THE ROBOTIC PIT CREW FTC Java series

Video 11 · Encoder and IMU capstone

FTC Autonomous: Build an L-Shaped Route

Combine distance and direction into one readable mission: drive 36 inches at zero degrees, turn right to −90 degrees, drive 24 inches while holding that heading, and stop.

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POWERING ON for the complete route

  1. Keep the Driver Station DISABLED while the team checks the start pose, motor directions, encoders, and IMU.
  2. Mark the complete 36-inch leg, turning area, 24-inch leg, side boundaries, and stopping buffer.
  3. Remove hands, tools, cables, measuring equipment, and loose parts from the entire route.
  4. Call out “POWERING ON!”
  5. Pause while everyone moves behind the safety boundary.
  6. Visually sweep both legs and the turning area; nobody may touch or reach toward the robot.
  7. Select INIT and START only after the safety captain approves the full route.

If the robot leaves the marked route, moves unexpectedly, or approaches a person or obstacle, press STOP. Confirm DISABLED before anyone enters the course.

Download the 11 x 17 safety poster

What students practice

Students divide the autonomous mission into checkpoints: Leg 1, Turn, Leg 2, and Stop. They identify which sensor answers each question—encoders for distance and the IMU for direction—and predict what the telemetry should show at every checkpoint.

Teams test one segment at a time before running the whole L-shaped route. They record distance and heading errors separately so a turn problem is not mistakenly “fixed” by changing the encoder conversion.