🏁 Phase 1: Rookie Foundations
Welcome to The Panther Project! Before you can design or build a 125-pound competition robot, you need to master our engineering baselines. Phase 1 is your technical onboarding bootcamp.
In this phase, you will explore the culture of FIRST Robotics, pass critical machine shop safety certifications, master fundamental CAD structures, and learn hand-tool workflows. You will cap it all off by assembling, wiring, and programming a miniature XRP Starter Bot.
🗺️ Your Training Modules
Section titled “🗺️ Your Training Modules”🤖 1.1: FRC Basics
Section titled “🤖 1.1: FRC Basics”[ 🟢 Self-Paced ] > Learn the culture. Get an overview of FIRST, break down robot anatomy, analyze past games, and learn what to expect during Build Season.
🔗 Start Intro to FIRST →
💻 1.2: Basic CAD
Section titled “💻 1.2: Basic CAD”[ 🔒 Prerequisite: Module 1.1 ] > Learn to think in 3D. Master the Engineering Design Process and set up your Onshape account for core mechanism modeling.
🔗 Start Stage 0 (New to CAD) →
🛡️ 1.3: Safety & Certification
Section titled “🛡️ 1.3: Safety & Certification”[ ⚠️ Critical Path ] > Learn core machine shop safety, power tool rules, and pass both your written quiz and your 1.3.4 Safety Practical test.
🔗 Start General Safety →
🛠️ 1.4: Fabrication
Section titled “🛠️ 1.4: Fabrication”[ 🔒 Prerequisite: Module 1.3 ] > Get hands-on. Learn how to organize the workspace, utilize hand tools safely, identify fasteners, and master electronics crimping and soldering.
🔗 Start Workspace Org →
🏎️ 1.5: The XRP Bot
Section titled “🏎️ 1.5: The XRP Bot”[ 🔒 Prerequisite: Modules 1.2 & 1.3 ] > Put it all together. Assemble, wire, and program a functional mini-robot using WPILib and Java to prove your baseline engineering skills.
🔗 Start Build Guide →