This summer, I joined an FTC (First Tech Challenge) team called 6BDS, which stands for 6 Bit Drill Sergeants. FTC is a robotics competition where teams design, build, and program robots to compete against other teams. During competitions, teams work in pairs to complete challenges on the field, which requires teamwork, strategy, and problem-solving skills. We have multiple roles such as hardware, software, CAD, program management, etc. I am on the CAD sub team, help with hardware, and program management.
Our first competition was about two to three months ago, and overall, our team performed very well. Throughout most of the competition, we were able to maintain first place, which was exciting and gave us a lot of confidence in our robot and our teamwork. Every match was competitive, and we worked hard to communicate, adapt our strategy. In the final three matches, we ended up dropping to second place in a very close finish. Although it was disappointing to lose first place at the end, the experience was extremely valuable and helped us understand what we need to improve for future competitions.