FTC:Drive Team

The Drive Team is the group of team members that will control the robot during the FTC Game. It consists of 3 members: Driver 1, Driver 2, the Coach. Together, they must activate the autonomous program and control the robot during the driver controlled period to score points. There will be one drive team for each team in a given FTC Game, being 4 teams total, as well as one human player for each alliance.

Driver 1

Driver 1 typically will control the primary features of a robot. This can be the Drive Train, Collector Systems, ect. It is a good idea to have Driver 1 also control systems that run well with control of the robot’s movement, such as Collector Systems or Launcher Systems. Because of this, Driver 1 will usually be more occupied with driving than Driver 2 during the game, however they should still communicate with the rest of the drive team and alliance partners as much as possible.

Driver 2

Driver 2 will act to support driver one to score, driving secondary features of a robot such as Lift systems, Speed/Power Adjustments, ect. For example, they can adjust a Launcher Systems’ power if it’s firing too hard or too lightly. They also control systems that are more complicated and run separately from the primary systems, such as lifts or arms. Driver 2 is usually less active then Driver 1 which allows them to strategise more with the rest of the drive team and alliance partners.

Coach

During tele-op, the Coach will act as the primary strategist and communicator between teams on an alliance. Their job is to come up with plans and strategies during the game and coordinate with the alliance partner to score the most points. They will also be responsible for giving the two drivers instructions for what to do during the game. The coach has no driving capabilities, and will spend all of their time during a match communicating with the drive team and alliance partner.

Deciding Team Members

When deciding which team members should be part of the drive team, it is recommended that the team meets for driver tryouts. These tryouts should have interested members run the same course with a set amount of goals to determine who can do it most efficiently. The best driver can then be Driver 1, with Driver 2 either being the second best driver or someone who works well with Driver 1. The Coach Role can also have tryouts, typically being Driver 1 and Driver 2 doing a practice run and different people trying out the Coach role during the run. The Coach should be decided based on who is able to come up with plans and communicate them the best. For each of these roles, it is also good to choose people who can handle stressful situations well.