Season Timeline¶
Six-week build season. Post-2022 FRC has no bag day and no stop-build. Season runs kickoff → first event, roughly 6 weeks, followed by district/regional events and championship.
This document maps stages, gates, and subteam work to weeks. Adjust exact dates against the FIRST season calendar each year.
Week-by-Week¶
Week 0 — Pre-Kickoff Prep¶
Software team + mentors already active: - Confirm software framework versions (WPILib, AdvantageKit, PathPlanner). - Repo template ready. - CI configured. - Shop clean, tools inventoried, stock in.
Rookies complete pre-kickoff onboarding.
Week 1 — Strategy + Prototype Kickoff¶
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Sat (Kickoff) | Watch reveal ×2, read manual, no CAD |
| Sun–Mon | Game analysis, action inventory |
| Tue | Priority List draft |
| Wed | Archetype selection + scoring sim |
| Thu | G1 Strategy Approval |
| Fri–Sat | Prototype charters written, cardboard prototypes start |
Software: repo setup, subsystem stubs, drivetrain sim.
Business/Outreach: - Sponsor tracker refreshed; renewing-sponsor asks sent by end of Week 1. - Budget baseline signed by Business Mentor + Team Lead. - Impact team formed; prior-year submissions reviewed. - Social calendar set; kickoff coverage posted. - GB1 Sponsor Kickoff Complete — end of week.
Week 2 — Prototyping + Drivetrain CAD¶
Prototyping in parallel tracks. Kill criteria hit or miss by end of week.
Drivetrain CAD in progress against master model.
| Milestone | Target |
|---|---|
| G2 Prototype Down-Select | end of week |
| Drivetrain CAD near lock | end of week |
| Long-lead COTS ordered | end of week |
Software: sim runs, IO stubs for chosen mechanisms.
Business/Outreach: - Executive Summary draft. - Essay outline + video storyboard. - Dean's List nominees selected. - Woodie Flowers mentor selected. - Outreach event #1 scheduled or executed.
Week 3 — Design Freeze Cascade¶
Drivetrain CAD locks early. Primary mechanism CAD locks by end of week.
| Milestone | Target |
|---|---|
| G3 Drivetrain CAD Lock | mid-week |
| G3 Primary Mechanism CAD Lock | end of week |
| G4 BOM Complete | end of week |
| G5 Sim Autonomy Passing | end of week |
| Drive base rolls | end of week |
Machining ramps. Kanban board fills.
Business/Outreach: - Impact essay + Executive Summary + video first cut. - Dean's List essay drafts. - Woodie Flowers essay draft. - Interview team named; mock interviews begin. - GB2 Impact Draft — end of week.
Week 4 — Fabrication + First Integration¶
Practice-bot drive base drivable. Primary mechanism installed. Driver practice begins on drive base.
| Milestone | Target |
|---|---|
| G3 Secondary Mechanism CAD Lock | mid-week |
| Primary mechanism installed | mid-week |
| Driver practice starts | mid-week |
| Endurance test — 5 cycles | end of week |
Software: real IO swapped in per subsystem.
Business/Outreach: - Mentor + external review pass on Impact packet. - Dean's List essays locked + uploaded. - Woodie Flowers essay locked. - Judged robot awards targeted (2–3); pit handout drafting begins. - Mock interview round 2.
Week 5 — Integration + Tuning¶
Full robot assembled. Endurance tests. Autonomous routines tuned on hardware.
| Milestone | Target |
|---|---|
| Full match cycle passing | mid-week |
| 20-cycle endurance test | end of week |
| 15+ hours driver practice logged | end of week |
| Failure log addressed | end of week |
| G6 Field Readiness | end of week |
| GB3 Impact Submission Lock | per FIRST deadline |
Business/Outreach: - Impact packet uploaded to FIRST portal. - Pit handout drafted for targeted judged awards. - Mock interview round 3.
Week 6 — Polish + Event Prep¶
No new features. Reliability only. Practice hours accumulate.
| Milestone | Target |
|---|---|
| 20+ hours driver practice | mid-week |
| Pit toolbox packed | end of week |
| G7 Event Departure | departure day |
| GB4 Event Media Kit + Interview Ready | 48h before event |
Business/Outreach: - Media kit (photos, sponsor logos, one-pagers) packed with pit toolbox. - Interview team final rehearsals. - Pit handout printed. - Social event-day plan set (who posts, when).
Event Weeks¶
- Pit repair, scouting, match strategy, driver adjustment.
- Post-event: quick retro (30 min), failure log update, fixes.
- Between events: focused improvements only — no redesigns.
Post-Season¶
- Full retrospective (see 10_retrospective.md).
- Offseason skill-building.
- Rookie recruitment.
Gate Schedule Summary¶
| Gate | Target |
|---|---|
| G1 Strategy Approval | end of Week 1 |
| G2 Prototype Down-Select | end of Week 2 |
| G3 CAD Lock (drivetrain) | mid-Week 3 |
| G3 CAD Lock (primary mech) | end of Week 3 |
| G3 CAD Lock (secondary) | mid-Week 4 |
| G4 BOM Complete | end of Week 3 |
| G5 Sim Autonomy | end of Week 3 |
| G6 Field Readiness | end of Week 5 |
| G7 Event Departure | before each event |
| GB1 Sponsor Kickoff Complete | end of Week 1 |
| GB2 Impact Draft | end of Week 3 |
| GB3 Impact Submission Lock | per FIRST deadline (typ. Week 5) |
| GB4 Event Media Kit + Interview Ready | 48h before each event |
Slippage Rules¶
Reality: gates slip. Rules for when they do.
- G1 slips: stop. Full team reverts to Strategy until it passes. Prototyping does not begin without an approved Priority List.
- G2 slips one week: compress CAD schedule; do not compress endurance testing.
- G2 slips more: kill priority-2 scope. Ship a bot that does priority-1 well.
- G3 slips per subsystem: other subsystems continue. That subsystem drops from event 1 if not recovered by end of Week 4.
- G6 slips: attend Event 1 as scheduled with best-effort robot. Do NOT skip the event — data from real matches is worth more than more shop time.
Corollary: never skip an event to keep building. Real-match data is irreplaceable.
What Small Teams Should Cut, in Order¶
If schedule is impossible:
- Priority-2 mechanism — ship priority-1 only.
- Autonomous complexity — one simple auto beats no auto.
- Secondary sensors — hall effects, encoders on non-critical subsystems.
- Custom parts that COTS replaces — even if less elegant.
- Practice robot — down to drive base only.
Never cut, in order: - Driver practice hours. - Endurance testing. - Gate reviews. - Log review.