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Competition Robotics · Spin Up 2022–2023

VEX Robotics Competition

Iteratively designed a competition robot for VEX Spin Up, balancing turreted shooting, drivetrain performance, autonomous accuracy, and endgame expansion systems as the game strategy evolved through the season.

Robotics Mechanism Design Autonomous Odometry Iteration Competition
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VEX Robotics competition robot

What this project involved

Started the season with a turreted disc shooter that could automatically aim regardless of robot heading.
Scaled back turret range and later removed the turret entirely when mass, drivetrain heating, and changing match strategy made mobility more valuable.
Reallocated power by removing the turret and one flywheel motor, then adding two more motors to the drivetrain for faster and more defensive play.
Improved autonomous consistency by making odometry wheels more rigid, then later used a two-wheel odometry setup because the center-locked drive did not need horizontal displacement tracking.
Developed intake and expansion mechanisms for more reliable scoring and stronger endgame field coverage, including a blocking expansion to interfere with opposing robots.

Key takeaways

Turret tradeoff The turret worked mechanically, but weight and thermal limits made it a poor fit for the full system.
Drivetrain-first redesign The robot was simplified to improve agility and support a more defensive strategy as the season evolved.
Autonomous refinement Odometry tuning and drivetrain refinement improved state-level and world-level autonomous performance.
Competition outcome State Excellence Award, a top-10 autonomous routine at Worlds, and a top-60 overall world placement.

Design evolution

The earliest version of the robot centered on a turret mechanism that could automatically aim discs at the target without depending on robot heading. While the concept was successful, it made the robot too heavy and reduced mobility in a game that rewarded speed and field coverage. As the strategy shifted toward more defensive play and closer-range shots, the turret became less practical. The design was first simplified and then removed entirely.

Autonomous & controls

After the drivetrain-focused redesign, the robot was prepared for state championships with stiffer odometry wheel mounting to improve autonomous position tracking. Later world-championship iterations used two odometry wheels instead of three because the center-locked drive did not require horizontal displacement tracking, letting the system stay simpler while improving reliability.

Mechanisms

Beyond the shooter and drivetrain, the robot used an intake to move discs into the flywheel and an expansion mechanism that deployed projectiles attached to strings to touch more tiles during the endgame. A blocking expansion mechanism was also developed to interfere with other teams' expansion systems, showing a broader emphasis on both scoring and strategic control.

Outcome

The final robot performed strongly in competition. The state-level autonomous program contributed to an Excellence Award, and later world-championship performance included a 15-second autonomous routine that ranked in the top 10 in the world with an alliance partner. The team ultimately placed in the top 60 at Worlds. As a portfolio project, this is valuable because it shows early experience with system tradeoffs, iterative redesign, competition-driven engineering decisions, and mechanism development under changing constraints.