Good Afternoon Teams,
The GDC came, they saw they redesigned. Calum and Paul weren’t able to join us this weekend, so some of the aesthetics of the design may change once they get their hands on it, but we think we have the 2011 game. We were able to ‘play’ through the game several times this weekend with GDC members and FRC Staff standing in as robots and can now turn our attention to the scoring, rules, game hints and last minute diabolical twists. Robots will be required to have bumpers, so buy your pool noodles now while they are still in season. (And no, this requirement has nothing to do with the bruise on Carla’s ankle.)
We built a robot out of parts expected to be in the 2011 kit and Ryan tried it out on the prototype field. It did what was expected. I bet you didn’t know we do that to make sure the kit can accommodate the game.
We were still making changes as of 2PM on Sunday, so there is always a risk that the game will change again (We are engineers after all. We always want to make one more improvement followed by just one more and just one more after that.) But I’m excited, it looks like we have the basics of the 2011 game. Now the FRC staff and I just have to find game pieces, work on CAD drawings, bid out the major construction, build field elements, build road cases, get the manual on line and a million other little things.
Oh, and they loved the pepper bacon and Haagen-Dazs.
131 days to Kickoff
See you then!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A lesson learned
Good Afternoon Teams,
First the lesson: It is a good practice to inspect your robot batteries for damage at the end of the season and a good idea to monitor your batteries throughout the off season. Batteries need to be stored and/or charged in a well-ventilated area away from sparks, open flame and direct sunlight. Persons handling batteries are to wear safety glasses (preferably non-vented goggles) and acid resistant gloves. If you use metal tools on the battery, remove metal jewelry such as rings and bracelets first. Have an eye wash station nearby and have supplies on hand to clean up in the event of a spill. The batteries are factory sealed. Do not attempt to open or “service” recycle any battery that will not hold a charge.
Then the reason I mention this now: Last week the occupants of 200 Bedford Street were greeted by a really unpleasant odor when we arrived at work one morning. It took us a while to track it down, (we’ve had some work done recently on the AC which turned out to be a red herring), but we found a swollen 2008 robot battery plugged into a charger on the game floor. We always have a few batteries charging. We use them when we’re trying out GDC game ideas, when we prototype robots, and when we’re working on the FMS and scoring systems. No one was hurt, nothing was damaged and we had the air quality in the building tested. The battery has been retired with thanks for its long service. We’ve updated our battery process and procedures and thought now was a good time to remind teams to do the same.
Now the news: The Team Information Management System (TIMS) opens for FRC teams tomorrow with two noticeable changes. 1) Every user in TIMS must have a unique email address and 2) team members must be invited by the Main or Alternate Contact. Why? IT worked hard this summer to streamline the data collection systems and to clean out the old, inaccurate data we have already collected. Specifically:
1) We need each user in TIMS to have a separate, unique email address because sometimes we want to contact just one person on a team, not everyone who is looking at a joint email account. Also, when we need to reach a team in a hurry (a space has opened up at the event where you are on the waiting list, do you still want to go? Or Dean is holding a press conference in your area, can your team bring a robot?), if the whole team has only one contact email, we don’t have a back-up email to try when the main contact doesn’t respond. Finally, some of you have experienced ‘lock-out’ when you try to use online FRC systems because you have more than one FRC account. If there is only one person associated with each email address, that is a lot less likely to happen. So in short, we’re looking for better accuracy – each real person has an individual account; better security – no one can go in using your shared email and alter your data; and better (cleaner) data – which will help the systems run more smoothly.
2) Requiring team members to be invited by the Main or Alternate Contact solves two problems. No one can be associated with your team if the Main or Alternate Contact doesn’t know them. And new this year, even if the Main and Alternate Contact know you, they can’t put you into the system without your permission. They invite you, then you either accept or decline to participate in TIMS.
A brief word about Main and Alternate Contacts: From FRC’s point of view, the Main and Alternate Contacts are our primary communication link with teams. Main and Alternate contacts receive regular emails that we expect them to share with all team members. We send them questions to answer on behalf of your team, they are the gatekeepers for team information and they sign your team up for events. We want teams to give the title Main Contact to the adult on your team who is the best communicator. If you have someone who is the best mentor, or the most valuable resource, or the person you most want to honor for their participation, please feel free to create your own title for them (Supreme Commander is always good), but assign the job of Main Contact to the adult who is most likely to check their email and forward information to everyone who needs to know what FRC sent your team.
If you need to replace your team’s Main Contact this year and they are not around to do it themselves, call or Email FRCTeams@usfirst.org 1-800-871-8326 x0. They’ll be happy to help. We want teams to receive every bit of information we send them.
In other news:
Greatnonprofits.org is running a science and technology competition to find the best science and tech nonprofits and FIRST is signed up to ‘accept reviews’. We’d love it if teams shared their stories. The deadline is August 31st.
The GDC is due to arrive in three days. Engineering has prototyped a few robots to ensure the latest game ideas are achievable. It should be a very interesting weekend.
136 days to Kickoff
See you then!
First the lesson: It is a good practice to inspect your robot batteries for damage at the end of the season and a good idea to monitor your batteries throughout the off season. Batteries need to be stored and/or charged in a well-ventilated area away from sparks, open flame and direct sunlight. Persons handling batteries are to wear safety glasses (preferably non-vented goggles) and acid resistant gloves. If you use metal tools on the battery, remove metal jewelry such as rings and bracelets first. Have an eye wash station nearby and have supplies on hand to clean up in the event of a spill. The batteries are factory sealed. Do not attempt to open or “service” recycle any battery that will not hold a charge.
Then the reason I mention this now: Last week the occupants of 200 Bedford Street were greeted by a really unpleasant odor when we arrived at work one morning. It took us a while to track it down, (we’ve had some work done recently on the AC which turned out to be a red herring), but we found a swollen 2008 robot battery plugged into a charger on the game floor. We always have a few batteries charging. We use them when we’re trying out GDC game ideas, when we prototype robots, and when we’re working on the FMS and scoring systems. No one was hurt, nothing was damaged and we had the air quality in the building tested. The battery has been retired with thanks for its long service. We’ve updated our battery process and procedures and thought now was a good time to remind teams to do the same.
Now the news: The Team Information Management System (TIMS) opens for FRC teams tomorrow with two noticeable changes. 1) Every user in TIMS must have a unique email address and 2) team members must be invited by the Main or Alternate Contact. Why? IT worked hard this summer to streamline the data collection systems and to clean out the old, inaccurate data we have already collected. Specifically:
1) We need each user in TIMS to have a separate, unique email address because sometimes we want to contact just one person on a team, not everyone who is looking at a joint email account. Also, when we need to reach a team in a hurry (a space has opened up at the event where you are on the waiting list, do you still want to go? Or Dean is holding a press conference in your area, can your team bring a robot?), if the whole team has only one contact email, we don’t have a back-up email to try when the main contact doesn’t respond. Finally, some of you have experienced ‘lock-out’ when you try to use online FRC systems because you have more than one FRC account. If there is only one person associated with each email address, that is a lot less likely to happen. So in short, we’re looking for better accuracy – each real person has an individual account; better security – no one can go in using your shared email and alter your data; and better (cleaner) data – which will help the systems run more smoothly.
2) Requiring team members to be invited by the Main or Alternate Contact solves two problems. No one can be associated with your team if the Main or Alternate Contact doesn’t know them. And new this year, even if the Main and Alternate Contact know you, they can’t put you into the system without your permission. They invite you, then you either accept or decline to participate in TIMS.
A brief word about Main and Alternate Contacts: From FRC’s point of view, the Main and Alternate Contacts are our primary communication link with teams. Main and Alternate contacts receive regular emails that we expect them to share with all team members. We send them questions to answer on behalf of your team, they are the gatekeepers for team information and they sign your team up for events. We want teams to give the title Main Contact to the adult on your team who is the best communicator. If you have someone who is the best mentor, or the most valuable resource, or the person you most want to honor for their participation, please feel free to create your own title for them (Supreme Commander is always good), but assign the job of Main Contact to the adult who is most likely to check their email and forward information to everyone who needs to know what FRC sent your team.
If you need to replace your team’s Main Contact this year and they are not around to do it themselves, call or Email FRCTeams@usfirst.org 1-800-871-8326 x0. They’ll be happy to help. We want teams to receive every bit of information we send them.
In other news:
Greatnonprofits.org is running a science and technology competition to find the best science and tech nonprofits and FIRST is signed up to ‘accept reviews’. We’d love it if teams shared their stories. The deadline is August 31st.
The GDC is due to arrive in three days. Engineering has prototyped a few robots to ensure the latest game ideas are achievable. It should be a very interesting weekend.
136 days to Kickoff
See you then!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Vacation, what vacation?
Good Afternoon Teams,
I’m back in the office after a week at the lake and am ready to go. Our busy season has begun. We are finalizing contracts for Regional Events (cross your fingers, I’d like to have all the contracts in place earlier this year than last because I know it makes it easier for teams to plan their schedules). Kate is encouraging suppliers to fill the kit (Colin will join her September 13th, not a moment too soon.) And Game Design is now weighing the pros and cons of purchasing game elements (no one seems to have exactly what we want) vs. having them made (pricey and there are the issues of lead time and inventory to consider). We’re also working out the details of expanding the bag & tag program, improving the online registration systems and, like I’ve said before, everything having to do with the FRC season is under review as we look for ways to make FRC bigger and better every year.
We’ve hired Ryan Foley as the new FRC software engineer. He will be working with Matt Pilotte on the field management and scoring systems. Ryan was a student member of FRC team 350 Timberland and a mentor for team 1995 Fatal Error. He has been an inspector and referee at the Granite State, Connecticut and WPI regionals and is actively involved in off season events. He’ll be joining the FRC team next week.
We’ve promoted Derek Foster to FRC Project Engineering Manager. Derek has been a member of the FRC staff since October 2007. You may know him. He’s been the FTA at the Oregon and Colorado Regionals the last few years.
We’re looking for teams to Beta test the 2011 software. A few teams will also be invited to try out some new hardware. An email blast will probably go out today with more details, but if you’re interested, you can find the application online here.
While I was out last Tuesday, NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen & Dean unveiled new legislation to enhance STEM education through the creation of the innovation inspiration school grant program. The press conference was held in FIRST place. My thanks to Casey & Kyle from Team 238 the Cruisin Crusaders and Michael, Emily & Steven from Team 131 C.H.A.O.S. who brought in their robots on short notice to wow the senator and the press. We had International coverage (press crews from Austria, China and Japan were visiting FIRST that day to learn more about our mission), and representatives from JC Penney were in the house. It was quite the busy day. I’ve posted some pictures taken by my staff here.
There is one week left to vote for FIRST in the AMEX Members Project.
143 days to Kickoff
See you then!
I’m back in the office after a week at the lake and am ready to go. Our busy season has begun. We are finalizing contracts for Regional Events (cross your fingers, I’d like to have all the contracts in place earlier this year than last because I know it makes it easier for teams to plan their schedules). Kate is encouraging suppliers to fill the kit (Colin will join her September 13th, not a moment too soon.) And Game Design is now weighing the pros and cons of purchasing game elements (no one seems to have exactly what we want) vs. having them made (pricey and there are the issues of lead time and inventory to consider). We’re also working out the details of expanding the bag & tag program, improving the online registration systems and, like I’ve said before, everything having to do with the FRC season is under review as we look for ways to make FRC bigger and better every year.
We’ve hired Ryan Foley as the new FRC software engineer. He will be working with Matt Pilotte on the field management and scoring systems. Ryan was a student member of FRC team 350 Timberland and a mentor for team 1995 Fatal Error. He has been an inspector and referee at the Granite State, Connecticut and WPI regionals and is actively involved in off season events. He’ll be joining the FRC team next week.
We’ve promoted Derek Foster to FRC Project Engineering Manager. Derek has been a member of the FRC staff since October 2007. You may know him. He’s been the FTA at the Oregon and Colorado Regionals the last few years.
We’re looking for teams to Beta test the 2011 software. A few teams will also be invited to try out some new hardware. An email blast will probably go out today with more details, but if you’re interested, you can find the application online here.
While I was out last Tuesday, NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen & Dean unveiled new legislation to enhance STEM education through the creation of the innovation inspiration school grant program. The press conference was held in FIRST place. My thanks to Casey & Kyle from Team 238 the Cruisin Crusaders and Michael, Emily & Steven from Team 131 C.H.A.O.S. who brought in their robots on short notice to wow the senator and the press. We had International coverage (press crews from Austria, China and Japan were visiting FIRST that day to learn more about our mission), and representatives from JC Penney were in the house. It was quite the busy day. I’ve posted some pictures taken by my staff here.
There is one week left to vote for FIRST in the AMEX Members Project.
143 days to Kickoff
See you then!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Before I take off for the lake
Good Afternoon Teams,
I’m back from NI Week and tying up a few loose ends before I take a week off. Everyone needs a little R&R every once in a while and I’m going to grab some while I can before things really heat up. I’ll be in touch with the staff in case something comes up, but don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me for a week. Don’t worry, I’ll be back refreshed and ready to go in no time.
Most of my photos from NI week are blurry (probably because I was rushing around trying to fit everything into just two days) but I’ve posted a few of the images on my Facebook page
For those of you who remember the FRC Live discussions during Championship in Atlanta, I want to let you know the feedback slips we collected from the audience were used by the GDC recently and reviewed by Kate for the Kit of Parts. Thank you for your feedback.
If you haven’t seen it yet, CBS Sunday Morning did a nice piece of reporting on FIRST and the future of robotics.
I’ve asked a few times for everyone to vote for FIRST and I mentioned that FIRST could receive $200K if we receive the most votes. Well I just learned a lot more than cash is on the line. The winner will also receive a video spot that will be aired September – December on TV during Glee, House, Fringe, Bones, The Good Guys, Lonestar, NBC News & MSNBC plus in select theaters. Print ads will be included in Travel & Leisure, National Geographic, Time, Vanity Fair, Lucky, Black Enterprise & Architectural Digest, plus posted on on AOL, Yahoo! Green, MSNBC Giving Channel, Ad.com, Facebook, Quantcast, Huffington Post Impact Channel, Salon, CNN, Impact Your World, Urban Daddy, Thrillist, Care2 Action Channel, Travel & Leisure Green, Food & Wine Green, Huffington Post Green, Google, Yahoo and Bing. So if you can, please vote for FIRST. http://www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote
156 days to Kickoff
See you then!
I’m back from NI Week and tying up a few loose ends before I take a week off. Everyone needs a little R&R every once in a while and I’m going to grab some while I can before things really heat up. I’ll be in touch with the staff in case something comes up, but don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me for a week. Don’t worry, I’ll be back refreshed and ready to go in no time.
Most of my photos from NI week are blurry (probably because I was rushing around trying to fit everything into just two days) but I’ve posted a few of the images on my Facebook page
For those of you who remember the FRC Live discussions during Championship in Atlanta, I want to let you know the feedback slips we collected from the audience were used by the GDC recently and reviewed by Kate for the Kit of Parts. Thank you for your feedback.
If you haven’t seen it yet, CBS Sunday Morning did a nice piece of reporting on FIRST and the future of robotics.
I’ve asked a few times for everyone to vote for FIRST and I mentioned that FIRST could receive $200K if we receive the most votes. Well I just learned a lot more than cash is on the line. The winner will also receive a video spot that will be aired September – December on TV during Glee, House, Fringe, Bones, The Good Guys, Lonestar, NBC News & MSNBC plus in select theaters. Print ads will be included in Travel & Leisure, National Geographic, Time, Vanity Fair, Lucky, Black Enterprise & Architectural Digest, plus posted on on AOL, Yahoo! Green, MSNBC Giving Channel, Ad.com, Facebook, Quantcast, Huffington Post Impact Channel, Salon, CNN, Impact Your World, Urban Daddy, Thrillist, Care2 Action Channel, Travel & Leisure Green, Food & Wine Green, Huffington Post Green, Google, Yahoo and Bing. So if you can, please vote for FIRST. http://www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote
156 days to Kickoff
See you then!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Wait, it’s only Monday?
Good Morning Teams,
I’m exhausted. The Game Design Committee met on-site this weekend and covered a lot of territory. The 2011 game has changed again. I can’t tell you how, but the elements engineering prototyped for this weekend are being moved to storage, procurement is looking for different game pieces his morning and we’re developing scoring for the new design. Of course the game could change again by the next meeting, but right now we’re all focused on the ideas from this weekend. Luckily we had enough Haagen-Dazs to keep everyone fueled. Unfortunately, Paul Lazarus didn’t get any because he logged in from a remote location.
Tomorrow I fly out to visit NI Week which is why I’m posting early this week. I’m not sure I’ll have time to blog once I get there.
Oh, and last Friday, FIRST hosted representatives from TEDxBoston. My thanks to teams 811 and 1729 who demonstrated their 2010 robots and answered questions from the group. You can find photos of the event on my Facebook page.
159 days to Kickoff
See you then!
I’m exhausted. The Game Design Committee met on-site this weekend and covered a lot of territory. The 2011 game has changed again. I can’t tell you how, but the elements engineering prototyped for this weekend are being moved to storage, procurement is looking for different game pieces his morning and we’re developing scoring for the new design. Of course the game could change again by the next meeting, but right now we’re all focused on the ideas from this weekend. Luckily we had enough Haagen-Dazs to keep everyone fueled. Unfortunately, Paul Lazarus didn’t get any because he logged in from a remote location.
Tomorrow I fly out to visit NI Week which is why I’m posting early this week. I’m not sure I’ll have time to blog once I get there.
Oh, and last Friday, FIRST hosted representatives from TEDxBoston. My thanks to teams 811 and 1729 who demonstrated their 2010 robots and answered questions from the group. You can find photos of the event on my Facebook page.
159 days to Kickoff
See you then!
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