FTC Team 27427 · Vienna Voltage
DECODE
Our second competitive season. Two qualifiers, two awards, a playoff run as Alliance Captain, and a robot built through 8+ major design iterations.
2
Qualifiers
2
Awards
7th
Best Ranking
9–5–0
Overall Record
Alliance Capt.
Alexandria
Specs
| Season game | DECODE — FTC 2025–26 |
| Drive train | Mecanum (4-wheel omnidirectional) |
| Control system | REV Control Hub |
| Language | Java (FTC SDK) |
| Intake | Claw intake (V4) — spring-loaded |
| Transfer | Horizontal claw-to-claw (V3) |
| Belt system | Timing belt — dual hex shaft, 1 servo |
| CAD | OnShape |
Engineering methodology
Every mechanism on our robot went through this 6-step engineering cycle. The intake went through 4 major versions, the claw through 4, and the transfer through 3.
How it works
Subsystem 01 / 06
Built a 4-wheel mecanum drivetrain enabling full omnidirectional movement including strafing. Carefully tuned torque ratios through experimentation to balance traversal speed against pushing power on the field.
HardwareIntake iterations (V1 → V4)
V1 — One directional, wide back
V2 — Correct size, still jammed
V3 — Fast traversal, unreliable
V4 — High consistency ✓
Claw iterations (V1 → V4)
V1 — Good reach, poor grip
V2 — Better hold, inconsistent
V3 — Better fit, still unreliable
V4 — Consistent & reliable ✓
Engineering notebook
01 / 08
PlanningExtensive research on robot design for DECODE. Built extension pieces, field parameters, and custom game pieces to practice with. Began brainstorming robot strategy.
Match results
December 13, 2025
Qual Ranking
16 of 34
Qual Record
3W – 2L
Qualification matches (our alliance score)
January 17, 2026
Qual Ranking
7 of 24
Qual Record
4W – 1L
Alliance
Alliance Captain #5
Playoff Record
2W – 2L
Qualification matches (our alliance score)
Playoff matches (our alliance score)
Recognition
Richmond, VA Qualifier I
Dec 13, 2025
Recognized for our iterative engineering design process — going through 4 intake versions and 4 claw versions, documenting each with CAD models in OnShape and thorough pros/cons analysis.
Alexandria, VA Qualifier I
Jan 17, 2026
Recognized for our software innovations — autonomous programming, optimized wheel torque ratios, and driver control systems developed throughout the season.
Community impact
We impacted over 230 students and families this season through workshops, STEAM events, and coaching FIRST LEGO League teams.
~30 students
Taught a Java fundamentals class at Herbert Hoover Middle School to inspire students to join FTC and learn programming basics. Covered variables, loops, and basic OOP concepts relevant to robot code.
200+ families
Brought our robot to Kent Gardens Elementary School's STEAM night. Demonstrated the robot, answered questions from families and students, and promoted FTC as a pathway for young engineers.
2 FLL teams
Encouraged Churchill Road Elementary students to start two FIRST LEGO League teams. Guided them through programming, robot design, teamwork, and their first season — helping build the next generation of FIRST competitors.
The crew
Vienna Voltage — FTC Team 27427, Season 2025–26.
