Stage 1C Overview

If you’ve watched matches from any recent FRC game, you’ll notice that robots typically have to line up quite precisely with a field element to score. Take this example from Purdue University’s Robot in 3 Days (Ri3D) team showcasing their autoalign program:

In 2026, robots had to line up with the hub to successfully shoot fuel. In 2025, robots had to line up with hangers on the reef to place coral. To execute these tasks, teams run automatic positioning programs rather than burdening the driver with such precise movements. In Stage 1C, you will learn fundamental concepts pertaining to “control theory:” a field of research dedicated to guiding real-world systems (such as robots) to do the things we want. Control theory guides the motion of each and every mechanism you will program in FRC.

Key Concepts

In FRC, different mechanisms can be thought of as “systems.” Mechanisms have “states” such as position, angle, velocity, and acceleration. A PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) controller takes a desired state of a system, called a “setpoint,” and guides a system’s actual state towards this setpoint. The output of your mechanism’s control algorithm is called “control effort,” and, in FRC, control effort will almost always be measured in Volts. You can track the states, setpoints, and control efforts of your robots through logging with Telemetry, a system for sending data between the robot and the driver station.

Stage 1C Goals

By the end of Stage 1C, you’ll program a feature which enables your kitbot’s drivetrain to automatically and smoothly turn in place to any given angle such that your kitbot can aim towards the hub on its own. You will also be able to read data from your kitbot via logging with Telemetry.

This stage will cover the following topics:

• WIP