(Rookie) Introduciton How to get started Bootstrap Start here

Every team, student, and mentor is at a different place in their robotics journey. At FIRST competitions you will see robots that are only able to drive around on four wheels to robots that are fully automated, complete with vision systems, artificial intelligence, and complex custom machinery. If you don't find the answers you seek here, be sure to learn (Rookie) Where to get help via Forums and Chat.

The first thing you need to know about FRC and FTC is that the season goes by faster than you think it will and that some parts and kits sell out quickly after the kickoff. The game is a larger time commitment than you may realize: 2 hours/week is sufficient only if you are willing to accept the very real possibility of having a robot that is completely unable to drive at your first meet. 4 hours/week is a reasonable minimum. Some teams dedicate 8 hours/week or more. (Not all students may participate at every meeting on these teams.)

Larger teams have the advantage of more hands, but the disadvantage of being less nibmble. A successful team might have just two members on it. Ten is probably the maximum you'd want to have on a new team that isn't part of a dedicated class. Expect to spend a minimum of $1500 for FTC and $9,000 for FRC each year.

Don't wait for the kickoff season to begin your journey: you can learn much about the basics of building a robot before the kickoff, and can even guess quite a bit about the game just by watching teaser videos and by looking at the parts that are being sold for the game. You should order a starter kit as soon as you are able. The kit will come with the "brains" of the robot you will build -- either a Robot Control hub (FTC) or a Robo Rio (FRC) --- as well as enough motors and parts to build a basic robot.

Using the Robot Control Hub in FTC and the Robo Rio in FRC is required both for safety and gameplay reasons, so you don't have to worry about regretting this purchase. These controllers are able to interface with competition-day field software that ensures robots follow the game rules. They also have the ability shut down the entire robot on demand remotely for safety reasons. You are also required to use only approved actuators (motors, motor controllers, pneumatics, etc.) that are have been specifically designed to respect STOP messages issued by the controller. In FRC, external processors may be used, but only the Robo Rio may control motors and motor controllers.

At least one person on your team must be intimately familiar with (Rookie) Learning the rules of the game. This could be an adult, but it really should be a student if one that is old enough and responsible enough is available. There are many small rules that can get you disqualified if you are unaware of them. For instance, at inspection your robot must have signage indicating where the power switch is, meet all physical safety requirements, have your team number displayed, have the ability to indicate your current team color, have a bumper (if FRC) etc. Your team must have close-toed shoes and safety glasses and be properly registered on-line. You must have a printed roster. Your mentors must have background checks. Failure to have all your ducks in a row can lead to disqualification on game day.

Many of the resources available to you, from tutorials to software libraries to available hardware, is not created by FIRST, but by vendors, volunteers, and FRC/FTC teams. As a result, finding the best information usually isn't as simple as visiting the FIRST website.

FTC

There are many tutorials available, but currently the best maintained and easiest to understand information for beginners is available at Game Manual Zero (gm0.org). There you will learn everything you need to know to both build and program your first robot.