What was this challenge about?
This challenge was about programming our robots to traverse a course. We did this through the use of a new tool that we had previously not used known as “shaft encoders.” Initially, I believed that this would be a simple challenge, however, through the many, many technical difficulties we faced, I learned that making the correct code is only half of the battle.
A shaft encoder
What did you know before the working on the challenge?
We knew basic movement and motion commands in RobotC for our robots, however, we mostly used virtual worlds instead of a real robot, as we were quite inexperienced. We also knew a vague definition of what a shaft encoder is, but we never tried using one at all. Before this challenge, we hadn’t done too much with our robots, so we didn’t see too many technical difficulties.
A screenshot of an older version of virtual worlds on RobotC
What are the technical difficulties for completing the challenge? List them out and explain why they are difficult.
During this challenge, we faced many technical difficulties. In fact, we probably spent more time trying to fix technical difficulties than we did actually working on the challenge. Some of them include: the shaft encoders not registering, the firmware not updating properly, one motor going faster than the other, motors not working, batteries not working, and wires getting tangled/removed our robot. These are just a few of the many technical difficulties we faced, and they were difficult because the time we spent trying to fix these could have been spent on actually doing the challenge, which left us with less time to work on the program itself. Many of these problems required us to literally take apart our robots to replace the parts with new ones. We spent entire lessons simply surveying the class to see if other people were having the same problems as us, and trying to narrow down the cause of said problem.
One of the many errors we faced was a firmware issue, there should only be one light on.
Describe the approach(es) (e.g. time vs shaft encoder) you tried throughout the problem solving process.
To get our measurements as precise as possible, my team used mathematics to solve for the values required for the robot to go certain distances and to turn certain angles. We found the distance that the robot would move after one full rotation of the shaft encoder (it was 35 cm). We then found the full length of the portion we were using (with measuring tape), and divided it by the distance of one rotation to find the amount of rotations needed for the specific distance (8.4 rotations). Using this number, we found the number of rotations required to get through a specific distance by multiplying it by 360. For angles, we did the same process. We found the required value for a 90° turn, and used this ratio to solve the angles required. To get the angles in the first place, we used a protractor.
In the end, our mathematics did not work flawlessly. It was very close, but due to age from the motors and/or shaft encoders, the mathematically accurate values did not work perfectly. This led to us using trial and error, slightly adjusting values and testing repeatedly until we got a good enough demonstration.
Some of the calculations we used to solve our distances and angles.
Did you use the virtual world to test your program? Was it useful?
No, we tested with our actual robot. Virtual worlds would have been good for testing, however, as I mentioned earlier, some of the motors are old, and there are natural errors that can happen in the real world that are not possible to be recreated in the virtual world.
What have you learnt in the process? Any new insight?
I learned a lot about how to use VEX robots and RobotC, and I’ve learned a lot about good troubleshooting methods. Some of the methods I used could have been more effective, and I now know that. For example, if I had double-checked the motor and sensor setup from the start, I could have saved time replacing parts that could have possibly been working properly. Overall, I’ve learned a lot about troubleshooting, as well as how to use VEX robots in person, and on the computer with RobotC.
My Video