RBE 1001: Introduction to Robotics

01 Background

RBE 1001: Introduction to Robotics^[1] was a multidisciplinary introduction to robotics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, combining concepts from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science — a philosophy WPI describes as the RBE discipline being one-third ECE, one-third CS, and one-third MechE. This course put all three to the test.

WPI launched the nation's first undergraduate Robotics Engineering degree program in 2007^[2], and I was there in the early years of the program, experiencing its curriculum as it matured. Labs applied classroom knowledge including Arduino programming in C/C++, laser cutting, soldering, voltage dividers, line trackers, motor control, VEX controllers, teleoperation, autonomous operation, and dead reckoning.

02 Platform & Electronics

The course was built around the Arduino Mega 2560, paired with a custom shield designed by one of our RBE professors to break out all of the GPIO pins for interfacing with off-the-shelf VEX Robotics components. This allowed us to use VEX battery packs, motors, servos, end-stop switches, wheels, sprockets, and chain — providing a rich ecosystem of electromechanical components to work with.

All motors required motor drivers which were PWM-driven, and we implemented PID control loops for precise motion control. The system also paired with a VEX transmitter and receiver for teleoperation control. Understanding torque calculations for the shoulder and wrist joints, gear reduction ratios, and motor stall logic were critical for designing a robot that could reliably manipulate objects under competition conditions.

03 Chassis Design

Our team included Alex Caracappa, now co-founder of DraftTop, who brought strong mechanical engineering and SolidWorks skills to the project. While I focused on the electrical engineering, sensor integration, and electromechanical systems, Alex designed the chassis. We chose an all-acrylic construction, laser-cut with slotted joints to save weight while maintaining structural rigidity.

The chassis featured four A-frames with wheels protected between them. Electronics — the Arduino, VEX shield, motor drivers, and batteries — were stored in the lower section of the A-frame, keeping the center of gravity low to prevent tipping. This placement also kept the electronics tucked away from moving objects and blocks, both protected and non-interfering.

One competition constraint required the robot to fit within a 1' × 1' × 1' cube, so we designed a stored position where the arm folded vertically for compact, agile movement across the field.

04 Block Collection Mechanism

The collection mechanism used a set of rubber wheels (supplemented with zip ties for extra grip) at the front of the robot to pull 1" × 1" wood blocks into a hopper. The "wrist" joint would then raise, sliding blocks backwards down a chute into a rear "trunk" storage compartment. The "shoulder" joint controlled the overall arm height for scooping and transferring.

A key design advantage was placing the trunk at the rear of the robot. When it was time to deposit blocks, we simply opened the tailgate and let gravity slide them down a ramp into our end-zone — no need to turn the robot around, which saved valuable time during competition. The storage could hold 12–16 blocks per trip.

05 Savage Soccer Competition

The final challenge was Savage Soccer — a head-to-head competition where four teams faced off on a shared field. The goal was to scoop 1" × 1" wood blocks from a central pyramid and bring them back to your team's collection point. The team with the most blocks after the time limit won. A larger 2" × 2" block at the top of the pyramid was worth bonus points but was more challenging to retrieve.

Each match began with 30–45 seconds of autonomous operation, where the robot had to navigate and collect blocks using only its sensors and pre-programmed logic. This was followed by approximately 2 minutes of teleoperation using the VEX controller. The competition tested everything — sensor integration, motor control, mechanical reliability, state machine design, and driver skill under pressure.

06 References