# Getting Started — VEX IQRead these articles in order to go from zero experience to a competition-ready VEX IQ robot. Welcome to the VEX IQ Foundations program! This page is your reading roadmap. Work through these articles in order — each one builds on what came before. By the end, you will have the background knowledge to build, wire, program, and compete with a VEX IQ robot. You do not need to read everything before your first session. Aim to finish each section's articles before or during the matching session block. --- ## Phase 1 — Before You Touch the Hardware Read these first. They cover safety, the equipment you will use, and the lab rules. 1. **[Resources: Safety Rules](/docs/guides/resources/resources-safetyrules/)** — Lab safety, emergency stop procedures, and the safety agreement you will sign on Day 1. 2. **[Resources: Tool Usage](/docs/guides/resources/resources-toolusage/)** — How to use hand tools safely and correctly. 3. **[Hardware: The Brain](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-thebrain/)** — The VEX IQ Brain is the computer at the center of your robot. Learn what it does and how it connects to everything else. 4. **[Hardware: Brain User Interface](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-brainuserinterface/)** — How to use the Brain's touchscreen to monitor sensors, check port connections, and run programs. 5. **[Hardware: Battery Packs](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-batterypacks/)** — Charging, caring for, and checking the battery that powers your robot. --- ## Phase 2 — Building Your First Drivetrain (Sessions 1–3) These articles cover the mechanical and electrical foundations of your robot's drivetrain. 6. **[Fundamentals: Gear Ratios](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-gearratios/)** — How gears change speed and torque. You will calculate gear ratios before building your drivetrain. 7. **[Drivebase: Drivetrains](/docs/guides/drivebase/drivebase-drivetrains/)** — The different types of drivetrain configurations and when to use each one. 8. **[Drivebase: Wheels](/docs/guides/drivebase/drivebase-wheels/)** — Traction vs. omni wheels and how wheel choice affects robot performance. 9. **[Drivebase: Best Practices](/docs/guides/drivebase/drivebase-bestpractices/)** — Structural tips for building a drivetrain that holds together under competition stress. 10. **[Fundamentals: Fasteners](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-fasteners/)** — Screws, lock nuts, and standoffs — the fasteners that hold your robot together. --- ## Phase 3 — Programming Basics (Sessions 2–3) Read these before or alongside Sessions 2 and 3. 11. **[Software: Python Basics for Robotics](/docs/guides/software/software-pythonbasics/)** — Variables, functions, loops, and the VEX IQ motor API. Start here if you have never coded before. 12. **[Hardware: Motor Encoders](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-motorencoders/)** — How the built-in encoders in VEX IQ motors measure distance and position. --- ## Phase 4 — Autonomous Motion (Sessions 4–5) These articles explain how to make your robot drive accurately without a driver. 13. **[Navigation: Odometry](/docs/guides/navigation/navigation-odom/)** — Using encoder counts to estimate how far the robot has traveled. 14. **[Navigation: PID Controllers](/docs/guides/navigation/navigation-pidcontrollers/)** — The feedback algorithm that lets your robot drive to an exact distance or turn to an exact angle. Read this carefully — you will use PID for the rest of the program. 15. **[Hardware: IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units)](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-imus/)** — The gyro sensor that tells your robot which direction it is facing. --- ## Phase 5 — Driver Control (Session 5) 16. **[Hardware: VEX Controller](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-vexcontroller/)** — The handheld controller hardware — inputs, axes, buttons, and wireless connection. 17. **[Software: Driver Control Programming](/docs/guides/software/software-drivercontrol/)** — How to write a driver control loop, implement arcade drive, add deadband filtering, and tune joystick curves. --- ## Phase 6 — Competition Template (Session 6) 18. **[Software: Competition Template](/docs/guides/software/software-competitiontemplate/)** — The three-phase structure (pre-autonomous, autonomous, driver control) that all VEX competition programs must use. --- ## Phase 7 — Mechanisms (Sessions 7–8) 19. **[Mechanisms: Lifts](/docs/guides/mechanisms/mechanisms-lifts/)** — The different types of lift arms used in VEX — 2-bar, 4-bar, cascade — and how to build and brace them. 20. **[Mechanisms: Intake](/docs/guides/mechanisms/mechanisms-intake/)** — Roller intakes, claw grippers, and how to choose a mechanism for the current game. 21. **[Fundamentals: Solid Mechanics](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-solidmechanics/)** — Forces, stress, and why bracing matters. Helps you understand why lifts fail and how to fix them. 22. **[Software: State Machines](/docs/guides/software/software-statemachines/)** — The design pattern for controlling lift positions and mechanism sequences with button presses. --- ## Phase 8 — Sensors (Session 8) 23. **[Hardware: Distance Sensors](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-distancesensors/)** — How distance sensors work and how to use them to detect game objects. 24. **[Hardware: Optical Sensors](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-opticalsensors/)** — Color and proximity detection. 25. **[Hardware: Bumper Switches](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-bumperswitches/)** — Using limit switches to detect contact and trigger mechanism sequences. --- ## Phase 9 — Autonomous Strategy & Competition (Session 9) 26. **[Navigation: Autonomous Strategy](/docs/guides/navigation/navigation-autonomousstrategy/)** — How to plan autonomous routes, calculate theoretical scores, and run repeatability tests. 27. **[Resources: Competitions](/docs/guides/resources/resources-competitions/)** — How VEX IQ competitions work — match format, scoring, rankings, and what to expect on competition day. --- ## Reference — Read Anytime These articles are useful reference material. Read them when a topic comes up or when something breaks. - **[Resources: Troubleshooting Guide](/docs/guides/resources/resources-troubleshootingguide/)** — The five-step debugging process for mechanical and software problems. - **[Fundamentals: Ohm's Law](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-ohmslaw/)** — Basic electrical concepts behind motors and batteries. - **[Fundamentals: Center of Gravity](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-centerofgravity/)** — Why weight distribution matters for tipping prevention. - **[Fundamentals: Friction Mitigation](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-frictionmitigation/)** — Reducing friction in drivetrains and mechanisms for better performance. - **[Navigation: Localization](/docs/guides/navigation/navigation-localization/)** — How robots track their position on the field.