Throughout high school, I’ve been quite involved with FIRST Robotics. For the 2011 and 2012 seasons, I was largely responsible for the design. The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is different every year in terms of games, rules, robot constraints, etc.

All the robots I’ve been involved with have had somewhat unique drive trains with all wheel steering, referred to as “Swerve Drive” or “Crab Drive”, allowing for excellent maneuverability at the cost of weight and complexity. This is where I began learning about machining, machine design, electrical systems, teamwork, and much more.

Below are summaries for robots in each year from 2011 and 2012: