Interested in working together? Just fill out the form below. Don't like the form? That's ok, just email us. Thank you.
Interested in working together? Just fill out the form below. Don't like the form? That's ok, just email us. Thank you.
Interested in working together? Just fill out the form below. Don't like the form? That's ok, just email us. Thank you.
MY EXPERIENCE IN
THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA
SAM QIAN
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FIRST Robotics Competition, Idaho, USA
Teams of high-school students from across the USA (and sometimes international teams) gathered to put their robots through qualification matches, alliance selections, playoffs, and celebrate the spirit of robotics.
FIRST Robotics Competition, Idaho, USA
I joined the robotics programme because, from early on, I’ve always been curious about how machines work, how software and hardware talk to each other, and how we can build something that moves, senses, and reacts. Being at Yew Wah School of Shanghai, I had exposure to science and math, but I wanted to push beyond the classroom: I wanted to design something real, tangible, and competitive. When the robotics team formed and I heard about FRC, I saw it as a chance to challenge myself, learn by doing, and go on an adventure.
Also, I was excited at the idea of representing my school on an international stage. The idea of being selected as the team representative and driver (for my team) to go to Idaho in the USA was thrilling — a chance to meet students from other countries, to travel, to work in the “engineer mode” for weeks, and to see what we could achieve as a team.
Another driver (no pun intended) was the chance to work with AI: I was fascinated by algorithms, and wanted to apply them to robotics — not just building the mechanical robot but also making it smarter. So I joined with the hope of designing/building the robot and programming a core AI algorithm to enhance performance.
Finally, I wanted to see what teamwork at this level feels like: fundraising, design reviews, build deadlines, testing, driver practice, competition nerves. I believed that these experiences would stay with me well beyond high school — in university, in work, in life.
In short: curiosity, challenge, travel, representing my school & country, and building something real.
Here’s a breakdown of what I contributed and what the team achieved.
Role: Team Representative & Driver
As team representative, I acted as a primary liaison between our robotics mentor, our school (Yew Wah), and the organisers at the competition. I helped coordinate travel logistics, competition registration, pit-setup schedules, and communicating with alliance members. As the driver, I sat at the driver station during matches, controlling the robot during the tele-operated phase, responding to alliance strategy calls, and executing game-day tasks under pressure.
Robot design & build
Over the build season (6-weeks starting early March) we worked in design sprints: brainstorming mechanisms, prototyping attachments, building chassis, installing sensors, wiring motors / controllers. As part of the design team I helped conceptualise an overall architecture for our robot: drivetrain, manipulation subsystem, sensors & vision, and the AI layer. I reviewed CAD drawings with the mechanical team, suggested adjustments, and made sure the motor selections and sensor placements supported the AI logic.
Programming the core AI algorithm
One of my key contributions was programming a core AI algorithm that enhanced our robot’s performance. Specifically:
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I implemented a computer-vision module (using camera input) that recognised key game pieces (for example, coloured targets or objects on the field) and provided coordinate data to the robot’s motion planning system.
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I integrated that with a path-planning framework: the robot could autonomously navigate to a pickup zone, grab an object, drive to drop zone, and align using vision feedback.
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During the driver-controlled phase, the AI assisted by providing target-locking and trajectory suggestions to the driver interface (for example highlighting optimal placement, notifying drift, and auto-correcting small deviations).
Because of this, our robot had smoother cycles, fewer missed pickups, and faster transitions between tasks—this translated into measurable performance gains during matches (lower time between actions, fewer resets, better alliance contribution).
Competition results & recognition
At the Idaho regional we finished 6th place (please insert your actual ranking if different) in what was a strong field of teams. Being selected to represent our school (Yew Wah School of Shanghai) at this international (or at least USA‐based) competition was an honour. The ranking reflects hours of preparation, testing, match refinement, alliance strategy conversations, driver/coach rehearsals, and last-minute fixes in the pit.
In the pit area during competition: I executed driver practice, we field-tested the vision algorithm under match-conditions, we made adjustments between matches (for example tuning PID loops, updating threshold values for the camera, adjusting weight balance). I also supported the team in scouting other teams, analysing alliance options, and adjusting our strategy after each match.
Finally, I captured reflections and logs of our performance: which cycles we completed, how long each sequence took, how many failed attempts, which alliance matches worked best. These data allowed us to refine our robot for the playoffs.
Representative & travel experience
Beyond robot building, I worked on the human side: coordinating with mentors, tracking travel logistics (flights, accommodation, shipping robot crate), liaising with pit volunteers, ensuring our school’s representation was smooth (branding, shirts, introductions). At the competition I gave our team introduction, represented our school in opening ceremonies, and ensured we were fully present and visible.
In short: I played multiple roles—mechanical & programming contributor, driver, team representative, strategist, data-analyst, and fundraiser/liaison.
What did I learn from this program?
Looking back, the experience taught me a lot—technically, personally, and socially.
Technical & engineering learnings
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I deepened my understanding of robotics: it wasn’t just “build a robot and hope it works”. You have to prototype rapidly, test failures, iterate, tune mechanisms, and integrate hardware/software closely. The AI logic I programmed showed me how much error-handling, sensor noise, mechanical tolerances, and real-world variance matter.
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I learned that good design includes failure modes. We built the robot expecting things to break: wiring come loose, sensors mis-register, mechanical attachments bend. So we designed for serviceability—quick swaps, modular parts, fallback behaviours.
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I improved my algorithmic mindset: integrating camera input in real-time, mapping coordinates to motion commands, creating a reliable feedback loop under competition pressure—that was a real challenge. It showed me how theoretical CS/algorithms must meet physical realities (motors, latency, wheel slip).
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I learned about iteration and testing. For example, after practice runs we discovered that our vision module mis-identified a game-piece under certain lighting; we went back, collected data, refined thresholds, retested, adjusted mounting angle. That cycle (test → fail → improve) became familiar.
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I learned project management in engineering settings: deadlines mattered (six-weeks build season), we had milestones (design freeze, build complete, driver training start, pit checklist), we had to allocate parts budget, mentor time, shipping logistics. It was like a mini product-launch.
Teamwork & leadership learnings
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Being driver and representative taught me how to lead under pressure. At the driver station I had to remain calm, communicate clearly to my coach, adapt to unexpected alliance behaviour, maintain focus. As representative I had to coordinate tasks with multiple stakeholders and ensure our team stayed aligned.
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I learned the power of collaboration. In FRC, alliances matter—a robot cannot do everything alone; you must partner with others, adapt mid-match, help and be helped. The idea of “coopertition” in FIRST (cooperation + competition) was real: you compete, but you also learn from and sometimes help other teams. (That ethos is widely talked about in FIRST)
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I learned communication is key: with mentors (explaining algorithm needs), with mechanical team (why we need mounting vision sensors), with drivers/coaches (how the AI assist works). If any link fails, problems creep in.
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I learned resilience: things break, plans go sideways, matches lost, late nights, fatigue. But the team picks up, you adapt strategy, you keep going. Finishing 6th doesn’t mean everything was perfect, but it means you persevered.
Personal growth
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I gained confidence. Travel, competition, representing my school abroad — these pushed me out of my comfort zone. I realized that I can take on big tasks, lead, and deliver in high-stakes situations.
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I learned how to deal with ambiguity and unknowns. In building robots and algorithms there are always unknowns: will the grip hold? will the sensor pick up the piece? will the driver override at the wrong time? I learned to anticipate, monitor, and adapt.
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I learned time-management and prioritisation. Between school, robot build, programming, testing, travel preparation, I had to juggle multiple roles and deadlines. This sharpens focus: what must be done, what can wait, what needs team help.
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I learned the value of reflection. After each match we reviewed what went right, what went wrong, what to tweak. That habit of reflection and iteration is now something I carry forward.
