Welcome to NODO!
NODO is a lightweight FTC drivetrain library designed for robots that don’t use dead-wheel odometry.
NODO uses hardware already on your robot (drivetrain motors, battery voltage, and Control Hub IMU) to make simple, repeatable autonomous routines without additional hardware
Dive straight into installation?
Why NODO?
In FIRST Tech Challenge, high consistent autonomous routines often rely on dead-wheel odometry.
Dead wheels provide accurate field localization, but they also add:
- Additional hardware
- More configuration & tuning
- An added cost some teams may not be able to afford
Traditional time-based autonomous is simpler, but introduces another crucial problem.
A command such as:
driveFor(0.5, 800);
doesn’t necessarily travel the same distance every run. Battery voltage, friction, and more can change the distance.
NODO sits between these two approaches.
Keeping simplicity of timed autonomous while using software controls to make drivetrain behavior more consistent.
Some Core Features
- Voltage Compensation: Automatically scales motor power based on battery drops using a first-order low pass filter.
- IMU Heading Hold: Uses a PD Controller & the Control Hub’s internal IMU to keep the robot driving/strafing straight
- Simple Routine Builder: Chains commands together easily, all with little learning curve.
- FTC Blocks & OnBot Java Support: Support for OnBot Java and Blocks programmers!
NODO does:
- Drive forward/backward for a specified time
- Strafe for a specified time on mecanum drivetrains
- Turn by a relative angle using IMU
- Apply feedforward to overcome drivetrain friction
- Build sequences of autonomous movements
- Self correct for small heading changes while driving straight/strafing
- Support both Java and FTC Blocks
NODO is not:
NODO is not a replacement for full field localization.
It does not:
- Track field position
- Use dead-wheel odometry
- Follow trajectories
NODO is designed around short, repeatable movements, and IMU based heading control.
Recommended Learning Path
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Add NODO to your FTC project.
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Get your robot moving!
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Set up motors, directions, and IMU orientation.
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Tune feedforward and turn controls for your robot
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Learn movement commands and build complete sequences.
Do you already know NODO?
NODO
By Scarlett C. from Team 8393, the Giant Diencephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team