[Robotgroup] Toe Sensors (was Robotic Accomplishments)

[Vern Graner]

Leslie Filip wrote:
> I can't think of any way to say what went down or when the event(s)  
> happened without someone figuring it out.

And this would be a bad thing HOW? Examining the results of a process, 
discovering the flaws, and designing a new method of proceeding is one 
of the things we do BEST!

If I step on someone's toes, and they say "ouch!", such feedback allows 
me to 1) identify the location of said toes 2) alter my path to avoid 
them in the future or 3) ask them to move said toes from my path.

No feedback, no correction.

Oh, and big toes around lots of motion makes the necessity of feedback 
*essential* in avoiding damage! If someone places their proverbial 
"toes" into a high traffic area, and then remains *silent* when they're 
stepped on, they are akin to a FAILED SENSOR.

In fact, giving feedback to a person who is NOT responsible, is akin to 
a mis-wired sensor (another failure state) and can result in spurious 
interrupts. :)

Lets take this analogy a bit further, when a mis-wired sensor provides 
feedback to the wrong subsystem, and that subsystem then notifies the 
main system with a generic or vague error report, it makes it VERY 
difficult to troubleshoot (i.e. we know *something* is wrong, but we 
don't know what or how).

In this case, the normal reaction to this error condition is to query 
the reporting subsystem for details so the problem can be corrected. 
Again, no useful feedback, no correction.

So, using my original analogy, if someone decides to walk with us, and 
for whatever reason they get some toe damage w/o reporting it, then I 
suggest they remove their toes from the area so as to avoid future damage.

Or just say "ouch" for pity's sake! We'll take <pun>steps</pun> to fix 
things! :)

Oh, and if you don't say ouch for yourself, then at LEAST say it for the 
rest of us as those of us walking forward here would prefer to trod on 
level ground.

Big toes make for rough terrain. ;)

Vern

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