First Tech Challenge: 2022-2023 POWERPLAY

This year, I joined the FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) community for the first time. As captain and lead programmer of Team 19913, I was responsible for managing day-to-day activities and coding for our robot. Almost every weekend, I would meet with my teammates to work on constructing the robot and updating our portfolio to document our progress.

The start of my robotics journey was exciting and somewhat unexpected. Our coach had distributed a form at school to find students interested in joining FTC. I remember filling it out, but when the day came to meet him, I completely forgot and arrived late. I even told my coach that I wasn’t sure if I had filled out the form! He reassured me, inviting me in and explaining FTC in detail. He encouraged us to discuss with our parents before committing, mentioning that if there were too many interested students, he would hold a selection meeting. Seeing almost 20 students in the studio made me nervous—I worried I might be cut. Fortunately, only about half of the initial group stayed on, and after paying the participation fee, I officially became part of the team.

Mr. Shi was showing us how to use Driver Hub to control the robot.

In the first few weeks, we spent hours studying the rule manual and watching introductory videos to fully understand the competition. We also learned some fundamentals of robotics. We discussed various drivetrain options—like the Mecanum wheels, omnidirectional wheels, and swerve drive—and chose Mecanum wheels for our robot. Mr. Shi, our coach, also introduced us to basic tools like wrenches, hammers, and saws, along with components like screws, bearings, and bevel gears in different sizes. Most of our time, however, was spent on the computer. Mr. Shi taught us to design models for the robot’s structures using SolidWorks. I was captivated by seeing these virtual structures come to life through animations and eventually on our 3D printer. This experience sparked my love for robotics, and I began exploring more in my free time.

We were trying to understand the coding.

Soon after, Mr. Shi asked us to choose specific tasks. Almost everyone wanted to work on building the robot’s structure. When he asked if anyone was interested in programming, no one raised their hand—so I volunteered. I was actually interested in building as well, but I knew programming was essential, and someone had to do it. I decided I’d be that person.

Beyond engineering and programming, other roles needed filling. To help reduce our costs for parts, some members sought sponsorships. Since FTC values promoting the competition, some teammates managed our team’s social media account, took photos of our activities, and prepared presentations for interviews. The engineering portfolio, a key part of our documentation, required everyone to contribute in rotation, allowing us to record every step in building our robot.

Unexpectedly, COVID-19 prevented us from meeting in person and forced us to work from home. To debug my code, I had to apply for permission from the school and make the most of the limited time allowed to test it on the robot. Often, the engineers would complete a part of the robot one day, and I’d test my code the next, but we rarely saw each other. Even Mr. Shi couldn’t always be there. Despite these challenging circumstances, we managed to finish our robot just in time for the qualifier—my first FTC match.

We held online meetings during COVID-19 from time to time.

Due to COVID-19, the competition was held online with modified rules. Instead of working as a team during the match, each robot competed independently, aiming to score as high as possible on its own. Following official guidelines, we set up cameras and recorded multiple rounds to achieve our best score. We spent an entire night trying different runs, submitting our final videos just before the deadline. That was the latest I had ever stayed at school.

Soon after, we received the exciting news that we won second place in the Inspire Award and third in the Control Award, which qualified us for the finals. While this was a great accomplishment, it also meant we had to keep pushing to improve the robot and raise our score. Mr. Shi encouraged us to try new designs, and I remember he once asked if I would be okay with rewriting the program due to structural changes. I replied, "Coding is the soul of the robot, and it serves the engineering." I assured him I was willing to start from scratch, even if all my previous work was discarded. He asked, "Are you sure?" I said, "I won’t regret it." I shared this story with the judges during our interview.

We were checking the situation of the robot.

As we improved the engineering, I continued refining the programming. I added extra sensors and designed an algorithm to locate the robot by measuring its distance from the fencing. I also updated the autonomous program to make the robot’s movements smoother.