Real-Time Motion Profiling for VEX Robotics

A high-performance, real-time motion profiling library designed specifically for VEX Robotics competitions. This library generates smooth, kinematics-constrained trajectories for autonomous robot movement.

Features

• Real-time trajectory generation optimized for rapid regeneration in under 5ms
• Differential drive kinematics with configurable robot parameters
• Multi-path support for complex autonomous routines
• Physics-based constraints including friction, acceleration, and velocity limits

Architecture

Core Components

Path Generation (path.hpp/cpp)

• CubicBezier: Implements smooth parametric curves using control points
• MultiPath: Concatenates multiple path segments for complex trajectories
• Mathematical derivatives: Calculated first and second derivatives using Eigen

Kinematics Engine (kinematics.hpp/cpp)

• DifferentialKinematics: Models tank drive/differential drive robots
• Configurable parameters: Track width, maximum velocity, acceleration, and friction coefficients
• Wheel velocity calculations: Converts linear and angular velocities to individual wheel speeds for use on a robot

Trajectory Generator (trajectoryGenerator.hpp/cpp)

• Double pass: Calculates maximum safe velocities considering robot constraints
• Time-optimal profiling: Minimizes trajectory execution time while respecting physical limits

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• C++17 compatible compiler (GCC 7.0+ recommended)
• Eigen3 library (included in include/Eigen/)
• Make build system

Building the Project

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Cooper7196/Real-Time-Motion-Profiling.git
cd Real-Time-Motion-Profiling

# Build the project
make

# Run the example
./main

Basic Usage

#include "kinematics.hpp"
#include "path.hpp"
#include "trajectoryGenerator.hpp"

int main() {
    // Define robot parameters
    double trackWidth = 12.0;    // inches
    double maxVel = 75.0;        // inches/second  
    double maxAccel = 75.0;      // inches/second²
    double friction = 0.4;       // coefficient of friction
    
    // Create kinematics model
    auto kinematics = new DifferentialKinematics(trackWidth, maxVel, maxAccel, friction);
    
    // Define path using control points
    auto path = new CubicBezier({0, 0}, {24, 0}, {24, 24}, {48, 24});
    
    // Generate trajectory
    TrajectoryGenerator generator(kinematics, 0.01); // 1cm resolution
    generator.generateTrajectory(path);
    
    // Get trajectory points
    std::vector<Pose> trajectory = generator.getTrajectory();
    
    // Use trajectory for robot control...
    return 0;
}

Learning Resources

Motion Profiling.pdf

This repository includes a comprehensive technical document Motion Profiling.pdf that provides:

• Theoretical foundations of motion profiling algorithms
• Mathematical derivations for trajectory generation
• Step-by-step implementation guidance for building your own motion profiling system
• VEX-specific considerations and optimization strategies
• Visual examples and diagrams explaining key concepts

This document is generated based on the typst document in typst/, any contributions are welcome.

I am also availible on discord at @comodomo, and am happy to respond to any queries about motion profiling.

Contributing

This project was developed for VEX Robotics applications and is open to contributions from the VEX community:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.