Presenter: Eugene Fang (604)

Key Takeaway: Driver UX should be treated as a day-one priority, not as an afterthought.

A highly capable robot is only as effective as the driver operating it. In the heat of a match, cognitive overload and poor controller ergonomics can cost crucial points. This presentation explores how to design your control system as a natural bridge between driver intent and robot action. We will discuss foundational design principles for intuitive control and the practice of co-designing hardware and software to enable seamless, single-driver operation.

About the Presenter:

Eugene Fang is one of the lead technical mentors for 604. His journey with FIRST started with FLL in 2000, progressing through to FRC a student on 604, and graduating in 2010. Post high-school, he continued to remotely advise 604 as well as other teams before finally moving back to the Bay Area for work and started mentoring 604 in-person in 2021. Eugene is here to share some of the lessons learned over his 26 years in FIRST to help his students get the most out of the program.