Your first build
Assemble a drive base, leave room for the electronics, and test one mechanism.
For your first , follow a kit drive-base guide before designing every part yourself. A working base gives the team something to program and drive while you learn how the parts fit together.
Prepare the build
Open the instructions for your exact kit. Sort the parts for a few steps at a time, compare the screw lengths, and keep a list of anything missing. Metric measurements use units such as millimetres; imperial measurements use units such as inches. One inch is 25.4 millimetres. Do not force a similar-looking screw into the wrong thread.
Read far enough ahead to see whether a nut or cable becomes difficult to reach later. Take a photograph before covering a section of the frame. It can save time when you need to repair it.
Work in pairs. One person can read and check the step while the other assembles it, then swap. Keep unused parts away from the edge of the table.
Assemble and inspect the drive base
Build on a flat surface. Check that the frame is square: the corners should have the intended angles, without the structure being twisted. Follow the kit's wheel orientation, especially with wheels.
Before connecting power, rotate the wheels by hand where the allows it. Look for rubbing, loose , or a belt that is too tight. Do not force a backward if its instructions advise against it.
Check every . A set screw presses against a shaft to hold a part in place. It needs to contact the correct surface and be tightened as the manufacturer describes. Do not use thread-locking compound indiscriminately on plastic parts; check material compatibility and the kit instructions.
Have a check the before the first powered test. Start with the robot securely supported and the wheels clear, then move to a clear floor area at low power.
Plan where everything goes
Before adding a scoring mechanism, place the battery, main switch, , and cables. The main switch must be accessible. The battery needs a secure mount and a way to remove it for charging.
Leave room to plug in cables and reach screws. A part may fit in a photograph but be impossible to service when all the cables are attached. Serviceability means being able to inspect, adjust, and repair the robot without taking it mostly apart.
Keep heavy parts low where practical. The centre of mass is the average position of the robot's mass. Raising it, especially with a lift, can make the robot easier to tip. Drive slowly while first testing a raised mechanism.
Try the uncertain part cheaply
A is an early model used to answer a question. It does not need to look finished. Cardboard can test a guide shape; a simple powered roller can test whether a wheel grips the game object.
Write a question before building: “Will this guide collect an object when the robot approaches from an angle?” Then try it at several angles and record what happens. Do not use a cardboard result as proof that a final loaded mechanism is strong enough.
Compare two ideas with the same objects and test conditions. Save photographs of both, including the one you do not choose. The reason you changed the design is useful engineering evidence.
Add one working task
Mount the simplest mechanism that can perform your chosen task. Check its full movement with power off and loads safely supported. Look for collisions with the frame, wiring, and game object.
Test the complete sequence: approach, collect, move, score, and reset. A mechanism that works only when someone carefully places the object by hand needs more work before a match. Keep a running repair list and give programmers a stable drive base to test throughout the build.