---
title: Robot Controller
---

{% include outdated-warning %}

The **Robot Controller**, or **RC** is the unit of the [control
system](Control_system "Control system" ) that processes
[input](Input "Input" ), is responsible for
[communication](Radio_modem "Radio modem" ), and controls the robot
through various [outputs](Output "Output" ). There are two types of
Robot Controllers -- the Full-size version and the controller from the
[Robovation](Robovation "Robovation" ) kit.

The Full-size Robot Controller receives data from the [Operator
Interface](Operator_Interface "Operator Interface" ), and controls
the [spike relays](Spike "Spike" ), [motors](Motors
"Motors" ), and [servos](Servo "Servo" ). It is the unit that is
[programmed](Programming "Programming" ).


## History

The RC tends to change slightly from year to year, where most of the change is
slight improvements.

There have been major changes, however. In 2000, the BASIC Stamp was switched
from [BS2](BS2 "BS2" ) to [BS2sx](BS2sx "BS2sx" ). In
2003, an [autonomous mode](autonomous-mode)
feature was implemented. The most significant change, though, occurred in
2004, when the basic processor was changed from a BASIC Stamp to a PIC chip.
In 2009, the RC was completely thrown out for the National Instruments [cRIO](crio).

To learn more about the multiple varieties of the RC, see their specific
pages.

  * [Robot Controller (2015)](robot-controller-2015)  
  * [Robot Controller (2010)](robot-controller-2010)  
  * [Robot Controller (2009)](robot-controller-2009)
  * [Robot Controller (2006)](robot-controller-2006) ([PIC C](PIC_C "PIC C" )) 
  * [Robot Controller (2004)](robot-controller-2004) ([PIC C](PIC_C "PIC C" )) 
  * [Robot Controller (2003)](robot-controller-2003) ([PBASIC](PBASIC "PBASIC" )) 
  * [Robot Controller (2000)](robot-controller-2000) ([PBASIC](PBASIC "PBASIC" )) 
  * [Robot Controller (1996)](robot-controller-1996) 
  * [Robot Controller (1993)](robot-controller-1993)