Video summary

FTC StarterBot Base (BIOBUZZ™)

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Summary of the Video (FTC Starter Bot Base – BioBuzz)

What the “Starter Bot base” is

A pre-season (before kickoff) release of partial Starter Bot materials for the 2026–2027 FIRST Tech Challenge season (BioBuzz). It’s designed to give teams an early start before the full game and complete Starter Bot kit are released at kickoff.

What’s included in this base (small chunk)

  • Chassis
  • Intake
  • Does not include the entire Starter Bot; additional mechanisms will be released at kickoff alongside the full game.

Game element interaction (pre-kickoff concept)

Teams will practice with “pollen” (Wiffle balls), approximately 3 inches in diameter. This base focuses on how the robot intakes these balls. Other behaviors after intake are left to the full Starter Bot released later.

Intake System Details (Key Feature Focus)

Pivoting intake

The intake is designed for precise control of intake height/position relative to the ground.

Ball pickup components

  • 48 mm Gecko wheels used as part of the pickup mechanism
  • Stationary bar + intake roller wheels to improve grip and handling/pull-in of the pollen

Behavior after pickup

After picking up the balls, they may:

  • roll inside the robot, and
  • sometimes fly out

The goal is that this intake design serves as the early practice foundation.

Additional corner intake wheels

  • 72 mm Gecko wheels located on the corners
  • Built specifically to pick up pollen from corner positions, which is typically difficult for intake designs
  • Expected to improve overall intake effectiveness; teams are encouraged to modify them for better performance

Primary team takeaway

The speaker emphasizes prototyping and testing intake components in both TeleOp and Autonomous, not just one mode.

Chassis and Drive Configuration

Main shown chassis: 6-wheel drive

  • Three wheels per side
  • One unpowered omni wheel
  • Two powered traction wheels

Omni wheel mounting detail

  • Mounted on drop center plates
  • Raised by 2 mm
  • Intended to improve maneuverability and turning/pivot behavior

Comparison to the previous Starter Bot

  • Previous Starter Bot base: 4-wheel drive
  • New base: 6-wheel drive, described as more intuitive for pivoting and driving

Mecanum Drive Variant

A mecanum drive version of the entire Starter Bot base is also available and will require additional parts beyond the base kit, including:

  • Strafer chassis
  • 1222 mounts

Why mecanum

  • More maneuverability
  • Can drive in all directions
  • Many teams find it easier to drive

The speaker notes it’s unclear whether this will be an advantage for the specific season’s game.

Resources and Availability

  • CAD assembly instructions and code are available on the website for both base versions
  • Full Starter Bots are planned to be shown at kickoff in September
  • For questions about parts: tech@gobilda.com

Main Speaker / Source

Ethan Wiskobolda, speaking about GoBILDA’s FTC Starter Bot Base for BioBuzz.

Original video