First Tech Challenge: 2023-2024 CENTERSTAGE

My second year for First Tech Challenge

We embarked on our FTC journey without support from a reliable coach, relying instead on our own experience and determination. We purchased the official field and components directly, while other necessary items were acquired from fellow teams. I often browsed through the FTC community contact list, reaching out to teams individually for component exchanges. While options were limited and often costly, this process helped us build connections with other teams, giving us the chance to learn by exchanging ideas on robot construction.

We are modeling the robot with SolidWorks.

This year, I served again as both the team captain and lead programmer. With limited engineering resources, I also took on tasks related to building models and assembling the robot. We thought the experience would be much easier since we were now familiar with the rules and regulations. However, the reality was far more challenging than we anticipated. Because the driver hub—a crucial piece of hardware we used last year—was prohibitively expensive, we opted to create a DIY driver station using a Motorola phone, a connector, and USB cables. I followed the official website’s instructions to build the station step by step, but unexpected issues kept arising. My phone’s version differed from the one in the guide, causing settings to appear in different places or disappear entirely. Additionally, the phone lacked Google services, which prevented access to the Google Play Store or even basic web browsing. I attempted to install the necessary software by transferring APK files from my computer, but the process was frustratingly slow. Ultimately, I managed to download the required app via Bluetooth—a small victory amidst many setbacks.

Once we finished constructing the drive base, the next step was to make it operational. Without the guidance of my previous coach, I had to start programming it from scratch. I tested each function in the software and scoured online resources to understand their utilities. Finally, I succeeded in programming its basic movement: moving forward. I shared a video with my team, showing that our assembly of metal and plastic was finally becoming a real robot.

We set out to build more sophisticated structures to increase our scoring potential. However, things didn’t go as planned. Our two engineers divided their tasks, but neither completed their work before our first qualifier. On the night before we boarded the train, we worked through the entire evening at the studio, yet our robot was still far from finished. We packed everything, hoping to complete the remaining work on the train and in the hotel. Unfortunately, as the hours wore on, it became clear that we were too far behind. Exhausted and frustrated, I looked at my worn-out teammates and admitted that without a complete robot, qualifying for the finals was out of reach. Furthermore, even if we won, it would be unfair to our partners, as we hadn’t contributed fully. I suggested we explain our situation to the referees and focus on preparing for the next qualifier. As Confucius said, "Only after feeling shame can one be truly courageous." I believed this experience would prevent us from making the same mistake again.

Although we lost the competition, we did play a role in the competition. We took a photo with Shanghai Chuansha High School, whom we helped by lending a camera enabling their robot to recognize prop in the competition. They won the first-place of Inspire Award in that qualifier.

They agreed in silence.

The next day, we still went to the field. This was our way of showing respect for the competition. We participated in the referee interview to express our regret to everyone who had put effort into the event. However, we chose not to compete, as we didn’t want our unfinished robot to impact the performance of our alliance partners. Despite the disappointment, I felt a sense of relief afterward, knowing I could finally have a full night’s rest.

We did not attend the competition, but the referee gave us the third place of Motivate Award to encourage us.

On the evening before our return, I held a meeting to share my reflections with the team. As captain, I recognized that I was largely responsible for our shortcomings. I hadn’t established a clear, achievable plan, nor had I ensured my teammates adhered to it strictly, which led to our failure to complete the robot on time. To address this, I bought a blackboard, intending it as both a planning tool and a constant reminder of our goals. I outlined my programming tasks in detail, breaking them into steps with specific deadlines. I then asked each teammate to do the same—whether in engineering or outreach, everyone created a concrete plan with clear deadlines. I also required each person to draft a backup plan in case they missed their original deadlines. By the end, the blackboard was filled with their plans, and I decided to leave it up in the studio as a reminder of our commitment to improving and never repeating this experience.

Reality isn’t always as inspiring as a movie. Many challenges remained beyond our control. We abandoned our previous design and decided to use a more efficient transmission belt. However, agreeing on the belt’s specifics proved difficult. At this point, we decided to seek external guidance. We connected with a coach from a robotics training organization who offered valuable insights on designing the belt and helped us source necessary components. For the task of suspending the robot from a rod, we consulted another coach about balancing limited height with the length required for the structure. This coach proposed an innovative design, enabling our robot to achieve the suspension action successfully. As the programmer, I also sought advice from the FTC online community. I frequently communicated with Mr. Diaz, an official FTC technical coach in the US. Each morning, I eagerly checked my email, hoping for his feedback on machine learning, camera recognition, and OpenCV. His support was invaluable in helping me finalize the code.

We were discussing transmission belt structure with couches of local robotics education institution.

Thanks to each teammate’s commitment, we managed to finish our second robot before the deadline, despite constant difficulties. Admittedly, it looked rough: two wooden bars held items on the transmission belt in place, and we had glued a cardboard piece to the robot arms to help props fall correctly and score. Metal scraps and Coke can aluminum were added to guide props onto the belt. Compared to the high-tech carbon fiber plates of other teams, our robot looked like a “patched-up beggar.” Yet, we saw this as a feature rather than a flaw. These components kept costs low while achieving our goals and promoting environmental responsibility by reducing the waste associated with carbon fiber and metal production. It reminded me of last year’s referees, who said, “they promote the spread of FTC in underdeveloped areas.”

We were discussing climbing structure with couches of local robotics education institution.

On the night before competition day, disaster struck. The board under the transmission belt broke, leaving the belt unusable. But this didn’t dampen our resolve to perform well. We stayed up late, fixing the issue with tape and Red Bull cans we’d bought to keep ourselves awake. As my teammates finally rested, I worked until 2 a.m., perfecting the autonomous program.

Then came match day. Once again, my confidence was overestimated. I failed the robot inspection, as I had in last year’s offline match. Thankfully, the issues were minor, and I quickly adjusted the robot per the referees’ instructions and successfully checked in.

Our robot was scoring by suspending on the rod.

FTC is a team effort. Winning requires coordination with your partner team to strategize and maximize each robot’s strengths. During discussions with our partner team, I mapped out our routes and tasks for the field, then carried my robot to the start line. Noticing other teams’ trolleys, I made a mental note: I’ll get one of those someday.

It’s often the anticipation that’s scarier than the experience itself. Once in the game, I was too focused to worry about letting the team down. Time seemed to fly by as I waited for each stage: the start signal, the end of the autonomous phase, and the countdown between autonomous and manual control. When I saw my teammate pick up the gamepad, I knew it was time. I maneuvered the robot along its route like an actor following stage directions. The only sounds I registered were my teammate’s prompts. When the end game began, I shouted, “Forget going there! Shoot the paper plane and start climbing!” The paper plane sprang into the air but missed the target, spinning and landing in the field—no points. But there was no time to dwell on it. We positioned the robot beneath the rod, extended its arms, and lifted it off the ground just as the timer ran out. The robot clung to the rod, like a monkey hanging from a tree. We dropped our gamepads, ready for the referees to count our score.

Every second waiting for the score felt like holding your breath before a lottery result. Everyone focused on the screen. Finally, the red background appeared, and the text “Red Wins” confirmed our victory.

We were thrilled, but we knew this was only the first of six games. There was still time—and a need—to inspect our robot and resolve issues, like the failed paper plane. We repeated this process after each match, refining both our robot and our teamwork until the first day ended.

We didn’t perform very well on the first day, losing more matches than we won. But after the setbacks we’d faced in recent months, I wasn’t discouraged. I reminded my teammates: “We’ll do better than last time. We have a chance to win tomorrow.”

The next morning brought the interview segment. With our robot, we gathered in the interview room to present our design, programs, outreach, and community contributions. As the only team without a professional coach, school support, or advanced manufacturing access (we had only one 3D printer, and CNC was too expensive), we overcame nearly every challenge independently. Our unique use of cardboard and aluminum cans reflected our commitment to environmental protection, reduced costs, and demonstrated our creativity. We showed our models and code to illustrate our originality and self-reliance. By the end, the referees recognized our “ingenuity” and expressed interest in following our progress.

That afternoon, all games concluded, and the rankings were posted. Although we didn’t rank high enough for the knockout stage, there was a silver lining: I could finally have lunch at the school dining hall. Last year, I’d played my first offline match here but was too busy for lunch, and the same had happened yesterday. It felt almost luxurious to finally enjoy a calm meal instead of rushing between repairs and programming.

After lunch, we watched other teams’ remarkable performances. These teams used advanced technology to build highly efficient robots, earning impressive scores. After three rounds, the closing ceremony began, and awards were announced.

One by one, awards passed without hearing our team’s name. As we got closer to the final awards, my teammate asked repeatedly, “Do we have a chance to make it to the nationals?” I wanted to reassure him, but I didn’t want to give false hope. I kept quiet.

The announcement for the Inspire Award’s third place wasn’t us. Nor was the second place. But as the first-place description started, I recognized something familiar: a team using eco-friendly materials, working without a coach, connecting with international mentors, the only team from “underdeveloped areas” promoting STEM education back home. The words fit us perfectly. When the screen showed our team number, “23755,” and our city, “Jinan,” I could hardly believe it. We rushed onto the stage. For the first time, I felt we’d made it as a team from “underdeveloped areas.” I thanked everyone who had helped us. Finally, our hard work in FTC had been recognized. Last time we left the field, we hadn’t even completed the match. But this time, we won not only a ticket to nationals but something even more valuable: persistence in our passion, gratitude to those who supported us, and the confidence to trust in the rewards of dedication. With these lessons, I believe my teammates and I can go even further in our journey.

Our photo with referees after winning the Inspire Award. We had no coach, so my mother, who was in the left of the photo, accompanied us in the competition.

After returning from Shanghai, I was confident we could achieve even better results at the next national finals and maybe even reach the world championship in Houston. But just as we were preparing to pay the finalist registration fee, a message popped up from a teammate saying he didn’t want to continue. He felt we had already done enough. I urged him to reconsider, but his answer was firm. I knew then that it was pointless to try and convince him.

And that was only the beginning. Over the next few days, more teammates called or messaged me to say they were also leaving, each for different reasons. That night, I felt like everything was falling apart. Out of our seven members, four had decided to quit. For the first time, I understood the struggle of starting something from scratch—and the loneliness that comes when it crumbles. To be honest, I nearly gave up then. But instead, I gathered the two remaining teammates and declared our next goal: recruiting new members.

That night, we began calling our classmates one by one, explaining our situation and the rewards of participating in FTC. The next morning, we continued our search for teammates at school. Many students turned us down, seeing the game as irrelevant to their intended university majors. Realizing this, we shifted our focus to those interested in STEM fields. Our first recruit was a student from AP Computer Science, someone I had known since junior high, who would focus on programming. We also invited a classmate who was interested in engineering and had a talent for writing and design to help with our engineering notebook and outreach. Additionally, two friends joined us to handle materials procurement and team promotion videos.

I had expected this recruitment effort to be nearly impossible and had even started to accept that we might have to give up. But to my surprise, we managed to bring in several new, enthusiastic members. To ensure our team stayed committed this time, I had everyone sign a contract to formalize their commitment. Although some took it lightly, I knew it was a step towards stability. I held a team meeting to go over the contract, reiterate our rules, and discuss our upcoming tasks. With renewed energy, we divided responsibilities and got back to work. Driven by our collective goal of reaching Houston, I emphasized the importance of regular meetings and timely progress updates.

We were measuring the width of the robot to determine the volume of following structures.

During winter vacation, while others were reuniting with family for Chinese New Year, our team chose to remain in the studio, fully dedicated to building our robot. Despite limited access to express shipping and factory services over the holiday, we had the gift of uninterrupted time to immerse ourselves in perfecting the robot’s design. We tested multiple versions, each iteration pushing the limits of what our robot could achieve. For the first time, we implemented advanced algorithms like PID control for precision, along with a gyro and camera for enhanced field positioning. These additions marked a new level of technical sophistication for us.

Our innovations didn’t stop with the robot itself. We shared our journey on Bilibili, a popular social media platform, uploading videos of our construction process, training sessions, and team meetings. We also launched our team website (ftc23755.com), making us one of the first FTC teams in China to do so.

A month later, we brought our robot to the national finals. Armed with our most efficient robot yet and thorough preparation, we placed 12th overall and were awarded the first prize in the Motivate Award. Although we cannot go to Houston, we were glad to achieve such an unprecedented ranking. This may have been my last FTC season, but it doesn’t mark the end of my journey in STEM. I’ll keep following FTC’s advancements, honing my robotics skills, and preparing for new challenges in the seasons to come.

Our photo with referees after winning the Motivate Award in the national final.

More about us:
Team Website: http://www.ftc23755.com/
Training Videos: https://space.bilibili.com/1223425031
A set of free FTC introduction courses for new FTCer in China: https://space.bilibili.com/493571730