Tutorial 6.3: Alliance Coordination¶
Time: ~10 minutes Prerequisites: Tutorial 6.2: Scoring Strategies
Working as an Alliance¶
In VEX competitions, you're paired with another team. Success depends on coordination!
flowchart TB
subgraph Alliance["YOUR ALLIANCE"]
subgraph YT["YOUR TEAM"]
YR["Robot"]
end
subgraph PT["PARTNER TEAM"]
PR["Robot"]
end
end
YT --- PT
Alliance -.- Note["Same goals, same score, same fate!"]Pre-Match Communication¶
What to Discuss¶
ALLIANCE MEETING CHECKLIST:
□ Autonomous routines
- What does each robot do?
- Do they conflict?
□ Role assignments
- Who scores? Who defends?
- Who parks first?
□ Field zones
- Who takes left side?
- Who takes right side?
□ End-game plan
- When do we park?
- Signal for parking?
Autonomous Coordination¶
GOOD PLAN: BAD PLAN:
Robot A: Left side Robot A: Center
Robot B: Right side Robot B: Also center
┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ A → ← B │ │ A ↔ B │
│ (no conflict) │ │ (COLLISION!) │
└─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
During the Match¶
Communication Methods¶
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal | Quick, natural | Noisy venue |
| Hand signals | Visible across field | Need practice |
| Pre-planned | No thinking needed | Less flexible |
Simple Signal System¶
SUGGESTED SIGNALS:
Open hand = "I'm going to park"
Point at goal = "Score there"
Fist = "I'll defend"
Wave = "Help me!"
Zone Division¶
FIELD ZONES:
┌─────────────┬─────────────┐
│ │ │
│ ROBOT A │ ROBOT B │
│ ZONE │ ZONE │
│ │ │
│ (Left) │ (Right) │
└─────────────┴─────────────┘
Each robot owns their zone:
- Score blocks in your zone
- Defend goals in your zone
- Don't cross unless needed
Role Strategies¶
flowchart TD
RS["Role Strategies"] --> OO["Offense + Offense"]
RS --> OD["Offense + Defense"]
RS --> SS["Split Strategy"]
OO --> OOD["Both robots focus on scoring"]
OOD --> OOA["Robot A: Left goals, left blocks"]
OOD --> OOB["Robot B: Right goals, right blocks"]
OO -.- OOBest["Best when: Both robots are fast scorers"]
OO -.- OORisk["Risk: No defense, vulnerable to descoring"]
OD --> ODD["Robot A: Scores blocks<br/>Robot B: Defends goals, descores"]
OD -.- ODBest["Best when: One robot is better at pushing"]
OD -.- ODRisk["Risk: Lower total score potential"]
SS --> SSD["Phase 1 (0-1:30): Both score<br/>Phase 2 (1:30-1:50): One defends, one scores<br/>Phase 3 (1:50-2:00): Both park"]
SS -.- SSBest["Best when: Flexible, adaptable teams"]End-Game Coordination¶
The 10-Second Rule¶
CRITICAL: With 10 seconds left... STOP SCORING, START PARKING!
timeline
title 10-Second Rule Timing
section 1:50
Head to park zone
section 1:55
Both robots in position
section 2:00
Match ends, 30 pts!Parking Order¶
flowchart TD
Q["WHO PARKS FIRST?"]
Q --> O1["Option 1: Closer robot parks first"]
Q --> O2["Option 2: Slower robot parks first"]
Q --> O3["Option 3: Pre-assigned"]
O1 --> O1D["A is closer to park zone<br/>A parks first"]
O2 --> O2D["Give slower robot more time"]
O3 --> O3D["Decide before match"]Scouting Other Teams¶
What to Look For¶
SCOUTING CHECKLIST:
□ Robot capabilities
- Fast or strong?
- Good at scoring or descoring?
- Reliable autonomous?
□ Driver skill
- Precise or sloppy?
- Fast reactions?
□ Common strategies
- Do they descore a lot?
- Do they forget to park?
□ Weaknesses
- Tipping issues?
- Slow?
- Unreliable mechanisms?
Scouting Sheet Template¶
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ SCOUTING SHEET ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Team Number: ___________ ║
║ Robot Name: ____________ ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ AUTONOMOUS: ║
║ Score (1-5): ___ ║
║ Notes: _________________________ ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ DRIVER: ║
║ Speed (1-5): ___ ║
║ Control (1-5): ___ ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ STRENGTHS: ________________________ ║
║ WEAKNESSES: _______________________ ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ GOOD PARTNER? YES / MAYBE / NO ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════╝
Communication During Autonomous¶
You CAN'T talk during autonomous (no human control), but you CAN plan ahead:
PRE-MATCH PLAN:
"During autonomous, I'll go left
and score in the left long goal.
You go right and clear the loader.
We'll meet in the middle after
autonomous ends."
Exercise: Alliance Strategy Card¶
Create a strategy card for your alliance:
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ALLIANCE STRATEGY CARD ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ OUR TEAM: _________ PARTNER: _________ ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ AUTONOMOUS: ║
║ Our robot: ________________________ ║
║ Partner: ________________________ ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ DRIVER CONTROL: ║
║ Our role: ☐ Scorer ☐ Defender ║
║ Our zone: ☐ Left ☐ Right ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ END GAME: ║
║ Who parks first? __________ ║
║ Park signal: ________________ ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ SPECIAL NOTES: ║
║ _____________________________________ ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════╝