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02Week 2

Understanding the Robot

Know every part before you build with it.

Before your team designs anything, you need to know what an FTC robot is made of and why each part is there. This week you will take the robot apart in your head: its subsystems, the motors, servos and sensors that make it move and see, the drivetrain that carries it around the field, and the electronics that power and control it. You will also learn the basic mechanics behind every good design: gear ratios, torque, friction and center of gravity.

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

Name the part

One part of the 3D robot lights up. Do you know what it is called and what it does?

How to play
  1. 01Look at the highlighted part — rotate the robot if needed.
  2. 02Choose the correct name out of four.
  3. 03After each answer, read what the part is for.
Recommended video

Lessons by Brogan M. Pratt

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

Robot building

What Makes a Good Mecanum Drivetrain? (And Why Most Robots Get It Wrong)

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

Team assignment

Robot Component Guide

Create a guide that identifies and explains the essential components of an FTC robot, using your own kit or a robot your team has access to. A new team member should be able to read your guide and understand what every major part does, how it connects to the rest of the robot, and why it was chosen.

Deliverables

Tick items off as your team completes them.

0/6

Learning objectives

  • Identify the main subsystems of an FTC robot and explain the job of each one.
  • Describe how DC motors, servos and common sensors work and when to use each.
  • Compare tank, mecanum and omni drivetrains and explain their trade-offs.
  • Calculate gear ratios and use them to predict speed and torque.
  • Explain how the Control Hub, Expansion Hub, Driver Hub, battery and power switch connect.

Required materials

  • An FTC robot kit or loose parts (for example from REV or goBILDA)
  • REV Control Hub (and an Expansion Hub if you have one)
  • Driver Station: REV Driver Hub or a supported Android phone, plus a gamepad
  • At least one DC motor with encoder, one servo and one or two sensors
  • 12 V robot battery, its charger and a main power switch
  • A few gears, sprockets or pulleys with different tooth counts
  • Safety glasses, hex keys and basic hand tools
  • Engineering notebook (paper or digital) and a phone camera

Expected outcomes

  • Students can point to any part of a robot and say which subsystem it belongs to.
  • Students can choose between a motor, a servo and a continuous rotation servo for a given task.
  • Students can explain which drivetrain suits a team's goals and skill level.
  • Students can calculate a gear ratio and the resulting output speed and torque.
  • Students can safely power up a robot and trace the path of a command from gamepad to motor.

Knowledge check

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

  • Robot Anatomy and the Control System–/4
  • Motors, Servos and Sensors–/4
  • Wheels and Drivetrains–/4
  • Gear Ratios and Mechanical Principles–/4

Completion checklist

Tick items off as your team completes them.

0/8