10 / Trajectories, Actions, and MeepMeep

Full Road Runner Autonomous

Combine trajectory actions, mechanism actions, vision decisions, and safe fallbacks.

100 minCapstoneTrajectories, Actions, and MeepMeep

You will

01Use vision result to select an autonomous path.
02Compose drive and mechanism actions.
03Add safe fallback behavior when vision is uncertain.

Why Full Road Runner Autonomous matters

This lesson is about planned robot motion using Road Runner 1.0. Students should understand that trajectories depend on tuning, localization, starting pose, and action composition. Road Runner is powerful, but it only works as well as the robot model underneath it.

Starting point

Full auto is orchestration

A strong autonomous routine does not put every detail in one file. It asks vision for a result, chooses a path, runs drive actions, and schedules mechanism actions that already know how to control hardware.

Fallbacks win matches

If vision returns no confident result, the robot should still run a conservative path. A predictable fallback is better than doing nothing or crashing into the field.

Build path

Use small validation steps: create the drive, set the start pose, run a short action, validate localization, then add more complex paths. Mechanisms and vision should be composed as actions only after the drive path works alone.

For this specific lesson, students should first restate the goal in robot terms, then identify the value or behavior they expect to observe, then run the smallest test that proves the idea. The lesson should feel like a guided lab: predict, run, observe, explain, and only then extend.

SelectedAuto.java · Java

PropPosition detected = processor.getPosition();
Action selectedPath;

switch (detected) {
    case LEFT:
        selectedPath = leftPath;
        break;
    case RIGHT:
        selectedPath = rightPath;
        break;
    case CENTER:
    default:
        selectedPath = centerPath;
        break;
}

Actions.runBlocking(new SequentialAction(
        robot.closeClawAction(),
        selectedPath,
        robot.scorePreloadAction(),
        parkAction
));

Debugging and failure modes

Road Runner failures should be separated into layers. If pose is wrong, fix localization. If straight motion is wrong, revisit tuning. If the path is risky, simplify or preview it. If the full auto fails, inspect the selected branch, active action, pose, mechanism state, and finish condition.

Checks

Vision is sampled before start or early in auto.
Each path has the same start pose convention.
The fallback path is tested and intentionally conservative.

Check your understanding

Module check

Why should autonomous include a default path?

0 of 1 answered

References

Road Runner 1.0 DocsRoad Runner 1.0 installation, tuning, actions, and trajectory reference.FTC VisionPortal DocsOfficial VisionPortal overview and examples.Game Manual 0Community FTC programming, control, and robot design reference.