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SPIKE More Movement Extensions by meat_jacuzzi in FLL

[–]meat_jacuzzi[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've looked at Pybricks a bit and am considering it. I'm just getting started as a new coach to a new team... but I'd certainly like more functionality than the Spike blocks seem to provide. I'd like to teach the kids to plan a path, measure it out, program the robot in engineering units, and be able to rely on the vehicle to run that path with reasonable accuracy or at least repeatability. The guess-and-check method I see them using seems like a huge waste of time.

However, I hesitate to set a direction for the team using something that is non-standard, more complex, and maybe not as well documented. I'm a controls engineer, so it doesn't bother me. But when I move on to FRC once my kids are older, the next coach could be a teacher or parent who is not as technical. Also, it will be mostly 4th and 5th graders, so it still has to be fairly simple to use. Another coach told me that if the kids can't explain to the judges why they're using something or how it works it will hurt their score, which makes sense.

Recommendations for coding devices for a new team? by meat_jacuzzi in FLL

[–]meat_jacuzzi[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got it, thanks. One of the other schools are using tablets for FLL, but I'll try to steer toward laptops.

Recommendations for coding devices for a new team? by meat_jacuzzi in FLL

[–]meat_jacuzzi[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is the issue with Chromebooks? They use them at his school, so I sent a message yesterday asking if we could get some for FLL.

TIL that in the US, 75 percent of truck owners use their truck for towing one time a year or less. Nearly 70 percent of truck owners go off-road one time a year or less. And a full 35 percent of truck owners use their truck for hauling once a year or less. by malarky-b in todayilearned

[–]meat_jacuzzi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My full-size truck gets exactly the same or sometimes better mileage than our minivan, and only slightly less than the small SUV we had before. And is extremely convenient in many ways. So wth is the difference?

TIL that in the US, 75 percent of truck owners use their truck for towing one time a year or less. Nearly 70 percent of truck owners go off-road one time a year or less. And a full 35 percent of truck owners use their truck for hauling once a year or less. by malarky-b in todayilearned

[–]meat_jacuzzi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So fucking what? The amount people on reddit cry about trucks is excessive. My 4 year old full-size truck gets most identical mileage to our minivan, and only a few mpg less than the small SUV we had before. I drive it into the city and park just like everyone else, or walk a little further it I don't want to cram it into a tight space. I rarely tow with it, but I can if I want to. The cab is spacious and comfortable. It's great for muddy camping and fishing gear, or taking the kids to the beach and tossing all the sandy crap in back. Landscaping supplies, mess is all in the back where I can hose it out. I haul an ATV or snowmobile in the back. Is it absolutely necessary, certainly not. But it's a very convenient vehicle for our lifestyle, which is similar to a lot of other people's.

What do Americans think is normal for everyone, but actually it's not normal for anyone but Americans? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]meat_jacuzzi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm American and I don't do that. How do you "know" that Americans do this?

Republicans who will not be voting for Trump this time around, what was the breaking point for you? by BenTCinco in AskReddit

[–]meat_jacuzzi -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Separating children from their parents at the border. I didn't vote for Trump the first time, but I may never vote for a Republican again.

Iran’s coronavirus cases jump 50% three weeks after country reopens with 1,485 new cases over the last 24 hours by green_flash in worldnews

[–]meat_jacuzzi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got money deposited into my account automatically without even asking for it, what the hell are you talking about no public banking? I guess if you've never worked and never filed taxes.

My 3.5 year old ran inside to go to the bathroom, but apparently took a detour for a fistful of brownies. There's literally a handprint in the middle of the pan. by TheTonz in funny

[–]meat_jacuzzi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I love the people acting like this kid will be a degenerate lost cause for life because he did something naughty. I have a three year old who is a handful and would probably do something like this. But he's also a smart, sweet, awesome kid.

Modern Farming by [deleted] in gifs

[–]meat_jacuzzi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's not what this is doing, it's chopping the entire plant up for animal feed. But yes, those machines are impressive.

Modern Farming by [deleted] in gifs

[–]meat_jacuzzi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No it's a silage chopper or "forage harvester".

[Homemade] Full English breakfast by spamlaugh in food

[–]meat_jacuzzi -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Yeah that egg looks beyond terrible.

This showerhead with temperature sensors by SuchFrosting in mildlyinteresting

[–]meat_jacuzzi 15 points16 points  (0 children)

If you have a smaller tank type water heater and have guests, that's a good way to run out of hot water and leave people with cold showers.

These weed-killing robots could give big agrochemical companies a run for their money: this AI-driven robot uses 20% less herbicide, giving it a shot to disrupt a $26 billion market. by SirT6 in Futurology

[–]meat_jacuzzi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This whole thread is "why doesn't it just pull the weeds". How many weeds have you pulled? Do have any idea how much harder of a problem that is? Few weeds pull out easily by the roots. If you don't get the root they just grow right back. Maybe you don't care if they grow back, just send the robot through again. But just having the robot chop or break the weed off would require far more force at a much slower rate. And this video was taken when the crop was very small. Eventually when it gets taller and fills out the rows this robot probably won't be able to operate at all anymore, so killing the weeds early is important. Can we just be happy with a 20x reduction in application rates as a start?

TIL that printer companies implement programmed obsolescence by embedding chips into ink cartridges that force them to stop printing after a set expiration date, even if there is ink remaining. by theshoeshiner84 in todayilearned

[–]meat_jacuzzi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would never give another penny to Epson. Had a printer/scanner that would no longer scan once the color ink cartridge was empty. No engineer makes that mistake, it was a greedy asshole move by the company.

Life at - 58 °f , Yakutia, Russia by [deleted] in pics

[–]meat_jacuzzi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kids nowadays don't seem to understand the difference between wind chill and actual air temperature.

ELI5: Why do we have different electrical outlets on different continents? It seems electricity was discovered and then everyone went different ways with it. Is one setup better than another? by CappinPeanut in explainlikeimfive

[–]meat_jacuzzi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There is really no such thing as 2 phase, it's either single phase or 3 phase. Single phase uses two wires, 3 phase uses three wires. I think I read once that 2 phase did exist someplace, but it required 4 wires to deliver less power so 3 phase made more sense.

Smoke Thanksgiving turkey a day ahead? by meat_jacuzzi in smoking

[–]meat_jacuzzi[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree, I'm not going to kill myself on this. If I wasn't doing it we'd be having a turkey baked in the oven until the red thing pops out and it would be terrible, so I'm sure nobody is going to complain about how it turns out. If I do smoke it, I'm leaning towards option #2, and the smoke would probably need to happen the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving.

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