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03Week 3

Building Your First Robot

From a box of parts to a chassis that drives straight.

This week your team turns a kit of parts into a real, driving robot chassis. You will plan a frame, build a drivetrain that runs smoothly, wire the control system safely and configure your motors. Then you will learn the habits that keep a robot reliable and a step-by-step method for finding and fixing problems.

4
Lessons
10 team hours
Estimated time
5
Learning objectives
Start lesson
Game of the week

Build the robot

Assemble the robot from a bare frame. Choose parts in an order a real team could build in.

How to play
  1. 01Pick the next part from the tray below — it drops onto the robot.
  2. 02If a part cannot go on yet, you get a hint about what is missing.
  3. 03Every mistake costs one point.
Recommended video

Lessons by Brogan M. Pratt

Video tutorials from the FTC community. Watch them alongside this week's lessons.

Robot building

How to Build a Mecanum Drivetrain (Full Step-By-Step Tutorial)

YouTube

Video by Brogan M. Pratt

Educational content shared with permission. Brogan M. Pratt is not officially affiliated with or endorsing Rookie Academy or FIZMAT ROBOTICS #28061.

Original video: youtube.com/@BroganMPratt

Lessons210 min

  1. 01Chassis Design, Tools and Workshop SafetyLearn what a chassis does, how kit frames are built from channel and plates, and how to choose a simple layout. Then meet the tools you will use and the safety rules that keep everyone uninjured. 45 min
  2. 02Building the DrivetrainMount wheels on properly supported shafts, use bearings so everything spins freely, and keep all four wheels aligned. Learn the one rule that makes mecanum wheels work. 55 min
  3. 03Wiring the Control System and MotorsFollow the power path from the battery through the main switch to the Control Hub and motors. Install motors firmly, manage cables so nothing snags, and configure the motors so your code can use them. 60 min
  4. 04Reliability, Testing and TroubleshootingRobots vibrate, bump and shake themselves loose. Learn how to keep screws tight, how to test a chassis step by step, and how to troubleshoot problems calmly and systematically. 50 min
Team assignment

Build and test a basic robot chassis

Build a four-motor chassis from your kit, wire it to the Control Hub and battery, and configure the motors. Run the motor test OpMode from Lesson 3, then complete a full test session using the checklist from Lesson 4. Record every problem you find, what caused it and how you fixed it.

Deliverables

Tick items off as your team completes them.

0/5

Learning objectives

  • Design a simple square or rectangular chassis from kit parts
  • Use common assembly tools safely and follow workshop safety rules
  • Build a drivetrain with correctly supported, aligned wheels
  • Wire the battery, main switch, Control Hub and motors neatly and safely
  • Test the chassis systematically and fix problems one at a time

Required materials

  • A structure and motion kit (for example goBILDA or REV parts)
  • 4 DC motors with encoders and matching motor cables
  • 4 wheels (traction, omni or a matched set of mecanum wheels), shafts, bearings, hubs and shaft collars
  • REV Control Hub, a 12 V FTC-legal battery, a main power switch and a Driver Station (REV Driver Hub or Android phone) with a gamepad
  • Hex keys, screwdrivers, nut drivers or wrenches, a combination square or ruler, a file for deburring
  • Safety glasses for every person in the workshop
  • Zip ties, cable sleeve or spiral wrap, medium-strength threadlocker, a paint pen or marker

Expected outcomes

  • Students can explain what each part of a chassis does and why it is built that way
  • Students can assemble a drivetrain whose wheels spin freely and stay aligned
  • Students can trace the power path from the battery to each motor
  • Students can configure motors on the Driver Station and run a test OpMode
  • Students can use a checklist to inspect, test and troubleshoot a robot

Knowledge check

16 questions across this week's lessons. Your best score for each lesson is saved.

  • Chassis Design, Tools and Workshop Safety–/4
  • Building the Drivetrain–/4
  • Wiring the Control System and Motors–/4
  • Reliability, Testing and Troubleshooting–/4

Completion checklist

Tick items off as your team completes them.

0/9