This tutorial will provide an overview of manipulators commonly
used in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Each step will
discuss a general manipulator type and provide examples of
implementations of the manipulator. This tutorial was made
through the Autodesk FIRST High School Intern program. A
willingness to learn Step 1: General Guidelines First, let
strategy drive your manipulator design, not vice versa. What
this means is that your manipulator should achieve the design
requirements your team decided upon in forming a strategy,
instead of forming a strategy based upon the manipulator you
cobble together. Second, design within your teams’ limits. If
you know you just don’t have the resources to build the super-
complicated manipulator that you think will dominate every
aspect of the game, don’t do it! Go for the simpler one that you
can build and will fulfill one role really well. However, also
don’t be afraid to push your team to overcome your limits. For
example, my team pushed ourselves to build a pra