I competed in VEX Robotics for eight years across high school and college, representing teams 7701T, BLRS2, and BLRS. The work covered the full stack of robot development: mechanical design and CAD, manufacturing, and software.
Achievements
- 2024 VEXU World Champion showcase explanation
- 2022 VEXU Skills World Champion showcase explanation
- 2020 Kalahari Classic Champion showcase
- 6× world championship qualifiers, 3× world division finalists
- 12× tournament champions, 7× skills champions
Mechanics
Each season started with brainstorming ideas to solve the new challenges. Ideas were modeled in Autodesk Inventor for part design and assemblies, using FEA for structural validation prior to manufacturing. Mechanisms were selected and developed through rapid prototyping and testing, and brought to life with 3D-printing, CNC machining, and off-the-shelf parts. Key target metrics were set from game analysis, with the system often benchmarked to keep us where we needed to be.
Software
I wrote control algorithms to minimize navigation time and error, including PID controllers and a custom Pure Pursuit variant using linear circle approximation. The system integrated a variety of sensors including capacitive encoders and IMUs to achieve <2" odometry accuracy over 12 feet despite IMU drift limitations.
I also developed and maintain two open-source robot chassis control libraries, ARMS and appa, used by teams beyond our own.
Hardware
Robots were built using 3D printing, CNC machining, and off-the-shelf parts. Sensors included capacitive encoders, IMUs, color sensors, and vision cameras. Design went through extensive CAD and iterative prototyping before competition.
In the News
