FIRST Robotics Competition
Throughout my four years of high school, I participated on my school's FIRST Robotics team. Building robots every winter for the FIRST Robotics Competition taught me many things, including how to lead a team, how to contribute effectively to large, open-ended projects, and how to strategize with other teams.
Project Summary
My main contributions to the team's robot each year were in the prototyping and mechanical design aspects. At the start of the season, we had to prototype and test multiple different ideas for each aspect of the game, meaning I spent lots of time machining, assembling, and testing mechanisms for our robot.
I also spent lots of time in CAD, specifically Fusion 360, fitting our successful prototypes into the final robot and designing custom sheet metal parts to be used on the final robot.
By my senior year, I became team captain, which gave me added responsibilities of making sure the robot was on track to be finished in time for the competition, and that everyone had something to work on.
Skills & Tools
- Rapid prototyping
- CAD (Fusion 360)
- CNC machining
- Scope management
- Strategy and leadership
Competition Photos
The photos above show our robots at competition, as well as the electronics and end-effector mechanisms.
Lessons and Resolutions
- More than anything, FIRST taught me how to work and contribute on a team
- I also learned valuable leadership skills, as well as how to communicate and strategize with other schools/teams
- I hope to one day mentor a local FIRST Robotics team or volunteer at FIRST Robotics competitions