FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC): Getting my feet wet

FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is the middle school division of the FIRST robotics organization, where students design and build robots within an 18” x 18” x 18” footprint using extruded aluminum beams and a variety of kit components. These robots require a high level of hands-on skill and are ideally designed in CAD prior to fabrication.

Participating in FTC provided me with a strong foundation in essential engineering principles, including effective brainstorming, translating ideas into functional designs through CAD, and delegating tasks within a team to meet project goals. During my two years on Team 11109 Pirate Tekerz, I received one-on-one mentorship and CAD training from a professional engineer and was responsible for the majority of the team’s CAD work. In addition to design, I contributed to fabrication testing and served on the drive team.

The second year on the team was greatly impacted by COVID-19, which required us to adapt and find ways to build the robot remotely. To address this challenge, I designed the robot to be modular and developed a detailed CAD model, accompanied by comprehensive drawings. These were distributed to team members along with the necessary materials. Each subassembly was built individually before being assembled by a designated member. Remarkably, nearly everything fit and functioned as intended from the start, exceeding my expectations. After fine-tuning, the robot was competition-ready, and we advanced to state for the first time in the team’s history.

Overall, this experience helped me build a solid grounding in engineering fundamentals, while strengthening my skills in collaboration, design, and fabrication—skills that have served me well and continue to support my growth throughout my college career.

Below, you’ll find various documents and photos from my time on the team, along with the CAD models and drawings I created.