The Scorpio'bot's programming done using object orientated programming in Java. The robot object contains a two Claw objects, a Tail object, and a Cage object. As the names suggests, the Claw object handles operating a claw of the robot: moving the claw up and down, and holding and releasing a block.  The Claw object also handles detecting wether the block it is currently holding is a hacker or a non-hacker (student or professor).  The Tail object handles moving the Tail up and down. The Cage object  handles tipping the hackers out of the the left and right bins (situated at the sides of
the Scorpio robot).  The Robot object handles combining these objects together and moving the Scorpio robot.  Calibration routines in the Robot object class are responsible for calibrating the robot to determine it's orientation immediately after the start light-signal goes on.

Because calibrating/testing of the Scorpio'bot has not been completed, certain already-written methods of the Robot object class are not included on this page. Clearly, it is useless to write a lineFollow routine without making sure that the robot can move straight, detect which sensors are on/off a black line correctly, correctly adjust it's direction of motion to compensate for being off the black line, and so on.  Because there was not sufficient time close to the competition date to calibrate and test the scorpio'bot's fundamental routines, the other-already-coded methods also were not completely implemented for Scorpio'bot and therefore are not included in this release.

Although competition is over, further work will go into these.

Methods of Cage object class
tipCage(int position) : This methods tips the page. It has two posible positional values scorpio robot uses. tipCage(0) sets the Servo to one side and
                                     tips the left bin open.  tipCage(255) sets the Servo to another side and tips the right bin open.

Methods of Tail object class
releaseTail(int speed, long mls) :This method releases the tail of the Scorpio Robot.  the tail is releases by driving the motor in one direction
                                                      for mls milliseconds, at speed speed.

retractTail(int speed, long mls): This method retracts the tail of the Scorpio Robot to a position above the robot. It does so by diving the motor
                                                     in a direction opposite to that of releaseTail at speed speed for mls milliseconds.

Methods of Claw object class
boolean detectBlock():     This methods returns the state of the block detector on the robot's claw.  It returns true if a block has intercepted the
                                            light beam emitter/reciever pair. The value returned remains true until the block has been released (openClaw method
                                            has been called), otherwise it returns false.

boolean detectHacker():  This method returns checks the state of the Color detects on the robot. It returns true if previously there was a block
                                           in the claw and the color detectors detect a black object in the claw.  The value returned remains true until the block
                                           has been released (openClaw methods has been called), otherwise it returns false.

int openClaw(int ticks) :    This method attempts to open the claw of the scorpio bot by powering the related motor in a certain direction.  It returns
                                            an error code if after 600 milliseconds, the claw has not moved, indicating that it has stalled. The error code indicates
                                            how far the claw was able to open before it stalled.

int closeClaw(int ticks):    This method attempts to close the claw of the scorpio bot by powering the related motor in the reversed direction to
                                            openClaw(int ticks).  It also returns an error code if the claw stalled. The error code indicates how far the claw was able
                                            to close before it stalled.

int lowerClaw(int ticks):    This method attempts to lower the claw of the scorpio bot by powering the related motor in a certain direction.  It returns
                                            an error code if after 600 milliseconds, the claw has not moved, indicating that it has stalled.

int raiseClaw(int ticks):    This method attempts to raise the claw of the scorpio bot by powering the related motor in the reversed direction to
                                            lowerClaw(int ticks).  It also returns an error code if the claw stalled.

Robot Methods
Because some of the robot methods have not been tested/calibrated none of the methods are included here - for now. A description of the nature of
the methods and their error correcting ability is detailed below.

The Robot object methods are designed to be mostly reactive. Each lower-level method handles possible errors up to a point, which thereafter it gives up and sends an error message to the calling methods. Thus if the drive method cannot reach the desired point (perhaps because an opponent is is blocking it), the drive method backs up and tries to move the desired distance.  After the drive method gives up, it sends an error code to the calling method returning the distance it was able to move and giving the calling method the option of backing out of the action. The calling method then pulls the robot backwards and goes to move the robot to do something else. If the drive method is unable to move backwards during any of its attempts it realized that the Robot is stuck.  At this point the freeRobot method is called. This method forces the robot to ram the object preventing it from moving, and then pull away. The ram-pull-away action proceded until the robot is able to go free.