TensorFlow Machine Learning Technology is Now Available for Teams!

FIRST Tech Challenge Tech Update:  

Teams participating in the FIRST Tech Challenge can now use Google�s TensorFlow Machine Learning technology to detect and track Gold and Silver game elements. Teams can access Google�s TensorFlow technology through Blocks or Java programming. TensorFlow can identify Gold and Silver game elements using an Android device�s built in camera or through an externally connected camera.

A detailed tutorial is available that demonstrates how to use this TensorFlow technology is available here! 

TensorFlow is Google's "machine learning" technology. It is a form of artificial intelligence. The software can "learn" and identify patterns and use this to do things like recognize when a Gold block is placed in front of the camera.


For our software, Google "trained" the system (by showing it pictures of our Gold and Silver blocks in different positions and under different lighting conditions and backgrounds) so it would learn what our Gold and Silver blocks look like (analogous to how you might learn what an object looks like and how to identify it).

Once the system has been trained, the Tensorflow technology can be used to look for and find the Gold And Silver Blocks during a match and track the location of these objects with respect to the camera or robot.