While playing around with some programming, I came to realize that making robots communicate with each other would create some very interesting capabilities.

Robots would only be able to communicate when they are connected to a Router.
The "Referee" could limit communications only to "Friendly" robots (i.e. those robots showing the same identification colors or Team) just like they can control game parameters.
The robot "ID" would be its network name. It would be nice if robots could be assigned an alias (e.g. Delta-1, Delta-2, Strike-1, etc.)
The communications protocol could be open and use a standard like JSON.
Messages could be sent as "robot-to-robot" or "broadcast" (i.e. message sent to all robots in the "Team"

The Lego Mindstorm allowed for brick-to-brick communication.   Since we have no other method currently, we could hack a solution by using the LED blaster to record "hits" on the Detectors and do some kind of Morse Code...

MarkusXL Posted at 7-25 06:26
The Lego Mindstorm allowed for brick-to-brick communication.   Since we have no other method currently, we could hack a solution by using the LED blaster to record "hits" on the Detectors and do some kind of Morse Code...

Interesting proposition.
A "call" could start with a "CQ" code, so that a receiving robot could distinguish a communication from an attack.
The communications protocol could re-use the old "Q" codes, as a matter of fact... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_code

This sounds like a great idea. In theory the hardware should be capable of it.

You would need to open up the API to allow for sending messages.

I think it would be good if the control interface was a bit more customizable. Currently you can only assign one custom action to the button, it would be great if there were more buttons or even a menu. Then you could send messages like "Enemy in site - from <robot ID>" with one press.

Going further, it would be super fun if you could share your FPV camera screen to other team members, they would see it as a P-in-P. This should be do-able, since the video streams are all going through the same router anyway.

gpvillamil Posted at 7-25 07:53
This sounds like a great idea. In theory the hardware should be capable of it.

You would need to open up the API to allow for sending messages.

Open up the API is another great idea. I hope DJI will do with the S1 what they did with all the drones, that is publish the SDK for the robot, opening up some new possibilities for programming that are not available through the Scratch blocks or Python function calls.

As for feeding the camera stream to other drivers, I'm not sure that will happen, on principle. Although, technically, this should be relatively simple in Router connection mode, in the RoboMaster competition league, drivers only have access to their own robot'S FPV stream, plus that provided by the drone's surveillance camera for situational awareness. I think DJI would keep that line of reasoning with the S1.

Some kind of robot communication could be achieved in a roundabout way by using the ir blaster and ir sensors (acting as transmitter and receiver) or even the gell blaster and hit detectors (although that would most likely be less reliable). Obviously that would not be good enough to coordinate actions in battle but, OTOH, it would be a nice programming project (say: one robot scans a sign and the other robot would fire at that sign from a list of several possible ones.

BGA Posted at 8-13 08:13
Some kind of robot communication could be achieved in a roundabout way by using the ir blaster and ir sensors (acting as transmitter and receiver) or even the gell blaster and hit detectors (although that would most likely be less reliable). Obviously that would not be good enough to coordinate actions in battle but, OTOH, it would be a nice programming project (say: one robot scans a sign and the other robot would fire at that sign from a list of several possible ones.

I need to check the Game Manual, but I am tempted to integrate the robots in a team in a mesh network using short-range radio and a protocol such a ZigBee. As you say, doing coordinated buddy target detection, targeting and firing would be awesome.

https://www.mouser.ca/applicatio ... ireless_technology/

rhoude57 - YUL Posted at 8-13 09:44
I need to check the Game Manual, but I am tempted to integrate the robots in a team in a mesh network using short-range radio and a protocol such a ZigBee. As you say, doing coordinated buddy target detection, targeting and firing would be awesome.

https://www.mouser.ca/applications/short_range_wireless_technology/

Well I found this:

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/ir-communication/all

But with the stock S1 PWM ports, we can only transmit - no way to recieve.

Moderator:  Please pass this the devs:  Please unlock the UART port on the S1.  It's just a Scratch block or two.  Please!  

Thanks!

MarkusXL Posted at 8-13 10:13
Well I found this:

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/ir-communication/all

I second the motion.
I expect the UARTs on the Type A Development Board will not be locked.