Capability:Encoder Sensing

Encoder Sensing
Type	Sensing
Measures/Controls	Shaft rotation (pulses per revolution)
Common Hardware	Hall effect encoders, magnetic encoders, pre-integrated motor encoders
Enables Activities	Activity:Dead Reckoning Navigation, precise speed control, position control
Status	Stub - Not yet implemented in BRS robots

Encoder Sensing is a sensing capability that measures motor shaft rotation using magnetic or optical detection.

Overview

This is a stub page. This capability is not yet implemented in any BRS robot. This page exists to:

• Document the concept for future implementation
• Invite community members to add it to their robots
• Provide a starting point for hardware selection

What It Measures

Shaft rotation (pulses per revolution)

Common Hardware

Hall effect encoders, magnetic encoders, pre-integrated motor encoders

Enables Activities

Adding this capability to your robot would enable:

• Activity:Dead Reckoning Navigation

Technical Considerations

• **Advantages**: More accurate than wheel-based optical odometry, integrated into motor, no external mounting
• **Disadvantages**: Still subject to wheel slip, requires encoder-compatible motors
• **Typical cost**: $5-15 per motor with encoder
• **Interface**: Digital pulse (quadrature encoding)
• **Resolution**: 12-2048 pulses per revolution typical
• **Note**: Different from SimpleBot's optical odometry (which uses slotted wheels)

Contributing

Want to add this capability to your robot? Here's how:

1. Select appropriate hardware (see "Common Hardware" above)
2. Mount the hardware to your robot chassis
3. Wire to your microcontroller
4. Write driver code or use existing libraries
5. Test and calibrate
6. Document your implementation
7. Update this page with your findings
8. Share on Discord

See Also

• Capabilities - All capabilities
• Activities - What this capability enables
• Robotics Ontology - How capabilities fit into BRS knowledge structure