Programming

Programming is the mind of your robot. It tells your robot how to think and move. Without programming, your robot would just be a hunk of metal and wires. Furthermore, programming is an increasingly essential skill in our high tech world. Experience and knowledge in programming can be a major boost towards obtaining a high-paying job.

With respect to robotics, two main types of programs are present: autonomous and manual. Autonomous programs are designed to control the robot without the help of human intervention. This is useful when performing predictable and repetitive activities. With enough refinement and testing, automated programs can prove to be far more efficient and precise than manually controlled robots. But, what if the activity isn’t predictable? What if there is an object in the way or your partner’s movement intersects with yours?

Well, this is where manually controlled robots excel. Unlike autonomously controlled robots, manually controlled robots are directly affected by the pilot’s (that's you!) actions. Like playing a video game, a button press or a joystick flick will correlate to the corresponding movement of the robot. This permits rapid changes in strategy and movement, adjusting for changes in the game. Here the program largely defines what buttons do what and, in some cases, active series of predefined commands, making controlling the robot easier.

To master FTC, you will need to learn both types of programming in order to succeed.

You can program online on https://centerstage.vrobotsim.online/programpage.html. The website provides a platform for users to learn and practice programming robots using either Blocks or Java. It provides a virtual environment to test and experiment with your code.