[MagiChau]

I find that there are good benefits to sensors of course providing they work. I use them for autonomous, checking if the shooter is at the correct RPM, preventing mechanisms from slamming into the hard stops, and provide accurate feedback of the robot's location on the field.

On our robot we have an Axis Camera primarily used to help our drive team make sure the robot is lined up in autonomous and align to the corner for climbing. Going blind would be a nightmare for our driver.

We use limit switches on our climber to prevent our motors from stalling trying to get past the hard stops.

We have encoders on our PTOs for autonomous driving after our three shots are fired and for autonomous climbing. We have done manual climbing but it gets tiresome for ourdriver to do a 12 stage climb every match. I do not trust using timers as distance covered can vary based on the battery.

Lastly we have a gyro for turning in autonomous. Again the actual turn can vary based on battery voltage if timer based.

On the shooter we have a hall effect sensor to measure RPM. This allows our operator to 100% know that the shooter wheel is up to speed before firing a frisbee.

My team every season tries to find the balance between manual and automation. We try to use sensors as simplistically as possible. We do not do anything beyond basic closed feedback loops to slow down a mechanism as it approaches the target and simple logic check for if a mechanism is at the hard stop.

Sensors are there to supplement the mechanical system of the robot. Try to find what works the best for you.