Driver Station Updates

Overview: Team 612 prepares the driver station for competition

    CHANTILLY VA, FEBRUARY 3RD, 2025.  Chantilly Robotics replaces its old driver station with a new, cleaner station. The driver station is a key component as it houses the controls for drivers to operate the competition robot. 

   A Part of Chantilly Robotics’ Mechanical subteam works on the Driver station to control the robot. “The Driver Station has a controller stand to move the robot around and buttons on the side that control the internal parts” said Supraja, a Freshman Mechanical member developing the Driver Station. To control the robot during competition, 612 designated two different roles: the driver and the gunner. On the left side, the driver uses the controller to move and orient the robot around the field. On the right side, the gunner controls a series of 14 buttons that shift the internal parts of the payload to deliver coral from one place to another. The Drive Station hides a computer underneath, where code created by the Programming subteam links the buttons to the robot. 

    612’s development of the Driver Station highlights its commitment to using all aspects of the team to create a successful product. The development of the Driver Station was a combined effort between the Mechanical and Programming subteams. The team assigns freshmen members development of the Driver Station frame under the guidance of a senior member, ensuring that newer talents can work hands-on with important aspects of the robot. After the frame is built, Mechanical hands over the Driver Station to Programming, where programmers implement code on a built-in computer to give functionality to fourteen designated buttons – mainly to control the payload.

The development of the Driver Station highlights new challenges that the team must face to win the competition. The Mechanical subteam’s new talent must learn to create a rigid frame with little to no prior experience. After handing it off to the Programming subteam, current programmers must learn to program buttons that control the payload – a functionality that was scarcely used in the previous model. Finally, the gunner and driver controlling the robot must learn to use a different Driver Station with different buttons that were designed around an entirely different robot from last year. Despite their struggles, with new challenges come new opportunities, and 612 is confident that the team will continue to create effective parts to win the game.

About Chantilly Robotics 

Chantilly Robotics (FRC team 612) brightens the future for leaders and student technologists  within our team, school, and community through fun and engaging methods of learning and  teaching while shining a light on the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering,  math).  

Founded in 2001 with eight student members as an engineering class project, Chantilly  Robotics is one of the largest extracurricular organizations at Chantilly High School with over  100 registered members each year. Team 612 competes at FIRST Robotics Competitions in the  Chesapeake District. Outside of competition Team 612 supports multiple FIRST Lego League  Teams and elementary school STEM activities in the Chantilly High School Pyramid, spreading  love for STEM as well as FIRST values through community outreach.  

For more information, visit https://www.frc612.org or email chantilly.612@gmail.com. The  Chantilly Governor’s STEM Academy, located at Chantilly High School, sponsors Team 612.  Chantilly Academy inspires and empowers a diverse body of learners to explore career  pathways employing current industry trends taught by dedicated professionals.

Elvin Duong