It has been six months since RoboCup 2018 has finished. After a well-deserved holiday, the Falcons started working on many improvements both in the hardware and in the software domain. Time to show off the progress that we made so far!

MSL Workshop

Three team members have attended the middle-size league (MSL) workshop in Aveiro, Portugal, where they improved the MSL refbox, extended Cambada's real-time database (RTDB) and improved the MSL rules.

Hardware improvements

The hardware team is making great steps in designing a new keeper-frame with moving extensions as well as in redesigning the baseframe. The new baseframe is not intended to replace the baseframe of existing robots. Instead, the hardware team has chosen to use it to create one or more new robots from spare parts. If all goes well, the Falcons will attend the Robotica tournament in Portugal with an improved keeper and lighter field players.

Software improvements

The software team is showing good progress in several areas. First of all a feasibility study for improved motion firmware is finished. Parallel to that, improvements have been made in shooting accuracy, in self-localization and in tracking of obstacles and opponents. Responsiveness is being improved by integrating RTDB into the Falcons software. Last but not least structural improvements have been made to the diagnostics (tracing) software and to the simulator.