This is where engineering meets game strategy directly: every mechanism on the robot exists to solve a specific task from that year's challenge.
Manipulation systemsLink to this section
Intakes, outtakes, and shooters are the mechanisms responsible for collecting, transporting, and delivering the game element. Each one has its own trade-offs: a more aggressive intake collects faster but may be less precise; a shooter gives range but requires constant calibration.
- Understand how intakes work.
- Learn about outtakes and shooters.
- Work with collection, transport, and delivery mechanisms.
Movement systemsLink to this section
Slides and lifts solve the robot's vertical or horizontal reach problem. The choice of linear motion type directly affects the balance between reach, speed, and stability of the robot.
- Learn about slides and lifts.
- Understand different forms of linear motion.
- Relate reach, speed, and stability.
Strategy and engineeringLink to this section
Designing a mechanism before defining the game strategy is one of the most common mistakes rookie teams make. The right mechanism isn't the most technically impressive one — it's the one that solves that specific game problem with the lowest cost in complexity and risk.
- Design mechanisms according to strategy.
- Evaluate speed, force, and reliability.
- Understand that the best mechanism is the one that solves the game's problem.