Mechanical design · FTC robotics · Class of 2027
Velan
Natarajan
Captain, CAD lead, and primary driver for FTC Team 26073 BeaverBots. I design drivetrains and mechanisms in Onshape, build them, drive them in competition, and rebuild them when the data says so.
About
I'm the captain, CAD lead, and primary driver for BeaverBots, FTC Team 26073, eight years into FIRST robotics. Our 2025–26 Decode season ran from the qualifiers through the Chesapeake Championship to the FIRST World Championship, where the team took 2nd place for the Think Award in the Franklin Division.
After qualifying, our team made a call I still think about: we retired a robot that worked and rebuilt it around a coaxial swerve drivetrain I designed. The redesign taught me more about engineering than the qualification did.
I build organizations, not just robots: founder of Spartan Robotics and the BRHS Congressional Award Club, founder of the SpreadRobotics Education Foundation nonprofit, and co-founder of Precision Core Fabrication, a small venture machining custom parts for FTC teams.
I'm a certified Onshape Associate, and the skill travels: I mentor other FTC and FLL teams and have carried FIRST outreach from Northern Virginia to India, California, and Washington, DC.
Off the field: Congressional Award Gold Medalist, FIRST Dean's List Regional Semifinalist, Senior Patrol Leader of a 55-Scout troop, 400+ hours of community service, and a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo.
Milestones
| Rev | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A | 2018 | Started in FIRST robotics programs; eight seasons and counting. |
| B | 2021 | Joined FIRST Tech Challenge; first leadership roles in Scout Troop 58. |
| C | 2026 | Captained BeaverBots 26073 to the FIRST World Championship. |
| D | 2026 | Awarded the Congressional Award Gold Medal. |
| E | In prog. | Eagle Scout service project under way. |
| F | 2027 | Graduates Broad Run High School. Next revision: mechanical engineering. |
Sheet index
| Sheet | Doc | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VN-001 | This sheet: overview and contact. You are here. |
| 2 | VN-002 | Robotics record: the role, full competition results, engineering and fabrication, fundraising, mentoring, and outreach. |
| 3 | VN-003 | Leadership & service record: Scouting and high adventure, the Congressional Award, the service record, and the long games. |
| Ref | Ext. | CAD portfolio: a separate, in-depth design study of the coaxial swerve drive. |