3171HURRICANES
ROBOTICS

LEARN / PRACTICE / BUILD

Build your next skill.

Official tutorials and suggested practice for FRC students. Choose a starting point with a mentor and leave each meeting with something you can show.

Every meeting1. Punch in2. Choose one goal3. Learn & build4. Show your result5. Punch out

Learning links are public. Attendance requires an invited, approved portal account. Practice ideas below are suggestions to agree on with your mentor.

01 / BEGINNER

Java → FRC programming

Start with variables, conditions, loops, methods, and classes. Then use those ideas in a robot project.

Try it at a meeting

Write a method that limits a requested motor speed to a safe range. Explain the input, output, and boundary cases to a partner.

Use the team’s WPILib installation and matching Java version for robot projects. Ask a programming mentor before changing the toolchain.

02 / BEGINNER

Onshape & robot CAD

Learn navigation, constrained sketches, dimensions, extrusions, parts, and assemblies before designing a full mechanism.

Try it at a meeting

Model a simple mounting plate with dimensioned holes. Change a dimension, inspect the result, and show a teammate how the sketch controls the part.

An Onshape account may be required. Use your team-approved education account and sharing settings.

03 / AFTER JAVA BASICS

Robot code without a robot

Use WPILib simulation to practice controls and observe what the program does before working with hardware.

Try it at a meeting

Run a simulated example. Identify one subsystem and one command, then explain when the command starts, runs, and ends.

Build a small working example first. Progress to sensors, autonomous routines, and mechanism control with a mentor.

04 / CONTROLS & ELECTRICAL

Understand the control system

Learn how robot power, the controller, communications, sensors, and code connect.

Try it at a meeting

Draw a labeled diagram of a motor-control signal path and the power path. Have an electrical mentor check it against the actual robot.

Read the documentation for the hardware and software versions your team uses. Physical wiring and powered tests need mentor supervision.

05 / TEAMWORK

GitHub & code collaboration

Learn how to save changes, explain your work, and review code with teammates.

Try it at a meeting

In a mentor-approved practice repository, make a small change on a branch and open a pull request explaining what changed and how you tested it.

Ask for a review and respond to the feedback before merging.

06 / APPLY WHAT YOU LEARN

Put a skill to work for 3171

Connect a tutorial to your current mission, mechanism, presentation, or team responsibility.

Try it at a meeting

Show one concrete result: a CAD part, working program, test observation, wiring diagram, or improved team document.

Ask a mentor to review your evidence and help choose your next step.