Mechanical, Build & Pneumatics
Drivetrains, mechanisms, fabrication, and pneumatics.
The Mechanical & Build branch is where a robot becomes physical: the drivetrain that moves it, the mechanisms that score, and the structure that holds everything together. This department covers drivetrain architectures (tank/west coast, swerve, mecanum), the common scoring mechanisms (intakes, shooters, elevators, arms, climbers), and the power-transmission, materials, fabrication, and assembly fundamentals that make them reliable. You will learn to read manufacturer specs from real vendors, choose between commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and custom parts, and build robots that survive a full competition season.
Curriculum
A start-here primer on the physics and mechanical fundamentals every FRC builder needs before designing mechanisms. You will learn how engineers measure and specify parts, how forces and Newton's laws govern motion, how torque and levers multiply force, and how simple machines and gear ratios trade speed for strength. Each lesson connects the core physics to concrete FRC build decisions so the department's later, hands-on lessons make sense.