Often it is desirable to get feedback from the robot back to the drivers. The communications protocol between the robot and the driver station includes provisions for sending program specific data. The program at the driver station that receives the data is called the dashboard.

The standard input device supported by the WPI Robotics Library is a USB joystick or gamepad. The Logitech Attack 3 joystick provided in the KOP from 2009-2012 comes equipped with eleven digital input buttons and three analog axes, and interfaces with the robot through the Joystick class. The Joystick class itself supports five analog and twelve digital inputs which allows for joysticks with more capabilities such as the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro included in the 2013 KOP which has 4 analog axes and 12 buttons. Note that the rest of this article exclusively uses the term joystick but can also be referring to a HID compliant USB gamepad.

There are two ways to connect and operate pneumatic solenoid valves to trigger pneumatic cylinder movement using the current control system. One option is to hook the solenoids up to a Spike relay; to learn how to utilize solenoids connected in this manner in code see the article on Relays. The second option is to connect the solenoids to a solenoid breakout board on top of a NI 9472 Digital Sourcing module in the cRIO (slot 3). To use these solenoids in code, use the WPILib "Solenoid" and/or "Double Solenoid" classes, detailed below.

Servo motors are a type of motor which integrates positional feedback into the motor in order to allow a single motor to perform repeatable, controllable movement, taking position as the input signal. WPILib provides the capability to control servos which match the common hobby input specification (PWM signal, 1.0ms-2.0ms pulse width)

The WPI Robotics Library supports the sensors that are supplied in the FRC kit of parts, as well as many commonly used sensors available to FIRST teams through industrial and hobby robotics suppliers.