Servos

Servos are motors designed to move to specific positions.

They are commonly used for:

• Claws
• Arms
• Small mechanisms
• Linkages

Getting a Servo

Servo servo;

servo = hardwareMap.get(Servo.class, "servo");

Servo Position

Standard servos use positions from:

0.0 to 1.0

Example:

servo.setPosition(0.5);

The exact physical position depends on how the servo is mounted.

Calibration

Servo positions usually need tuning.

Example:

double OPEN = 0.8;
double CLOSED = 0.2;

Then:

servo.setPosition(OPEN);

Using constants makes tuning easier.

Servo Direction

If a servo moves backwards:

servo.setDirection(Servo.Direction.REVERSE);

Standard vs Continuous Rotation Servos

Standard Servo

Controls position.

Example:

0.0 → Left
0.5 → Center
1.0 → Right

Continuous Rotation Servo

Controls speed instead of position.

Example:

servo.setPower(1.0);

Continuous rotation servos behave more like motors.

Common Servo Issues

Servo Moves Wrong Direction

Reverse it:

servo.setDirection(
    Servo.Direction.REVERSE
);

Servo Does Not Reach Position

Check:

• Mechanical limits
• Servo range
• Mounting
• Power supply

Key Takeaways

• Servos control position.
• Standard servos use positions from 0.0 to 1.0.
• Calibration is important.
• Use constants for servo positions.
• Continuous rotation servos work differently from standard servos.