A look at the nuts and bolts of the robotics teams

Graphic by Saachi Jain

(clockwise from top left): The VEX, FTC and FRC robots all differ in size and complexity, though all compete in similar match styles, with alliances of robots against each other.

With almost 140 students participating in the school’s two robotics programs, robotics has become one of the most popular activities on campus. The two organizations — the Mechanical Science and Engineering Team (MSET) Robotics Club and the VEX Robotics Club — boast 100 and 40 students respectively, though each has significant differences that many don’t realize. 

MSET Robotics Club: the umbrella organization for FRC and FTC teams

MSET is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and was originally founded in 2001 as a school club. MSET competes as part of the organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a worldwide robotics competition consisting of three possible tracks: FIRST Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Working out of room 903 on campus, MSET also sometimes utilizes the MAP Annex for meetings and testing the robots, the engineering lab for machining parts and room 304 for testing some robots.

MSET has three FTC teams (the Cuttlefish, Bettafish and Jellyfish) and one FRC team (the Fish).

The Bettafish and Jellyfish are akin to a sports JV team and are primarily composed of freshmen and sophomores. More experienced members may later join the veteran Cuttlefish team.

FTC’s competition season runs from September through April, and teams of 15 students build robots that compete in a “game challenge,” in which a team’s robot completes various tasks to score points. For example, the robots may have to pick up plastic cones and stack them on poles of various heights distributed around a field. The FTC teams typically meet three to four times per week during the season, though this frequency drastically increases in the weeks leading up to a competition.

Teams compete in various tournaments throughout the season, usually hosted by different high schools or technology organizations. Games at competitions are played in a 2 vs. 2 style, where there are two randomized alliances of two teams’ robots playing against each other on the same field. A randomized schedule matches teams from various schools with and against each other. The teams play a 2.5-minute match after which the winning alliance is determined for the team that scored more points. Each team plays anywhere from five to eight matches at a competition, and are ranked upon their results. 

Similar to many sports tournaments, these competitions feature qualification matches, an elimination round and the final playoffs. Teams who continue to win tournaments throughout the season qualify to the regional championships in March, from where they can qualify to the World Championships in Houston. In the past two seasons, both the FRC team, the Fish, and the veteran FTC team, the Cuttlefish, qualified to the World Championships.

FRC’s competition structure is similar to FTC’s, in that the team builds a robot to complete a different game challenge. However, the FRC season runs from January through April. The games are played 3 vs. 3, contrary to FTC’s 2 vs. 2 format. FRC solely competes in a variety of regional tournaments each season, and can then qualify to the World Championships from regionals. The FRC team meets three times per week from April to December, using the time to train rookie members and try different projects that wouldn’t be possible under the time constraints of the season. 

From January through April, they begin meeting five times per week. For all MSET students, balancing robotics with school and other commitments can be a challenge yearround, and creating detailed plans for each session relieves the need for every member to constantly be present in the room. Some work, such as CAD design, can be done remotely, while if the software team is mainly testing, only one electronics and hardware member may be required in case of problems.

Though FRC and FTC compete in separate competitions and regional tournaments, they both head to the same World Championships, which are held in Houston each April and host FLL, FTC and FRC in the same venue. 

FTC games are played on a 12 foot by 12 foot field, and the robots built must fit within an 1.5 foot-cube. FRC games are played on a 26 foot by 54 foot field, and robots can be as large as 4.25 by 4.25 feet wide, 4.5 feet tall. Both divisions’ robots are technically complex and often contain sophisticated mechanisms and expert software to complete the various tasks on the field. 

For senior hardware lead Naomi Hsieh, who drives the robot for the Cuttlefish FTC team, the complexity of the robot also contributes to the ease of driving it.

“The more you design the mechanism to have a wide margin of error, the easier it is for the driver,” she said. “It’s important when you design your modules to make them complex, but also versatile.”

VEX Robotics Club: the new kids on the block

Founded in 2021 as the “VEX For All Club,” the VEX Robotics Club started out with just the officer team and later grew to 40 members in the two following seasons. VEX competes as part of the VEX Robotics Competition, and its season runs year-round, starting with the game reveal in April until the World Championships in April of the following year. 

Since it is affiliated with ASB, the club holds lunch meetings on Red Mondays in math teacher Lisa Ginestet-Araki’s room. During these meetings, the club officers, including senior president William Cao, junior officer Luke Zhang and sophomore officers Richard Lee, Katherine Zeng and Mridhula Vudali, discuss various topics throughout the competitive season, such as principles of mechanics, programming and CAD (Computer Aided Design). The club does their building and testing in the drama storage room.

The VEX game format is similar to that of FTC, where the robots compete in alliances of two teams on a 12 foot by 12 foot field. However, the games and competitions of VEX and FTC are completely independent organizations. The team also competes in many — typically around six — qualifying tournaments to qualify for Regional championships and  World Championships, held in Dallas, Texas. 

Since its season runs throughout the school year, the VEX Robotics Club meets daily after school for build sessions, where they discuss design, work on building the robot and test software. Though managed by volunteer parents, the club received funding through parent donations, which then qualify for corporate matching. This year, the club has a budget of around $10,000.

VEX currently has six teams and looks forward to their expanding chances to compete and recruit more members to participate in future seasons.

“This year we have been able to expand our club to almost double its size, which was really exciting. Next year, we hope to expand even further, and possibly get another room,” Vudali said. “We also want to increase the overall success of all our teams, which would include reaching out and getting more sponsorships so we can raise the quality of materials and go to more competitions.”