Video 9 · First FTC autonomous lesson

FTC Autonomous: Drive Forward Three Feet and Stop

Turn a 36-inch movement into encoder counts, command both StarterBot drive motors to their targets, stop safely, and calibrate the result with real measurements.

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POWERING ON for autonomous floor motion

Place the robot squarely at the start while the Driver Station shows DISABLED.
Remove hands, tools, cables, and measuring equipment from the lane.
Check the full 36-inch lane, side boundaries, and stopping buffer.
Call out “POWERING ON!”
Pause while everyone moves behind the safety boundary.
Visually confirm that the complete travel area is clear.
Select INIT and START only after the safety captain approves.

After motion ends, press STOP and visually confirm DISABLED before anyone enters the lane, approaches the robot, or measures the result.

Download the 11 x 17 safety poster

What students practice

Students convert 537.7 encoder counts per motor-output revolution and a 96-millimeter wheel diameter into approximately 45.28 counts per inch. Multiplying by 36 produces a theoretical target of about 1,630 counts for each side.

That target is a starting calculation—not a promise of exact floor travel. Students run repeated controlled trials, measure from the same robot reference point, and use evidence to account for wheel slip, surface, wheel compression, drivetrain alignment, and gear reduction.