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FIRST Tech Challenge

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  • Capstone: Reusable RobotHardware Template
  • Capstone: Profiled Arm Tuning Report
  • Capstone: Vision-Selected Road Runner Auto

Capstone: Reusable RobotHardware Template

Produce the team hardware foundation for the season.

Season Robot CapstonesCapstone

In this lesson, you will:

  • Map every current device.
  • Document names and directions.
  • Provide safe helpers.

Concept narrative

This capstone turns hardware setup into a reusable team asset. The output should be a clean RobotHardware class plus a configuration table that future students can trust.

Robot mental model

The robot should have one source of hardware truth. OpModes should not argue about motor names or directions.

Implementation walkthrough

Audit the robot configuration, create fields, initialize devices, set directions/modes, add hub caching, and provide stop/safe helpers.

RobotHardwareCapstone.javaJava

public void stopDrive() {
    frontLeft.setPower(0);
    frontRight.setPower(0);
    backLeft.setPower(0);
    backRight.setPower(0);
}

Common mistakes and debugging

If a future OpMode remaps hardware independently, the capstone has failed. If the class becomes a dumping ground for mechanism logic, split subsystems.

Practice

Create the season RobotHardware template and review it with electrical/build students.

Checkpoint

  • Every configured name, hub port, Java field, physical device, and direction appears in one reviewed map.
  • Initialization commands zero output and applies the documented zero-power behavior.
  • Each actuator passes an isolated low-power test with the robot restrained or on blocks.
  • The stop helper returns every drivetrain output to zero from each tested command.
  • A builder or electrical teammate reproduces one mapping check from the saved artifact.

Instructor review rubric

Pass when the reviewed configuration map matches the physical robot, every device initializes and passes an isolated low-power check, and the shared stop helper returns all outputs to zero.

Reflection check

Check your understanding before moving on.

What makes a RobotHardware template a team abstraction rather than an FTC SDK feature?
Which acceptance check is essential before handoff of a drive stop helper?

0 of 2 answered

References

FIRST FTC DocsOfficial SDK, Robot Controller, and programming reference.Learn Java for FTCFTC-focused Java book and exercises by Alan G. Smith.Game Manual 0FTC community reference for programming, controls, and robot design.
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