynamically change the recognized command set during a MATCH." My question is, what constitutes a single state, or dynamically changing the command set?

For example, would toggling the position of an arm (high to low or low to high) count as one command? What about speeding up the motor by a constant amount, or changing angle by a predefined number? Would adding to a counter within the robot controlling the state within autonomous mode be allowed?

[FRC2104]

We had programmed our buttons to:
A - turn left 10-degrees, unless already at the stops
B - turn right 10-degrees, unless already at the stops
C - speed up 2fps, unless already at maximum forward speed
D - slow down 2fps, unless already at maximum reverse speed
It seems like this may not meet the letter of the law, since any button-push at the limits will not do anything, and the cases of crossing the zero-speed value reverse the direction of the robot. Any thoughts?

[FRC449]

According to Team Update 3,

Examples of single commands might be “turn left,” “turn right,” “stop,” etc.

It may be as complex as ... “turn left, drive forward, [etc.]”

However, according to the post Re: Robocoach Commands,

Nor would incrementing Robot speed or orientation by an indexed amount [fit the intent of Hybrid mode].

Given your examples, it seems as though a command to, say, turn left 90 degrees would be allowed (especially the second example, where it autonomously moves on from turning to driving forward). However, the forum post suggests that this would not be allowed, as the orientation is being incremented by a fixed amount. Which of these is the case? It seems to me that turning left will do the same thing no matter the state of the robot, but perhaps I am misinterpreting the rules.

[FRC449]

During the Hybrid Period, would the following constitute an acceptable command from the RoboCoach?

1) Turn left 90 degrees (or some other fixed amount)
2) Change direction left 90 degrees or some other fixed amount (with Mecanum wheels; for example, go from moving forward to moving left without turning)
3) Change speed of the robot by a fixed amount (i.e. a button to speed up or slow down)

[FRC200641]

OK...we've read Team Update 3 and the Q&A, and we are still a bit unclear about robocoach commands. We have two scenarios we may want to implement but are unsure if they are legal.

1. Can a button be programmed for a predictable incremental function, like "turn left an extra 10 degrees" or "go 2 ft/s faster"? Each time the button is pressed, the robot would increase speed by 2 ft/s (or increase its turn by 10 degrees), though at each press the resulting speed (or angle) would be different.

2. Is there a limitation on how the signal is sent? Must we use PCM if we are using IR, or can we use an alternative modulation scheme? For example, if we developed a 4 message quadrature constellation and implemented it using IR, would this be legal? Each of the 4 messages requires the transmission of 2 different simultaneous signals, but only 4 commands are conveyed.

[GDC]

Please refer to Team Update #3. With the guidance of the referenced "does it do the same thing every time?" litmus test, using a Signaling Device button to toggle arm position would not fit within the intent of Hybrid Mode. However, each of the following alternatives would satisfy the intent and pass the referenced litmus test (note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but merely a few viable examples):

• incrementing Robot speed or orientation by an indexed amount, or
• commanding the robot to attain a pre-set speed, or
• move to a pre-defined orientation angle, or
• moving an arm to a pre-defined elevation