Motion

Introduction

The VEX AIR Drone features four propellers, allowing it to move in any direction and rotate independently. Motion provides methods for movement, turning, speed adjustments, and position tracking.

Below is a list of available blocks:

Actions – Move and turn the drone.

• take off - Lifts the drone to a specified height.

• land - Lands the drone.

• hover - Keeps the drone at its position.

• climb - Moves the drone in a specified vertical direction.

• climb for - Moves the drone in a specified vertical direction for a specific distance.

• climb to altitude - Moves the drone to a specified altitude.

• move – Moves the drone forward, reverse, left, or right.

• move at angle – Moves the drone in a specified direction using an angle.

• move for – Moves the drone in a specific direction for a set distance.

• move at angle for – Moves the drone at a specific angle for a set distance.

• turn – Rotates the drone left or right.

• turn for – Rotates the drone for a specified number of degrees.

• turn to heading – Rotates the drone to face a specific heading.

• move with controller – Allows the drone to be driven using the controller.

Flight Control – Adjust flight settings.

• set steering POV – Sets the POV for steering the drone.

• set movement – Sets the movement style of the drone.

Settings – Adjust movement and turn speeds.

• set climb velocity – Sets the default climbing speed.

• set move velocity – Sets the default movement speed.

• set turn velocity – Sets the default turning speed.

Altitude – Track and modify the drone’s maximum altitude.

• altitude – Returns the drone’s altitude.

• set maximum altitude - Sets the maximum altitude.

Position – Track and modify the drone’s position.

• position – Returns the drone’s current x, y, or z coordinate.

• set drone position – Manually sets the drone’s x, y, and z position.

Values – Check movement status.

• flight state? - Returns the current state of the drone.

• safe mode? - Returns the drone’s propeller lock state.

• climb active? - Returns whether the drone is currently climbing.

• move active? – Returns whether the drone is currently moving.

• turn active? – Returns whether the drone is currently turning.

• hovering? - Returns whether the drone is currently hovering.

• taking off? - Returns whether the drone is currently taking off.

• landing? - Returns whether the drone is currently landing.

Actions

take off

The take off block lifts the drone into the air.

move forward stack block

    take off to [500] mm ▶

Parameters	Description
distance	The distance the drone will fly to in millimeters.
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the drone will finish moving before running the next block. To make the drone start moving and immediately run the next block right away, expand the block to say and don’t wait.

Example

Example coming soon!

land

The land block lands the drone.

move forward stack block

    land ▶

Parameters	Description
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the drone will finish moving before running the next block. To make the drone start moving and immediately run the next block right away, expand the block to say and don’t wait.

Example

Example coming soon!

hover

The hover block makes the drone hover in the air.

move forward stack block

    hover

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

Example coming soon!

climb

The climb block moves the drone in a specified vertical direction.

move forward stack block

    climb [up v]

Parameters	Description
direction	The direction in which the drone will fly: up down

Example

Example coming soon!

climb for

The climb for block moves the drone in a specified vertical direction for a specific distance.

move forward stack block

    climb [up v] for (500) [mm v] ▶

Parameters	Description
direction	The direction in which the drone will fly: up down
distance	The distance the drone will fly for.
units	The unit of measurement, which can be one of the following: mm (millimeters) inches
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the drone will finish moving before running the next block. To make the drone start moving and immediately run the next block right away, expand the block to say and don’t wait.

Example

Example coming soon!

climb to altitude

The climb to altitude block moves the drone to a specific altitude.

move forward stack block

    climb to altitude [500] [mm v] ▶

Parameters	Description
altitude	The altitude, as an integer or decimal, the drone will climb to.
units	The unit of measurement, which can be one of the following: mm (millimeters) inches
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the drone will finish moving before running the next block. To make the drone start moving and immediately run the next block right away, expand the block to say and don’t wait.

Example

Example coming soon!

move

The move block moves the drone in four specific directions using the current move velocity.

move forward stack block

    move [forward v]

Parameters	Description
direction	Move the drone in one of the following directions: forward right left reverse

Example

Example coming soon!

move at angle

The move at angle block moves the drone at a specified angle using the current move velocity.

move at 90 degrees stack block

    move at (90) degrees ▶

Parameters	Description
angle	The angle, as an integer or decimal, at which the drone moves, ranging from 0 to 360 degrees.
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the drone will finish moving before running the next block. To make the drone start moving and immediately run the next block right away, expand the block to say and don’t wait.

Examples

Example coming soon!

move for

The move for block moves the drone in four specific directions for a specific distance using the current move velocity.

move forward for 200 mm stack block

    move [forward v] for (200) [mm v] ▶

Parameters	Description
direction	Move the drone in one of the following directions: forward right left reverse
distance	The distance, as an integer or decimal, that the drone will move.
unit	The unit of measurement, which can be one of the following: mm (millimeters) inches
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the drone will finish moving before running the next block. To make the drone start moving and immediately run the next block right away, expand the block to say and don’t wait.

Example

Example coming soon!

move at angle for

The move at angle for block moves the drone at a specific angle for a specified distance using the current move velocity.

move at angle for stack block

    move at (45) degrees for (200) [mm v] ▶

Parameters	Description
angle	The angle, as an integer or decimal, at which the drone moves, ranging from 0 to 360 degrees.
distance	The distance, as an integer or decimal, that the drone will move.
unit	The unit of measurement, which can be one of the following: mm (millimeters) inches
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the drone will finish moving before running the next block. To make the drone start moving and immediately run the next block right away, expand the block to say and don’t wait.

Examples

Example coming soon!

turn

The turn block turns the drone in a specific direction using the current turn velocity.

turn right stack block

    turn [right v] 

Parameters	Description
direction	The direction in which the drone turns: right left

Example

Example coming soon!

turn for

The turn for block turns the drone in a specified direction for a set distance relative to its current facing direction using the current turn velocity.

turn right for 90 degrees stack block

    turn [right v] for (90) degrees ▶

Parameters	Description
direction	The direction in which the drone turns: right left
angle	The angle, as an integer or decimal, at which the drone moves, ranging from 0 to 360 degrees.
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the drone will finish moving before running the next block. To make the drone start moving and immediately run the next block right away, expand the block to say and don’t wait.

Examples

Example coming soon!

turn to heading

The turn to heading block turns the drone to face a specific heading using the current turn velocity.

turn to heading 90 degrees stack block

    turn to heading (270) degrees ▶

Parameters	Description
heading	The heading that the drone will turn to face from 0 to 360 degrees.
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the drone will finish moving before running the next block. To make the drone start moving and immediately run the next block right away, expand the block to say and don’t wait.

Examples

Example coming soon!

move with controller

The move with controller block lets you drive the drone using the VEX AIR Drone Controller. To use the controller, you need to put the block inside a loop - such as a “forever” loop. If the loop stops and there are no other blocks telling the drone to move, the drone will keep going in the last direction you pushed the joystick.

    move with controller

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

Example coming soon!

Flight Control

set steering POV

The set steering POV block sets the viewpoint that is used when steering the drone.

move forward stack block

    set steering POV to [standard v]

Parameters	Description
style	Sets the viewpoint that is used to steer the drone: standard – The drone moves relative to where it is facing. headless – The drone moves relative to where it was facing at the start of the project.

Example

Example coming soon!

set movement

The set movement block sets the drone’s movement style.

move forward stack block

    set movement to [precision v]

Parameters	Description
style	Sets the speed that is used to steer the drone: precision – The drone moves at a slower base speed. balanced – The drone moves at a medium base speed. performance – The drone moves at a faster base speed.

Example

Example coming soon!

Settings

set climb velocity

The set climb velocity block sets the default climbing speed as a percentage for all subsequent movement blocks in the project.

move forward stack block

    set climb velocity to [100] %

Parameters	Description
velocity	The velocity at which the drone will climb as a percent.

Example

Example coming soon!

set move velocity

The set move velocity block sets the default movement speed as a percentage for all subsequent movement blocks in the project.

set move melocity to 50% stack block

    set move velocity to (100)%

Parameters	Description
velocity	The velocity at which the drone will move as a percent.

Example

Example coming soon!

set turn velocity

Documentation Coming Soon

Altitude

altitude

The altitude block returns the drone’s altitude.

move forward stack block

    altitude in [mm v]

Parameters	Description
units	The unit of measurement, which can be one of the following: mm (millimeters) inches

Example

Example coming soon!

set maximum altitude

Documentation Coming Soon

Position

position

The position block returns the drone’s current x, y, or z-coordinate as an integer.

x position in mm reporter block

    [x v] position in [mm v]

Parameters	Description
coordinate	The coordinate axis, which can be one of the following: x y z
unit	The unit of measurement, which can be one of the following: mm (millimeters) inches

Example

Example coming soon!

set drone position

The set drone position block sets the drone’s current position to specified values in millimeters (mm).

set position stack block

    set drone position x: (0) y: (0) z: (0)

Parameters	Description
x	The x-position to set for the drone, in mm.
y	The y-position to set for the drone, in mm.
z	The z-position to set for the drone, in mm.

Example

Example coming soon!

Values

flight state?

The flight state? block returns a Boolean indicating whether or not the drone is in the specified flight state.

• True – The drone is in the specified state.

• False – The drone is not in the specified state.

move forward stack block

    <flight state is [off v]?>

Parameters	Description
state	The drone state to check: off – The drone is turned off. calibration – The drone is calibrating its sensors. motor start – The drone is starting up its motors. flight ready – The drone is ready to begin flying. flight – The drone is in flight.

Example

Example coming soon!

safe mode?

The safe mode? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the propeller lock is enabled on the drone.

• True – Propellers are in locked.

• False – Propellers are not locked.

move forward stack block

    <safe mode?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

Example coming soon!

climb active?

The climb active? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the drone is climbing.

• True – The drone is currently climbing.

• False – The drone is not climbing.

move forward stack block

    <climb active?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

Example coming soon!

move active?

The move active? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the drone is moving.

• True – The drone is currently moving.

• False – The drone is not moving.

is move active report block

    <move active?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

Example coming soon!

turn active?

The turn active? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the drone is turning.

• True – The drone is currently turning.

• False – The drone is not turning.

turn active reporter block

    <turn active?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

Example coming soon!

hovering?

The hovering? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the drone is hovering.

• True – The drone is currently hovering.

• False – The drone is not hovering.

move forward stack block

    <hovering?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

Example coming soon!

taking off?

The taking off? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the drone is taking off.

• True – The drone is currently taking off.

• False – The drone is not taking off.

move forward stack block

    <taking off?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

Example coming soon!

landing?

The landing? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the drone is landing.

• True – The drone is currently landing.

• False – The drone is not landing.

move forward stack block

    <landing?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

Example coming soon!