FTC Season and Engineering Design Process
This section shows how the FTC season connects to the Engineering Design Process (EDP). The goal is to help students see that the design process is not just a diagram on a slide. It is the way a real team plans, builds, tests, improves, and reflects throughout the season.
This uses the same EDP model already introduced in the XRP lesson materials.
Season Timeline at a Glance
| Timeframe | Season Focus | Main EDP Stages |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-2: Sept 12 - Sept 25 | Problem and Strategy | Define the Problem, Research and Gather Information, Specify Requirements, Brainstorm and Generate Ideas, Evaluate and Select Solutions |
| Weeks 3-4: Sept 26 - Oct 9 | Prototype and CAD/Build | Develop and Prototype Solutions, Refine and Optimize |
| Weeks 5-6: Oct 10 - Oct 23 | Integration and Freeze | Test and Evaluate, Refine and Optimize, Implement and Produce |
| Week 7: Oct 24 - Oct 30 | Final Prep and Competition | Communicate and Document, Monitor and Evaluate |
How to Use This Section
Start here, look at the full process, and then open the weekly pages to see what that process looks like during an FTC season.
- Weeks 1-2: Problem and Strategy
- Weeks 3-4: Prototype and CAD/Build
- Weeks 5-6: Integration and Freeze
- Week 7: Final Prep and Competition
What This Means for Students
The engineering design process is the structure behind how an FTC team:
- studies the game
- chooses a strategy
- tests ideas
- builds the robot
- fixes problems
- explains its work to others
You do not finish one step forever and move on. Teams often loop back, especially when testing reveals a new problem.
What Students Should Notice
- Good teams do not rush into building without a plan.
- Prototypes are supposed to teach you something, even when they fail.
- Testing is part of design, not a final extra step.
- Documentation matters because it helps your team learn and explain decisions.
Team Check-In Questions
- Where are we right now in the design process?
- What evidence do we have that our current idea is working?
- What do we still need to test, decide, or improve?