To download the Advanced VRC Demo, go to http://vrobotsim.org/get-started and click on Download Demo to get the Android APK on your android device. Once done, make sure to save the file in the downloads. To complete the installation, click on the file and proceed with the steps until you can open the application. The pictures below show how to complete the installation.

Another option if you don’t have a physical Android device for the Demo VRC is to use BlueStacks which is an emulator that you can run on a Windows or Mac without the need for an extra phone or tablet.

Configure Robot from Template

To create a default robot configuration, all you have to do is click on the three dots on the top right of the screen, then click Configure Robot. Once a new page pops up, simply click the “CONFIGURE FROM TEMPLATE” button on the bottom left and click Activate once it shows up in the list. If it successfully activated, the name of the configuration (“defaultRobot”) would show up on the top right in the red bar – if not, please try the previous steps again. Then, click Done and you can start any of the demo OpModes! The following pictures display the steps to create the configuration.

Before running, make sure to check that your device has a consistent WiFi connection.

Once you have activated the configuration and it shows up under active configuration on the main screen, you are ready for running your first program, but make sure you have made a booking – take a look at this guide to claim your time slot for the virtual simulator experience. After you have opened the simulator tab and can view the field. You are ready to begin using any of the two OpModes available – DemoAutonomous which does simple movements using encoders or DemoTeleOp where you can do a driver-controlled match with the robot. To switch between OpModes, you can click on the light red bar where the name of the first OpMode is displayed to reveal a dropdown.

When running the DemoAutonomous, you can simply click Init, wait for a popup to tell you to Start, and then click Start. You can click stop to end the OpMode.

When running the DemoTeleOp, first completely close the app by clicking the square button on the bottom and swiping it out. Next, you must connect a controller (preferably an FTC legal gamepad, but almost all types will work) to the port available on the tablet and then open the app again. If a gamepad icon on the top right appears and text shows up in the Telemetry section on the bottom (showing the joysticks’ position), the device has successfully recognized the gamepad. If not, please try another gamepad or adapter. Once recognized, you can click Init, wait for a popup to tell you to Start, and then click Start. You can click stop to end the OpMode.

The pictures below show how to start Autonomous and TeleOp programs.

The image below is the mapping of the controls on a gamepad that is used to control the robot. The left joystick is used for moving the robot forward, backward, left, and right respectively while the right joystick is used for turning the robot left and right. When trying to collect a ring, click “A” and it is important to note that you can hold a maximum of three rings as per the game rules. When launching a ring, you must hold “Y” to spin the flywheel and then click “B” to launch the ring. When launching multiple rings, hold “Y” and click and release “B” with short breaks as many times as the number of rings that you are currently holding.

The image above is an Xbox One Controller, but the buttons and joysticks used to control the virtual robot remain the same across all types of controllers.