Frequently Asked Questions

Any Tech student can join the Tech Robotics Association, regardless of major and classification. 

Yes! The Tech Robotics Association is not, and will not be, exclusive to engineering majors. 

While experience with robotics can sure help, it is by no means a requirement to join the organization. A willingness to learn and participate is. 

The robotics programs that we support may grow or change throughout time, but as of 2023, we support the following programs:

• FIRST LEGO League Discover

• FIRST LEGO League Explore

• FIRST LEGO League Challenge

• FIRST Tech Challenge

• FIRST Robotics Competition

• BEST

• GEAR

• AirBattles

• AgBotics

• VEX U

• VEX AI

We are constantly researching other robotics programs to see which ones will help meet the organization's goals. 

The robotics systems we use heavily depend on the robotics programs we are currently supporting.

For control systems/robot brains we use:

• REV Control Hub/REV Control System

• SPIKE PRIME

• SPIKE Essential

• EV3 Mindstorms

• RoboRiO

• Arduinos

• Raspberry Pis

• VEX Cortex

• VEX V5

For build systems we use:

• REV

• TETRIX

• AndyMark

• VEX Robotics

• LEGO Education

We will use raw materials when needed. 

Yes! The organization was originally founded to allow alumni of K-12 robotics programs to stick together.

For FIRST, The Tech Robotics Association is a registered FIRST Alumni Group for Tech students.

Link: https://www.firstinspires.org/alumni/alumni-groups 

We are not the only organization at Texas Tech University to be involved in robotics/control systems, we were not the first, and we will not be the last. We will not speak on behalf of other organizations, as we encourage Tech students to learn about all robotics, and even all STEM/Engineering, related organizations on campus. 

The Tech Robotics Association, like all organizations, have a specific set of goals we aim to achieve every year with the robotics programs we support and will continue to do so,