FRC Robot Simulator Practice - Team 2658

🎯 Purpose

This is a practice project for learning Java basics. You'll simulate a robot doing something during a match using variables, loops, and conditionals.

🤖 About This Project

This is a console application - it runs in your terminal and prints text output. No robot framework needed! This helps you learn Java fundamentals before working with real robot code.

📚 What You'll Learn

• Variables (int, double, String, boolean)
• For loops (to simulate time passing)
• If statements (to make decisions)
• Print statements (to show what's happening)
• Basic program structure

✅ Your Task

Open RobotSim.java and complete these TODOs:

1. Create Variables

Add variables to track robot information. Ideas:

int batteryLevel = 100;           // Battery starts at 100%
double distanceTraveled = 0.0;    // Distance in feet
int gamePiecesCollected = 0;      // Number of game pieces
String robotState = "IDLE";       // Current state
int matchTime = 15;               // 15 second autonomous period

2. Create a Simulation Loop

Use a for loop to simulate time passing (e.g., 15 seconds for autonomous period):

for (int second = 0; second <= 15; second++) {
    System.out.println("Time: " + second + "s");
    // Your simulation logic here
}

3. Add Logic Inside the Loop

Make things happen! Ideas:

• Battery drains over time: batteryLevel -= 2;
• Robot moves: distanceTraveled += 3.5;
• Collect game pieces at certain times
• Change robot state based on conditions
• Print updates each second

4. Add If Statements

Make decisions based on conditions:

if (batteryLevel < 20) {
    System.out.println("⚠️  WARNING: Low battery!");
}

if (second == 5) {
    robotState = "SCORING";
    gamePiecesCollected++;
}

5. Add User Input

Add a Scanner to get user input for robot actions:

Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.println("Enter action (move, score, stop): ");
String action = scanner.nextLine();

6. Print Final Statistics

After the loop, show the results:

System.out.println("Final Battery: " + batteryLevel + "%");
System.out.println("Distance Traveled: " + distanceTraveled + " feet");
System.out.println("Game Pieces Scored: " + gamePiecesCollected);

🚀 How to Run

Compile the Program

javac RobotSim.java

Run the Program

java RobotSim

💡 Simulation Ideas

Here are some creative ideas for your simulation:

Idea 1: Autonomous Period Simulation

• Simulate a 15-second autonomous period
• Robot starts IDLE, then MOVES to scoring position
• Scores game pieces at specific times
• Battery drains as robot operates
• Print position updates

Idea 2: Battery Management

• Start with 100% battery
• Different actions drain different amounts (moving = 2%, scoring = 5%)
• If battery < 20%, print warning
• If battery reaches 0, robot stops

Idea 3: Distance and Movement

• Track distance traveled in feet
• Robot moves at 3.5 feet per second
• Print position updates
• Calculate if robot reached target distance

Idea 4: Game Piece Collection

• Robot collects game pieces at certain times
• Each piece takes 2 seconds to collect
• Track total pieces collected
• Print when each piece is scored

Idea 5: Multiple States

Create different robot states:

• IDLE → MOVING → COLLECTING → SCORING → RETURNING → IDLE
• Change states based on time or conditions
• Print state changes

📝 Example Output

Here's what your simulation might look like:

=== Robot Simulation Started ===

Time: 0s
Robot State: IDLE
Battery: 100%

Time: 1s
Robot State: MOVING
Battery: 98%
Distance: 3.5 feet

Time: 2s
Robot State: MOVING
Battery: 96%
Distance: 7.0 feet

Time: 5s
Robot State: SCORING
Battery: 90%
Game piece collected! Total: 1

...

=== Simulation Complete ===
Final Battery: 70%
Distance Traveled: 52.5 feet
Game Pieces Scored: 3

🆘 Need Help?

CONTACT A LEAD

🎓 What's Next?

After completing this project, you can:

• Add more complex logic (random events, sensor simulation)
• Create multiple robot "modes"
• Simulate a full 2.5 minute match (not just autonomous)
• Add user input to control the robot
• Create multiple classes (Robot, GamePiece, Field, etc.)