02/21/12

Greetings Rookies:

Today is Stop Build Day.  If you have any questions, please re-read Rookie Alert #7 http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/email-blast-02-06-12

Regional and District events start March 1^st.  Are you ready for competition?

What to do before you leave for your first event:

• Ensure you have parent permission for students to travel, a list of emergency contact numbers and information on any and all student medical needs.  Carry this information with you to the event.
• Print out the event agenda http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/regional-events  click on your event, then click on agenda.
• Hold a competition event planning meeting with your team.  Discuss:
  • Schedule – see event agenda above
  • Dress code - all participants should wear closed toed shoes and safety glasses
  • Event behavior - no running, no food in the pits, practice safe lifting practices
  • Team protocol - How will you know where your students are at all times? What should students do if there is an issue? Where will you gather for meals?  Etc.
  • Plan for team identity.  Will everyone wear the same shirts, or hats or badges?  - This last item is nice to do, but not required.

What to bring with you to your first event:

• Print out your team roster in TIMS and gather paper copies of Consent and Release forms for any team members who did not complete the Consent and Release form on line
• Locate your robot lock up form and spare tags (you’re going to need the spare tags to lock your robot up at the end of the event).
• Find everything you withheld when you Bagged and Tagged your robot. – Batteries, battery chargers, driver station, etc.
• Gather tools,  gloves and materials for robot repair
• Pack safety glasses for everyone traveling with you to the event.  - Your team will spend most of their time in the pit and no one may enter the pit without safety glasses.  If team members are expecting visits from special guests, friends and family members, those special guests, friends and family members will need safety glasses too.  Bring extras.

What to do first at your first event:

• When the pits open, immediately send a mentor to Pit Administration to:
  • Register
  • Hand over your team roster and additional Consent and Release Forms
  • Pick up your registration packet
  • Pick up your team’s participation pins
  • Find the official in charge of checking the robot isolation bag and have him/her check your robot and paperwork BEFORE you open the bag.
  • Set up your pit space
  • Get your robot inspected
  • Introduce yourselves to the teams in pits nearby.  These are people who know just what you’ve been going through during build season and who can help you survive your first competition.
  • Listen closely to all announcements made over the loud speakers in the pit area. 

Good luck, have fun and watch for the final rookie alert April 17^th at the end of the regular competition season.

Go Rookies!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Two places at once

Good Afternoon Teams,

The week zero events in Nashua, NH and Suffield, CT went well this weekend.  In Nashua, the FRC Engineering Staff were able to test both a standard competition field and the emergency radio system (Operation Bondé).  Bondé worked flawlessly, we just have some tweaking to do to make sure radio distribution goes smoothly in the unlikely event we encounter a hostile wireless environment during competition. 

Below is a picture of what we believe to be the first Coopertition Bridge balance of the year.  The teams both have red bumpers, however 2067 was on the blue alliance when this match took place.  The high score at Nashua was 42-32.  Quite a few teams were able to score in Auto and there were a number of matches that ended with two robots on alliance bridges.

While the FRC staff and local teams were enjoying week zero, FRC team 359 Hawaiian Kids and FTC team 5159 BuffnBlue gave up their Saturday to help me present at the Hawaii Council of Teachers of Mathematics spring conference.  The students were well spoken and made quite an impression on the teachers in attendance.

I also had the pleasure of meeting with Don Kunitomo Manager of Terminal Operations at Matson Navigation. I thanked him for all that Matson does for FIRST and FRC.

Don’t forget.  Tomorrow is Stop Build Day.  Operations is still getting calls from teams who are unsure what happens then.  Please spread the word.  On Stop Build Day, stop building, bag your robot and start preparing for your first competition event.  If teams have questions, encourage them to reread this.
   
1 day until Stop Build Day
See you soon!

02/16/12

Greetings Teams:

Due to a technical issue with TIMS and STIMS, we are extending FRC award submission deadlines to Friday, 2/17/12 at 12 PM ET for the Website, Chairman’s, Woodie Flowers and Dean’s List Awards.

Please have your team’s designated award submitter(s) login to their account to submit your team’s award(s) by the extended deadline.

We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

Go Teams!

02/16/12

Greetings Teams:

Deadlines:

Award Submission (via STIMS)

• Website Award: 02/16/2012 @12 Noon ET
• Chairman's Award: 02/16/2012 @12 Noon ET
• Woodie Flowers Award: 02/16/2012 @12 Noon ET

Award Submission (via TIMS)

• Dean’s List Award: 02/16/2012 @12 Noon ET

ROBOT STOP BUILD DAY IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21^st

Is your team ready? Have you:

• Read the Bag and Tag FAQ document?
• Located and printed the Robot Lock-Up Form?
• Called or emailed Team Support with any questions/concerns?

 For everything Robot Transportation, please refer to Section 5 of the FRC Competition Manual.

2012 FIRST Robotics Conference- Call for Proposals: FIRST is seeking presentation proposals for the ninth annual FIRST Robotics Conference. 45-minute workshops on topics of interest to FIRST Robotics (FRC), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams, coaches, mentors, students and prospective leaders will be accepted.  The deadline to submit is 2/17/2012. For the submission form, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/89vj2hm. For full details, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/firstplace/workshops-and-conferences.

FIRST Scholarship News – February Update:  Find out about three new FIRST Scholarship opportunities for 2012 and about LOTS of scholarships whose deadline dates are fast approaching!   Also read messages from some of our FIRST Scholarship Providers. http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default/files/uploadedFiles/About_Us/Scholarships/2012_Assets/FIRST_Scholarship_News_2-14-12.pdf .

FIRST^® Virtual Technical Advisor: Do you need help with your robot? Do you have technical expertise and want to help a team? We have the solution! FIRST Virtual Technical Advisor is here to help! Sign up to give/find support from anywhere in the world! https://my.usfirst.org/FIRSTPortal/Login/Virtual_login.aspx.

FIRST Future Innovator Award: Do you have an innovation inspired by your FRC season experience you think is worthy of recognition?  Apply for the FIRST Future Innovator Award, presented by the Abbott Fund! Submissions must be received by noon EST on 3/16/12. For more information on the award, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/future-innovator-award.

Go Teams!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

How are you feeling?

Good Morning Teams,

If you have that feeling you’ve forgotten something, online award submission closes TODAY at NOON EST.  If you haven’t submitted for the Website, Woodie Flowers, Chairman’s or Dean’s list Awards yet, (the first three submissions happen in STIMS, the last submission happens in TIMS) the clock is ticking. 

If you are concerned about getting everything done by Feb 21st, Stop Build Day, re-read [R26]  “FRC teams may bring a maximum of 30lbs of Fabricated Items to each competition event to be used to repair and/or upgrade their Robot at the competition site.  The Operator Console and any Battery assemblies are not applicable.”  Although your team must bag your robot on Stop Build day you may keep your battery and continue to work on up to 30 pounds of additional items plus your Operator Console.  Decide now what you want to keep out, then focus on getting your robot running and ready to ship.  You can schedule team meetings after Stop Build day in order to build the Operator Console and work on the final 30lbs.

If you are feeling pretty good about the shape your robot is in, be sure to run through the robot inspection list  BEFORE you bag your robot. 

For those of you who’ve been calling Operations and asking about drayage, if you were granted an exemption to Bag & Tag, Operations will contact you with your drayage information as soon as we have the information to share.   If you didn’t apply for and receive an exemption to Bag & Tag, you are responsible for transporting your robot to every FRC competition event you attend in North America, except the FIRST Championship in St. Louis.
   
5 days until Stop Build Day
See you soon!

2/14/2012 Bill Blogged - Packing my Bags

Good Morning Teams,

I’m tying up loose ends and packing my bags in preparation for a whirlwind trip to Hawaii.  No, this isn’t a vacation tucked in the busiest time of the FRC year.  I have the honor of being invited to speak about FIRST at the Hawaii Council of Teachers of Mathematics spring conference in Honolulu and since I’m making the trip anyways, I’m doing my best to tuck as many FRC related side trips in as I can. 

Matson Navigation generously transports the FRC game specific elements of the competition field, plus the game pieces, trophies, pins, medallions and a host of other essential components of the Hawaii Regional from California to Hawaii at their own expense every year.  I’m looking forward to visiting with them and thanking them for their contribution to the Hawaiian event.

In addition, Matson Navigation graciously stores the basic FRC competition field from year to year in one of their warehouses.  Our FTA and the field set up volunteers take very good care of it, but since it isn’t returned to HQ every summer like the other FRC fields, no one on the FRC staff has had the opportunity to examine it closely in over three years.  I’m trying to schedule a visit while I am there.

There are 36 FRC teams in Hawaii, including last year’s Chairman’s Award Winning Team, Team 359 The Hawaiian Kids.  As you know, I travel to FRC competition events every season, but I’ve never been to the Hawaii Regional so I don’t get the opportunity to hear about FIRST from the point of view of our Island teams very often.  I’m hoping to be able to talk with one or more of the teams while I am there.

I have a few other visits scheduled with potential donors and sponsors, but I won’t bore you with those plans here.  I’ll be in touch with the FIRST HQ throughout my stay on the islands and have absolute faith in the FRC staff to continue moving forward while I am away.  I’ll let you know if anything of interest pops up.

Aloha!
7 days until Stop Build Day
See you soon!

02/09/12

Greetings Teams:

Upcoming Senior Mentor Calls: Don’t forget that the Robot Transportation Checklist Call is taking place tonight @ 7 PM EST.  Additionally, the FRC Competition 101: Getting Ready for your Regional Call will take place on Thursday, 2/23 @ 7 PM EST.  For call outlines and call-in information, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/frc-senior-mentor-teleconference-recordings.

Award Submission Reminders: Don’t forget that submissions for the Chairman’s, Woodie Flowers, and Website Awards are due by 2/16/12 at Noon EST in STIMS.  Additionally, Dean’s List Award submissions are due in TIMS by 2/16/12 at Noon EST.  Read more about all FRC Awards: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/awards

Robot Stop Build Day-2/21/12: On this day your team MUST stop work on your robot and seal it in the bag provided in your Kit of Parts, with the tag from your Kit of Parts. You may work on your robot until midnight local time, but the seal must be on the bag when the clock strikes midnight! You will also need to complete the Robot Lock-Up Form: http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default/files/uploadedFiles/Robotics_Programs/FRC/Game_and_Season__Info/2012_Assets/Robot_Lock-Up_Form.pdf. Please note: Robot Lock-Up forms will be inspected upon arrival at your event.

Details on the process are available in section 5 of the Administrative Manual- Robot Transportation: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/competition-manual-and-related-documents.

2012 FIRST Robotics Conference- Call for Proposals: FIRST is seeking presentation proposals for the ninth annual FIRST Robotics Conference. 45-minute workshops on topics of interest to FIRST Robotics (FRC), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams, coaches, mentors, students and prospective leaders will be accepted.  The deadline to submit is 2/17/2012. For the submission form, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/89vj2hm. For full details, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/firstplace/workshops-and-conferences.

Airline and Car Rental Discount Programs for FRC Teams: For information about these discount programs, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/travel-discounts.

Autodesk Webinars: Autodesk Inventor Specialist Phil Dollan has created a series of webinars to help teams using Inventor during the FRC 2012 season. Watch the first in the series, “Getting Started,” here.

Brandeis Executive Summary: Brandeis University has released findings from research it conducted on FIRST programs. Check out all the good stuff the researchers had to say here: http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/impact.

PTC and National Instruments Webinars:  Come join PTC and National Instruments every Thursday Night from 7-9 PM EST to talk about FIRST Robotics, to answer questions and learn new information about programming, controls, kinematics, data management, etc. Go to www.ptc.com/go/firstrobotalk to register and then listen in for exciting tips and tricks for this year’s competition. You can also send in questions that will be addressed in the next webinar.

Go Teams!

02/08/12 Bill blogged - How Many Days?

Good Afternoon Teams,

We’re less than two weeks from Stop Build day.  Are you ready? 

• Make sure you review the Robot Transportation Section of the 2012 Administrative Manual now so that you will be ready then.
• For teams that have been calling Operations to ask about building a robot crate.  All North American FRC Competitions with the exception of the FIRST Championship are Bag & Tag.  Teams attending Bag & Tag events must bring their equipment and the robot in its bag in by hand through the public access entrance (please no robot crates).  If you requested and were granted a Bag & Tag exemption, yes, definitely get started building your crate.  If you are already registered for Championship, yes, you can build your crate anytime.  Otherwise, teams attending events in North America will only need a crate if your team earns an invitation to Championship.  If that happens, bag your robot at your final regular season event, take your robot home in the bag, build a crate, pack your bagged robot inside, and follow the shipping instructions in the FedEx packet you were handed when you won the Rookie All-Star Award, the Engineering Inspiration Award, or were on the Winning Alliance.
• Before you bag your robot, be sure to run through the Robot Inspection Checklist.
• Complete the Inspection Bill of Materials available in the Tournament Section of the 2012 Administrative Manual.
• Make plans for last minute challenges and delays.  There will be no build season extensions granted this year.  If bad weather is predicted for your area, plan accordingly.
• Look for a week zero event in your area.  On the last weekend before Stop Build Day (February 18-19 this year), many veteran teams host scrimmages where FRC teams can test out their design in a competition like atmosphere and start planning game strategy.  Contact the hosting team to find out if your team can participate.

Week One competitions start in just over three weeks.  Are you ready?

• Public agendas and other information for individual FRC Events are being posted to the event information page as they become available. 
• If you don’t have hotel reservations yet, you should be aware the on-line Hotel Reservation system has a three week cutoff date for most hotels.  Check now if you still need a hotel.
• The Senior Mentors are hosting a team training call entitled Getting Ready for Your Regional.  You are invited to join them 2/23/12 at 7PM ET.  1-866-951-1151 Conference Room 9533018

In other news:

• My congratulations to teams  254 The Cheesy Poofs from San Jose, CA; 111 WildStang from Schaumburg, IL; 973 Greybots from Atascadero, CA; and  1311 Kell Robotics from Kennesaw, GA who sent representatives to yesterday’s Second Annual White House Science Fair.  Thank you for making sure FIRST and FRC were represented to the President and the Press at this event.
• FIRST is looking for presentation proposals for the ninth annual FIRST Robotics Conference at the FIRST Championship. 45-minute workshops on topics of interest to FRC, FTC, and FLL teams, coaches, mentors, students and prospective leaders will be accepted.  Deadline to submit is February 17th, 2012. Full details.  Submission Form 
• NASA has an interesting opportunity for female High School Juniors.  Deadline to Apply February 15th, 2012. 
• Submissions for the FIRST Future Innovator Award presented by the Abbot Fund are pretty thin on the ground which gives any team that applies by the deadline March 16th, an advantage. Details available here.

13 days until Stop Build Day
See you soon!

02/06/12

Greetings Rookies:

As the final days of build season tick by and your robot still isn’t ready, participation in FRC can look a little discouraging.   Don’t give up.  Plan ahead instead. 

•  According to [R26] FRC teams may bring a maximum of 30lbs of Fabricated Items to each competition event to be used to repair and/or upgrade their Robot at the competition site.  The Operator Console and any Battery assemblies are not applicable to this rule.  Although your team must bag your robot on Stop Build day (February 21st), you may keep your battery assemblies out of the bag and continue to work on up to 30 pounds of additional items plus your Operator Console.  Decide now what you want to keep out on Stop Build day, then focus on getting your robot running and ready to ship.  You can schedule team meetings after Stop Build day to work on allowed items.

• Run through the robot inspection list BEFORE you crate or bag your robot.  Your robot must pass inspection before you may compete.  Knowing you have a competition ready robot will save you time and effort at your first event.

• Teams are provided with an empty pit space at competitions.  As your robot takes shape, start to think about where components could break and how you can fix breakdowns during competition.  What tools and spare parts do you want to have on hand?  You have from Stop Build day until you travel to your first event to plan your workspace and pack supplies.

• Teams will have all day Thursday at Regional events to make final adjustments to their robot, to get their robot through robot inspection and to test their robot in practice matches.  In past years, teams that were confident their robot was ready, delegated members to assist other teams experiencing a time crunch.  All events will have Robot Inspectors and many events will have Control System Advisors both of whom have an encyclopedic knowledge of robot systems.  It’s ok to seek everyone’s advice and to take advantage of other team’s expertise.

This is the hardest fun you will ever have and the most unique coopertition you will ever experience, so don’t give up now.  Get your robot and your team to the event and watch the magic happen.

Robot Transportation tips:

Verify you have a method to transport your robot to competition.  Now that you know about how big it’s going to be, do you have a safe way to lift it?  Do you have a cart to move it from place to place at the competition? Do you have a vehicle large enough to transport the robot, the cart and your pit supplies?

Every team must provide proof that they ceased working on their robot on or before ROBOT

STOP BUILD DAY (February 21, 2012).  Details are available in Section 5 of the Administrative Manual- Robot Transportation: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/competition-manual-and-related-documents.

If you were granted an exemption to Bag & Tag, start building your crate. There won’t be time on Robot Ship day.  Verify your robot will fit inside a crate that meets the size requirements.  Weigh both the robot and the crate together.  If they exceed 400lb your team will incur extra shipping charges. Details are available in Section 5 of the Administrative Manual- Robot Transportation: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/competition-manual-and-related-documents.

Go Rookies!

02/02/12

Greetings Teams:

Robot Stop Build Deadline- Tuesday, February 21^st: On this day your team MUST stop work on your robot and seal it in the bag provided in your Kit of Parts, with the tag from your Kit of Parts. You may work on your robot until midnight local time, but the seal must be on the bag when the clock strikes midnight! You will also need to complete the Robot Lock-Up Form: http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default/files/uploadedFiles/Robotics_Programs/FRC/Game_and_Season__Info/2012_Assets/Robot_Lock-Up_Form.pdf. Please note: Robot Lock-Up forms will be inspected upon arrival at your event.

Details on the process are available in section 5 of the Administrative Manual- Robot Transportation: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/competition-manual-and-related-documents.

FIRST Future Innovator Award: Do you have an innovation inspired by your FRC season experience you think is worthy of recognition?  Apply for the FIRST Future Innovator Award, presented by the Abbott Fund! Submissions must be received by noon EST on 3/16/12. For more information on the award, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/future-innovator-award.

Senior Mentor Call: Join Senior Mentor, Teri Benart and FRC Deputy Director, Frank Merrick for the Senior Mentor call “Robot Transportation Checklist”. The call will be taking place on Thursday, 2/9/12 at 7 pm EST. You may find details and an outline of the call here: http://tinyurl.com/3h94c24.

Award Submission Reminders: Don’t forget that submissions for the Chairman’s, Woodie Flowers, and Website Awards are due by 2/16/12 at Noon EST in STIMS.  Additionally, Dean’s List Award submissions are due in TIMS by 2/16/12 at Noon EST.  Read more about all FRC Awards: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/awards.

2012 FIRST Robotics Conference- Call for Proposals: FIRST is seeking presentation proposals for the ninth annual FIRST Robotics Conference. 45-minute workshops on topics of interest to FIRST Robotics (FRC), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams, coaches, mentors, students and prospective leaders will be accepted.  The deadline to submit is 2/17/2012. For the submission form, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/89vj2hm. For full details, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/firstplace/workshops-and-conferences.

Go Teams!