Robotics can look intimidating: mechanical design, wiring electronics, programming. CAD, Java and more. Where does a beginner even start?

For our latest ARCS Youth feature, we’re turning the Journal over to Theo Balan, a high school student from the Seattle area who is sharing something he knows well: how to find your way into robotics.

We’re especially excited to feature a project created by a young member of our community that combines curiosity, technical knowledge, and the desire to make what he has learned accessible to others.

Through the series, Theo takes viewers behind the scenes of FTC: how robots are designed and built, what happens at competitions, and which skills are useful for someone just getting started. Along the way, he introduces everything from CAD and Java to the fundamentals of robot building, from the perspective of a student who has already been through that learning process himself.

And because we especially love seeing young people connect their interests with their Romanian heritage, FTC Explained is available with both English and Romanian subtitles.

Episode 1

In the first episode, Theo introduces FTC and begins answering a deceptively simple question: What does it actually take to get started in competitive robotics?

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EngineeringinMind
English captions:

Romanian captions:

This is only the beginning. More episodes of FTC Explained are coming to ARCS Journal as Theo continues exploring the world of robotics, one beginner-friendly step at a time.

About FTC Explained

FTC Explained is a beginner‑friendly mini-series created by Theo Balan, a high school student in the Seattle area with a strong interest in robotics and experience in both FTC and FRC. The series is designed for students interested in robotics, engineering, coding, and FIRST Tech Challenge. Episodes introduce how FTC works, how teams build their robots, and what competitions look like behind the scenes. Theo wants his peers to feel comfortable stepping into robotics and he highlights the beginner skills worth learning, from CAD and Java to simple robot building. The videos are available with English and Romanian subtitles.

ARCS Journal

FTC Explained: Getting Started in Robotics …