0.0 What this unit covers

This unit is written for teams who are new to FTC. It is a map of everything you will run into during a season. We distilled the experience of teams that have competed for years and gathered what you need to know in one place, in order.

In this unit we take our first step into the world of FTC and get to know the competition. We learn how the competition works, how a team is set up, what a robot is made of, in what order a robot gets built during a season and how a tournament day goes. The robot building lessons come in the later units. We wrote this text in plain language that needs no robotics background, so both students and mentors can read it.

3 topics, 15 lessons in this unit

Topic 1, Getting started with FTC.

• 0.1 What is FTC

• 0.2 Awards and the road to the world championship

• 0.3 Budget, sponsors and presenting your team

• 0.4 Building a team and registering

• 0.5 Support and news channels Topic 2, The robot's structure and parts.

• 0.6 Working safely

• 0.7 Introduction to mechanical parts

• 0.8 Introduction to electronic parts

• 0.9 Software

• 0.10 Sourcing Topic 3, The competition process.

• 0.11 From Kickoff to competition

• 0.12 Competition day and the pit

• 0.13 Scouting and working with your alliance

• 0.14 Alliance selection, playoffs and advancement

• 0.15 Going to the world championship

You do not need to read it all in one sitting. Each lesson is written to stand on its own, so you can come back to the right lesson when its time comes.

Templates

Some lessons end with a template to download, such as a sponsor letter, a scouting form and a tournament bag checklist. Each one is in the Extras section of its lesson, and all of them together are on the 0.K Resources and printables page. You can adapt them to your own team and use them.

After this unit

Building the robot starts in Unit 1. The first job is assembling the chassis, followed by setting up the electronics, updating the devices and the first code that drives the chassis. Mechanisms and game tasks are added on top of that. You can come back to this map whenever you need it.

Topics

Part 1 · Getting started with FTC

• 0.1What is FTC
• 0.2Awards and the road to the world championship
• 0.3Budget, sponsors and presenting your team
• 0.4Building a team and registering
• 0.5Support and news channels

Part 2 · The robot's structure and parts

• 0.6Working safely
• 0.7Introduction to mechanical parts
• 0.8Introduction to electronic parts
• 0.9Software
• 0.10Sourcing

Part 3 · The competition process

• 0.11From Kickoff to competition
• 0.12Competition day and the pit
• 0.13Scouting and working with your alliance
• 0.14Alliance selection, playoffs and advancement
• 0.15Going to the world championship

• 0.KResources and printables