PUBLIC CODE

Our code for all of our robot’s mechanisms is public on Github for other teams to use as a reference or example, from 2017 to the present. The link to our current code which is written in Kotlin (a language based on Java) is here: https://github.com/Team865/FRC-2019

Some information of our code:

  • Subsystems are organized as finite state machines.

  • States are actions that subsystems can perform.

  • Actions can have sub-actions, which allows for complex routines

  • Meta-subsystems (RobotControl and Superstructure) control other subsystems

  • Action Management and Gradle’s Multi-Project Build for modular and easy-to-read code

SPECIFICS

Teleop Cycles

  • Limelight Vision Alignment: Dual-mode angle PID (quick turn and drive forward) to the rocket and loading station for optimized game piece acquisition and placement

  • Limelight Stream: Automatically switching between camera stream and vision mode

  • Lift Velocity Control: Squared inputs with a gravity-countering feedforward prevents the carriage from falling and allows for precise adjustments

  • Lift Setpoint Control: Position PID control loop with seven setpoints. Automatically accounts for drift using a Hall Effect Sensor. Precisely raises/lowers to any setpoint in under 1 second. Setpoint does not change when going to the bottom allowing faster cycles for the same level

  • Cargo Bi-Directional Passthrough: Control shared between the driver and the operator. Motor speeds are tuned to stop cargo after going through the lift to prevent falling. Cargo passes from intake to outtake in under 1 second

  • Curvature Drive: Driver controls throttle and radius of curvature with the addition of precise quick turning at a reduced speed

  • The Robot runs autonomous programs during sandstorm control until the driver touches the controller

Autonomous Programs

  • Wheel encoders combining with the navX-MXP sensor provides accurate odometry

  • Complex actions in series and parallel enable multi-state autonomous programs

  • Drive trajectory planning for both straight lines and curves using a motion planner. Curves use parametric spline functions to generate smooth position and curvature

  • Drivetrain kinematics is modelled through calculations and empirical measurements

  • To turn the robot in place, the robot uses a PID controller with an integral zone. This gets the robot to within 3 degrees to the target angle

  • To follow a trajectory, the robot uses a PDVA controller with a velocity intercept constant to account for static friction and a proportional controller to correct for drift in angle