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Other Hardware Robotics
3

step 1 : remove all the while loops and do the checking in one place

void loop()
{  
    det = check();
      if (det == 'F')   //if incoming data is a F, move foward
      {   
          desniMotor.run (FORWARD); //right motor moves forward 
          desniMotor.setSpeed (velocity); // rotational speed of the motor
          lijeviMotor.run (FORWARD); // -||-
          lijeviMotor.setSpeed (velocity); // -||-
      }   
      else if (det == 'B')   //if incoming data is a B, move back
      {     
          desniMotor.run (BACKWARD); //
          desniMotor.setSpeed (velocity); // 
          lijeviMotor.run (BACKWARD); // -||-
          lijeviMotor.setSpeed (velocity); //-||-         
      }  
      else if (det == 'L')   //if incoming data is a L, move wheels left
      {      
          desniMotor.run (FORWARD);
          desniMotor.setSpeed (velocity);
          lijeviMotor.run (BACKWARD);
          lijeviMotor.setSpeed (velocity);                
      }   
      else if (det == 'R')   //if incoming data is a R, move wheels right
      {     
          desniMotor.run (BACKWARD);
          desniMotor.setSpeed (velocity);
          lijeviMotor.run (FORWARD);
          lijeviMotor.setSpeed (velocity);         
      }
      else if (det == 'I')   //if incoming data is a I, turn right forward
      {      
          desniMotor.run (FORWARD);
          desniMotor.setSpeed (velocity);
          lijeviMotor.run (FORWARD);
          lijeviMotor.setSpeed (velocity);         
      }   
      else if (det == 'J')   //if incoming data is a J, turn right back
      {       
          desniMotor.run (BACKWARD);
          desniMotor.setSpeed (velocity);
          lijeviMotor.run (BACKWARD);
          lijeviMotor.setSpeed (velocity);                
      }           
      else if (det == 'G')   //if incoming data is a G, turn left forward
      {  
          desniMotor.run (FORWARD);
          desniMotor.setSpeed (velocity);
          lijeviMotor.run (FORWARD);
          lijeviMotor.setSpeed (velocity);             
      }     
      else if (det == 'H')   //if incoming data is a H, turn left back
      {
           desniMotor.run (BACKWARD);
          desniMotor.setSpeed (velocity);
          lijeviMotor.run (BACKWARD);
          lijeviMotor.setSpeed (velocity);                                                  
      }    
      else if (det == 'S')   //if incoming data is a S, stop
      {
          desniMotor.run (RELEASE);
          lijeviMotor.run (RELEASE);         
      }
}

step 2: replace the motorcalls with one parameterized function

void loop()
{  
    det = check();
      if (det == 'F')   //if incoming data is a F, move foward
      {   
          action(FORWARD, velocity, FORWARD, velocity);
      }   
      else if (det == 'B')   //if incoming data is a B, move back
      {     
           action(BACKWARD, velocity, BACKWARD, velocity);
      }  
      else if (det == 'L')   //if incoming data is a L, move wheels left
      {      
          action(FORWARD, velocity, BACKWARD, velocity);            
      }   
      else if (det == 'R')   //if incoming data is a R, move wheels right
      {     
          action(BACKWARD, velocity, FORWARD, velocity);     
      }
      else if (det == 'I')   //if incoming data is a I, turn right forward
      {      
          action(FORWARD, velocity, FORWARD, velocity);      
      }   
      else if (det == 'J')   //if incoming data is a J, turn right back
      {       
           action(BACKWARD, velocity, BACKWARD, velocity);               
      }           
      else if (det == 'G')   //if incoming data is a G, turn left forward
      {  
           action(BACKWARD, velocity, BACKWARD, velocity);   
      }     
      else if (det == 'H')   //if incoming data is a H, turn left back
      {
           action(BACKWARD, velocity, BACKWARD, velocity);                                                
      }    
      else if (det == 'S')   //if incoming data is a S, stop
      {
           action(RELEASE, 0, RELEASE, 0);
      }
}

void action( int directionRight, int speedRight, int directionLeft, int speedLeft )
{
          desniMotor.run (directionRight); 
          desniMotor.setSpeed (speedRight);
          lijeviMotor.run (directionLeft);
          lijeviMotor.setSpeed (speedLeft );
}

Note not all calls correctly

Step 3: remove unneeded comments and braces

void loop()
{  
      det = check();
      if (det == 'F')   action(FORWARD, velocity, FORWARD, velocity);
      else if (det == 'B') action(BACKWARD, velocity, BACKWARD, velocity);
      else if (det == 'L') action(FORWARD, velocity, BACKWARD, velocity);            
      else if (det == 'R') action(BACKWARD, velocity, FORWARD, velocity);     
      else if (det == 'I') action(FORWARD, velocity, FORWARD, velocity);      
      else if (det == 'J') action(BACKWARD, velocity, BACKWARD, velocity);               
      else if (det == 'G') action(FORWARD, velocity, BACKWARD, velocity);   
      else if (det == 'H') action(BACKWARD, velocity, FORWARD, velocity);                                                
      else if (det == 'S') action(RELEASE, 0, RELEASE, 0);
}
  • you could align the code visually to get nice columns of params (easier to check)
  • you could use a "switch case" here instead of the "if else ladder"
  • As the parameter velocity is always equal you can refactor one away (but if you want diff speeds -> don't)
  • ...
    my 2 cents