Our original design for the robot; it's probably going to look completely different by competition 2...

We're currently trying to think up a team slogan - the best we could come up with was "We may be out of order, but our robot isn't! :):):):)::))):):)"

Needless to say, we would love suggestions!

FTC allows three methods of programming: OnBot Java, Blocks, and Android Studio. We tried all three this year and would like to share our experiences with them as well as pros and cons.

OnBot Java - A bare-bones programming tool great for teams with little or no experience programming
Pros:

• No software install necessary, all browser-based
• Easy to set up
• Lightning fast code sending (less than 5 seconds for our code) which is SUPER helpful for testing!
• Basic and straightforward, hallow learning curve
• Wireless

Cons:

• Computer has to be connected to robot controller phone through wifi, while programming, you can't search anything up or use the Internet. This can be annoying if you only have one computer.
• Extremely basic, limited advanced functionality
• No version control (if you mess up the code, you can't go back and get the previous version)
• Not very smart: doesn't tell you what exactly went wrong and doesn't offer fixes

Blocks -  A simple tool for teams who have younger members/have very little programming experience or a lack of a software mentor​
Pros:

• Super easy to learn, drag and drop
• Like Onbot Java, it's wireless and very quick to send to robot
• Good for beginners, very beginner friendly

Cons:

• Extremely limited, barely any high level functionality
• limited resources compared to Java programming
• Can be more difficult to understand by advanced programmers who are trying to help you with the code
• Basically same issues as Onbot Java: No Version Control, etc...

Android Studio -  the bread and butter of programming, only recommended for teams with advanced programmers or mentors/coaches familiar with Android Studio
Pros:

• Very very powerful, can do pretty much anything allowed in FTC
• Many user helping features
• Version Control
• Aesthetic IDE
• Can be connected to Wifi and program simultaneously

Cons:

• ​​Many complex errors! Android Studio is professional level and it has many moving parts that often break.
• Difficult to set up and use for beginners
• Constant need for updating 
• Has to be downloaded on either Mac or Windows, which may be bad if the computer is a Chromebook, or is a very weak computer.

As for us, we started out with Blocks for our first Tele-Op. Then, we started using OnBot Java which was sufficient for the early stages such as basic tele-op and autonomous. Once we were familiar with Java programming, we started to transition to Android Studio which has made coding much easier. However, we do not recommend it to most rookie teams unless they have a mentor with experience/advanced programmers, because it is very complicated in the beginning. At our first meet, Android Studio refused to run our program edits (it is useful to be able to change code during competition) because of a few updates it needed, and we did not have wifi to do so and hotspots are not allowed . However, we were able to copy and paste our code into OnBot Java and send it to the robot from there.

I hope this was an informative guide. Below is a link to tutorials for each programming tool made by FIRST and others. 

Leave a comment if you have any questions or anything!

​- Andrew G

We had a great time at our first ever competition! We placed 8th out of 14 teams and were chosen for an alliance by Retro Robotics 12666. Thank you! We were right next to ROH 4216 and got to see how their team runs so well.

What We Learned:
  Inspection:

• Get it done ASAP and get in line before the line gets too long.
• Make sure to have the robot and field inspection forms with you and filled out.
• Bring everything: Phones, Controllers, Robot, Team Marker

  During Rounds:

• Always have extra batteries and phones charging
• Swap out batteries every 2 rounds
• Have a "pit crew" and list of robot parts to check and tighten before each round
• Take pictures of the match schedule and highlight your rounds

  Scouting:
    We didn't focus so much on scouting this time since we were not expecting to be a            captain, but here is what we observed from the scouting we did do and the top teams did. 

• Have a designated scouter with a bunch of forms to write down teams' capabilities
• Compile data in a spreadsheet and use Charts to visualize
• Go watch the teams that are the best and see how they do in match 
• Check teams' claims by watching them play and looking at live rankings (everyone inflates)
• The best team is not always the oldest or the highest ranked. A lot of the time, some teams may get lucky and others may have not been lucky.
• Check robot compatibility. Do your autonomouses interfere? Will the robots get in each others' ways?
  

  What to Bring:

• Robot, extra building supplies like screws and nuts
  
• Extension cord
  
• phones, batteries, chargers
  
• pens and paper
  
• notebook
  
• poster
  
• laptop
  
• food (outside pits)
  
• safety glasses for team and guests
  

Feel free to comment below if you want to add anything!

See you guys next time!
 - Andrew G