🗓️
2017
FTC Robotics
Built and programmed robots to accomplish various challenges for 5 years throughout middle and high school with my best buds. We were ranked 5th internationally in 2019.
Our FTC team was where I first got comfortable building hardware and software together. We learned to design the robot in CAD, iterated with 3D-printed parts, and learned to machine components on the CNC. On the software side, we implemented localization and odometry, tuned PIDs, and built autonomous routines using OpenCV.
Competitions were a mix of problem-solving and mild chaos. Parts would fail mid-match, gears slipping, wires coming loose, and we’d be rushing between rounds to fix or rework something. Driving was always intense, but also a lot of fun.
More than anything, it was a place to argue through design choices, figure out what actually worked, and learn how to build as a team under time pressure. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a formative experience and a big reason I kept pursuing hands-on engineering.
Check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TeamIrRaTiONAl-if5zf