FIRST Robotics 2024 Season

In the 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition season (CRESCENDO), I served as Team Captain, Lead Builder, and Robot Operator for Team 1391 (The Metal Moose). Our team designed and built a highly competitive robot capable of efficiently acquiring and scoring game pieces with remarkable consistency. The robot featured a cutting-edge four-bar intake mechanism of my design that incorporated advanced sensor systems and automated controls. Under my leadership, we achieved multiple awards including Engineering Excellence and competed at the World Championship, ranking in the top 3% globally. This showcased not only technical innovation but also effective team leadership and comprehensive engineering documentation.

Overview

Leadership Role

As Team Captain, Lead Builder, and Robot Operator for FRC Team 1391 (The Metal Moose), I led our team to significant achievements in the 2024 season. My responsibilities included:

  • Managing the overall robot design and build process

  • Coordinating between sub-teams to ensure system integration

  • Leading daily build meetings and progress reviews

  • Operating the robot during competitions

  • Documenting our engineering process through detailed notebook entries

  • Training and mentoring new team members

Technical Achievements

Innovative Intake Mechanism

I led the development of an advanced four-bar intake mechanism that featured:

  • Ground pickup capability with automatic wall detection

  • Sensor-based game piece detection and tracking

  • Virtual four-bar geometry for compact storage

  • Self-protecting collision response system

  • Integration with automated vision-based targeting

  • Consistent piece acquisition at various robot speeds

Engineering Process

The development followed a rigorous iterative design approach:

  1. Initial prototyping with wooden mockups

  2. CAD modeling and simulation in Fusion 360

  3. Multiple design iterations (V1-V7) with documented improvements

  4. Integration of feedback systems and sensors

  5. Extensive testing and refinement

  6. Competition-ready implementation

System Integration

  • Collaborated with programming team to implement sensor systems

  • Coordinated with drivetrain team for chassis integration

  • Worked with vision processing team for automated pickup

  • Integrated with shooter mechanism for seamless game piece transfer

Competition Results

Our team achieved significant success in the 2024 season:

  • District Championship Finalist

  • Engineering Excellence Award

  • Quality Award

  • Engineering Inspiration Award

  • Two-time Autonomous Award winner

  • Ranked in top 3% globally

  • World Championship qualification

Documentation Impact

  • Created detailed engineering notebook covering entire development process

  • Documented design iterations and decision-making process

  • Established new standards for technical documentation

  • Won recognition for thorough engineering documentation

  • Created resource for future team reference