Overview
FTC robotics is my favorite STEM activity because it blends creativity, engineering, and teamwork into one high‑pressure challenge. During the 2025–26 DECODE season, I focus on software for Team Blu Cru 6417, developing driver‑control and autonomous pathing code for our highly sensor‑driven robot, including a custom pure‑pursuit path‑planning algorithm for precise navigation. Our robot's performance helped Blu Cru win the Inspire Award at the Chesapeake Regional Championship and earn recognition for building the world's only turreting triple shooter.
Awards & Achievements
- 1st Place Inspire Award – Chesapeake Regional Championship (280+ teams)
- Qualified for FIRST Championship 2026 in Houston, TX (1st of 11 advancing teams)
My Role
My role on Team Blu Cru 6417 is to focus on the software side of the robot, making sure our many sensors work together reliably and the robot responds predictably during matches. I help develop and tune our autonomous routines, including creating a custom pure‑pursuit path‑planning system, and mentor newer programmers on debugging and clean code practices.
Season Highlights
Chesapeake Regional Championship
[Description of the regional championship performance and winning the Inspire Award against 280+ teams.]
FIRST Championship Qualification
[Description of qualifying for FIRST Championship 2026 in Houston as the 1st of 11 advancing teams.]
Technology Stack
What I Learned
This season, I learned how important it is to start with deep game analysis and tradeoff studies so my team's design ideas are driven by strategy, not just what looks cool. I also saw how a clear software architecture (clean modules, well‑defined interfaces, and readable code) makes it much easier to maintain and evolve a complex robot over the season. Finally, I built a solid understanding of the pure pursuit algorithm and how it uses waypoints and a moving “look‑ahead” point to generate smooth autonomous paths on the FTC field.
Photos
