VARIABLEVELOCITY.
A student-built FIRST Tech Challenge team engineering for the moment the game changes speed. We design, iterate, and drive — not for a single fast lap, but for control at every velocity.
Built for the turns, not just the straightaway.
Variable Velocity is FIRST Tech Challenge Team 36397 — a student-run team that treats every match like a system with changing conditions. We design robots that hold precision whether they’re moving fast, slow, or somewhere in between.
Our process is iterative and CAD-first: prototype, test on the field, measure what actually happened, and redesign. We value the data as much as the result, and we document our reasoning so the next build season starts smarter than the last.
Off the field, we bring that same engineering mindset to our community — running workshops, mentoring younger teams, and making STEM feel approachable to students who haven’t found their way into it yet.
What drives the build.
Three principles steer every design decision, every mentorship session, and every match strategy we run.
Control Over Chaos
Speed means nothing without control. We engineer for consistency across every condition the game throws at us.
Test, Measure, Rebuild
Every prototype is a hypothesis. We track what fails as carefully as what works, and we’re not precious about starting over.
Open the Track
We mentor newer teams and run outreach because the fastest way to grow the sport is to bring more people onto the field.
Built for precision at every speed.
Our robot is designed around a CAD-first, iterative process — every mechanism is prototyped, field-tested, and refined before it earns a permanent spot on the chassis.
Mecanum Drive
Four-wheel mecanum drivetrain for omnidirectional movement and precise alignment on the field.
REV Control Hub
Centralized control system running custom autonomous routines and driver-assist programs.
CAD-First Workflow
Every part modeled in Onshape before fabrication — test virtually, build once.
The season so far.
A running log of milestones as Variable Velocity builds toward the DECODE season.
Team 36397 is chartered
Born from FTC Team Mecha Masters, Variable Velocity launches as Team 36397 — carrying forward the experience and drive of its founding members into a new chapter. The team assembles a dedicated build, code, and outreach crew ahead of preseason prototyping.
Chassis and drivetrain prototyping
Early CAD iterations focus on a drivetrain that holds accuracy across variable speeds — the design principle the team is named for.
Two awards in our rookie season
Inspire Award 3rd Place at Folsom Qualifying Tournament and Think Award 2nd Place at Saratoga Qualifying Tournament — recognition of our engineering process and technical documentation in our very first competitive season.
The people behind the build.
Eleven members. One mission. Every role matters.
Aadit
Jaylen
Shaurya
Krishiv
Yuvaan
Aria
Shaunak
Nolan
Anand
Nihal
Shreyaan
Bringing more people onto the field.
We believe STEM should be accessible to everyone. From summer workshops that recruit the next generation of builders to inclusive teaching sessions for special needs students, Variable Velocity is committed to opening doors — not just winning matches.
Summer Shadow — Recruiting the Next Generation
During summer break, Variable Velocity opened its doors to younger students through our Summer Shadow program. We invited kids from the community into our workshop to experience firsthand what a robotics team looks like — from CAD design to hands-on building.
Team members led interactive sessions where new students learned the basics of coding, 3D modeling, and mechanical assembly. The goal was simple: spark curiosity and show kids that robotics is for everyone, not just the ones who already know how to build.
- Recruited new students through community outreach and word of mouth
- Taught coding fundamentals, CAD basics, and robot building
- Hands-on sessions in our team workshop with real FTC components
- Several participants joined our team for the upcoming season
FCSN — Special Needs Robotics Teaching
Variable Velocity partnered with FCSN (Friends of Children with Special Needs) to bring robotics education to students with special needs. Our team members volunteered as instructors, leading structured building sessions in a classroom setting at the FCSN facility.
We taught step-by-step robot assembly using building kits, with presentations projected on screen and one-on-one guidance at each table. Students followed along to build small robots, learning mechanical concepts and experiencing the thrill of seeing something they built come to life.
- Partnered with FCSN to teach robotics to special needs students
- Led classroom sessions with screen presentations and hands-on kits
- Provided individual guidance and adapted instruction for each learner
- Students built and tested their own working robots
How We Connect
With FIRST
We host workshops and volunteer at FLL and FTC events!
With other Teams
We offer our space, our tools, and our experience to assist other teams!
Within the Community
We provide demonstrations to showcase FIRST robotics at local events, schools, libraries, and other community events!
With Professionals
We meet with local professionals to increase our knowledge and explore opportunities for the future!
For teams, by teams.
Support our mission.
To advance education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics among youth and underserved communities — through hands-on experiences, mentorship, workshops, competitions, and community outreach.
A future where every young mind, regardless of background, has the opportunity, resources, and encouragement to explore, create, and lead in a rapidly changing world.
- Corporate Partnerships — Long-term collaboration and support
- In-kind Donations — Donate equipment and services
- Volunteering & Mentoring — Share your expertise and inspire young minds
