<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">I was at FedEx dropping off a package and I noticed they have a large format printer. Aha! An idea popped into my brain. Print a small scale test course on the wide paper. The prices are very reasonable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">I’ve been working on the line following courses and have tried a couple options for testing at home. First I make some test courses out of white posterboard and black electrical tape. I found that electrical
tape is difficult to get to nice 6” radius curve and it is very shiny and can easily have bright glare from reflected background lights. I also borrowed the official club course. While this is the best for testing it had a couple drawbacks. The challenge
course is very large and fun to fit that large cardboard tube into my tiny car. I also only had one place in my house where I could get the 7’x13’ course on a wood floor.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">FedEx, Staples, Office Depot all offer “blueprints” / “architectural” prints in color or black and white in standard sizes including 24”x26” and 36” x 48”. Here are some links.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">Staples <a href="https://www.staples.com/sbd/content/copyandprint/engineering-prints.html"><span style="color:black">https://www.staples.com/sbd/content/copyandprint/engineering-prints.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">Office Depot <a href="https://www.officedepot.com/configurator/pod/">
<span style="color:black">https://www.officedepot.com/configurator/pod/#/product/blueprints</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">I plan to design and print some test course on paper. My idea is not to reproduce the exact DPRG course layout but to print smaller simplified versions for testing purposes.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">For the beginner / novice I’m thinking a simple oval. If your robot can follow a straight line and a curve with the 6” radius it “should” be able to complete the DPRG course.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="527" height="348" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D47FFC.2F30F210"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">For the advanced course I came up with this layout which has all the “elements” of complexity as described in the DPRG line following rules.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">Offset, 90 degree, Gap S, 6” Gap, Notch.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="823" height="530" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.png@01D47FFD.47D9DA60"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">I’m working on my idea for a simplified version of the challenge course. The challenge course has many complexities and it will be tricky to get them all into a 36” x 48” course. For me personally
I know where my robot struggles so that is what I really want in a test course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">I just wanted to share my thoughts for any feedback. I plan to be at RBNO tomorrow evening and would love to have some help on a working out a simplified challenge test course.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">I could also use some help laying out the course to get a PDF file for printing. I used PowerPoint to cobble together my ideas but really need a drawing package like inkscape or adobe. I have
an artist friend who is a whiz with adobe and could knock this out easily but if anyone in the club can help with this let me know.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">Cheers,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black">-Clay Timmons-<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>