FIRST Tech Challenge

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FIRST Tech Challenge
Current season or competition:
Bowled Over!
FIRST Tech challange logo.png
Formerly FIRST Vex Challenge
Sport Robotics-related games
Inaugural season 2005
Country(ies) International
Venue(s) Edward Jones Dome - St. Louis
Most recent champion(s) United States 4466(Inspire)
United States 178 (Captain)
United States 577(1st Pick)
United States 2875(2nd Pick)
TV partner(s) NASA TV
Founder Dean Kamen
Official website FTC

The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), formerly the FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC), is a mid-level robotics competition targeted toward high-school aged students.[1] It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit. The ultimate goal of FTC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, and engineering.

Contents

[edit] History

The FIRST Tech Challenge grew out of the existing FIRST Robotics Competition and the IFI Robovation platform. FIRST, RadioShack, and Innovation First collaborated to develop an improved version of the IFI Robovation kit. The kit was significantly upgraded and called the Vex Robotics Design System. For the 2008 Season Pitsco developed a platform that uses the NXT brick along with additional hardware and a new structural framework under the new name of TETRIX. Using aluminum parts that will allow participants to add Lego parts and sensors the kit includes 4 DC motors and larger wheels. In addition to hardware changes, the system may now be programmed using NXT-G, RobotC, and LabVIEW.

In 2005-06, FIRST piloted the FIRST Vex Challenge as a potential program.[2] The pilot season brought together over 130 teams to compete in 6 regional tournaments in a 1/3 scale FIRST Frenzy: Raising the Bar. Fifty teams participated in the FVC tournament at the FIRST Championship in April, 2006. On April 29, 2006 the FIRST Board of Directors voted to extend FVC for the 2006-07 season.

In Summer 2007, after two seasons as the FIRST Vex Challenge, FIRST announced that the program would be renamed the FIRST Tech Challenge.

[edit] Competition

The game challenge is different every year, and as such, many aspects change year-to-year. However, games are typically played on a 12' by 12' square or diamond field covered in carpet. The game is played by two alliances (red and blue) of two teams each, for a total of four robots on the field each match. The robots typically cannot exceed 18" in height, width or length. In each match, there is an autonomous period followed by an operator-controlled period. Depending on the year, the autonomous period can range from 20 to 45 seconds and the operator period lasts 2 minutes.

Along with building a robot, FTC teams are required to create an 'Engineering Notebook' that documents their build season and team experience.[3] It helps teams to reflect on positive and negative experiences and how to improve. It also shows the judges at tournaments what the teams have done.

[edit] Schedule

In September each year, FIRST announces the game challenge to FTC teams at Kickoff. Unlike FRC, there is no 'ship day' when the robot has to be finished; it can be worked on up to and during competitions.[4] Competitions occur from November through March, with the World Championship in April.[5]

[edit] Events

Official FTC events are Qualifying or Championship Tournaments;[6] unofficial events are Scrimmage Tournaments. At Championship Tournaments, winners are invited to the World Championship. Qualifying Tournaments exist in areas with a large number of teams. Winners of Qualifying Tournaments are invited to Championship Tournaments.[7]

There are several ways for teams to qualify to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship. Teams are automatically invited if they win the Inspire Award or are captain of the winning alliance at a Championship Tournament. Remaining slots are given in order to first pick for winning alliance, second pick for winning alliance, and Think Award winners, all at Championship Tournaments.[8]

[edit] Awards

The following are awards presented at official Championship and Qualifying Tournaments:[9]

For Teams
  • Inspire Award
  • Innovate Award
  • Motivate Award
  • Connect Award
  • Think Award
  • Design Award
  • Winning Alliance Award
  • Finalist Alliance Award
For Individuals
  • Compass Award

[edit] Competition themes

In the past, the challenges have been based on several different themes:

[edit] Gallery

  • Robot made from Vex kit (in use prior to 2007)

  • Robot made from TETRIX kit (Team 37)

[edit] See also

Portal icon Robotics portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Start a Team". FIRST. http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=14666. Retrieved 5 June 2011. 
  2. ^ "Finding the Top Bot: High School Students (and Their Robots) Take the Prize at Tech Challenge". Scientific American. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=first-ftc-robot-competition. Retrieved 5 June 2011. 
  3. ^ "Get Over It! Game Manual". FIRST. http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Robotics_Programs/FTC/Game_Info/2010/Game_Manual.pdf. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
  4. ^ "Making the move to FTC". FLL® Community Stories. http://fllblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/making-the-move-to-ftc/. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
  5. ^ "2011- 2012 FTC Season Calendar". FIRST. http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=14032. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
  6. ^ "Events". FIRST. http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=15132. Retrieved 5 June 2011. 
  7. ^ "Tournament Information". FIRST. http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=718. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
  8. ^ "2010 - 2011 FTC World Championship Information". FIRST. http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=4378. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
  9. ^ "2010-2011 FIRST® Tech Challenge Awards". FIRST. http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=724. Retrieved 5 June 2011. 

[edit] External links

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