Good Afternoon Teams,
FRC is excited to partner with Enable Training and Consulting (a Silver Supplier for 2011 and donor of this effort) to present the 2012 manual documentation in a format that we believe is easier for teams to navigate and use. It is a primarily web-based system that allows teams to easily find a specific section or rule. It’s easier to search and jump between sections, and, best of all, it keeps teams from having to download an entire PDF just to read one rule or section.
You can access the new manual format here. You may also still download a PDF or print the Manual so that you don’t have to be connected to the internet to view it.
As with many new components to FRC, we want your feedback. As you test the Online 2012 Administrative Manual and the 2011 Game Manual that we converted to the new format, please let us know if you find anything that needs improving (or anything you like) by posting to the Online Manual section of the Beta test forums.
40 days until Kickoff
See you then!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Over the River and Through the Woods
Good Afternoon Teams,
I’ll be headed to Pennsylvania tomorrow, so this week’s blog is a day early.
NASA has posted the list of teams receiving 2012 participation grants.
A lot of important deadlines are coming up.
And as if the 2nd of December isn’t busy enough already, I’ve been asked to moderate deliver opening remarks and moderate a panel at the Future of Robotics Summit sponsored by the Mass Technology Leadership Council.
Two things to think about over the long holiday weekend:
46 days until Kickoff
See you then!
I’ll be headed to Pennsylvania tomorrow, so this week’s blog is a day early.
NASA has posted the list of teams receiving 2012 participation grants.
A lot of important deadlines are coming up.
- Dec 1st - Initial, 2nd and Unrestricted Regional Event registration, 1st & 2nd Qualifying Event registration, and Championship Registration closes. We have 2260 registered FRC teams as of this morning and spaces at some events is getting tight. If you know of a team that plans to join us this coming season, encourage them to register soon.
- Dec 2nd – Initial Regional and 1st & 2nd Qualifying Event registration payment due.
- Dec 2nd – Kickoff Registration closes. (Manchester workshop registration remains open until 12/16.) I’m surprised that 224 teams have not yet indicated in TIMS how they want to receive their kit of parts. Kickoffs are filling up. Register soon.
- Dec 2nd – Request for Bag & Tag Exemption due. (Remember , Bag & Tag means you transport your robot to the event yourself.) Details can be found in the Robot Transportation section of the 2012 Administrative Manual
- Dec 8th – Safety Animation submission due. Contest Announcement is located on the Safety Page
And as if the 2nd of December isn’t busy enough already, I’ve been asked to moderate deliver opening remarks and moderate a panel at the Future of Robotics Summit sponsored by the Mass Technology Leadership Council.
Two things to think about over the long holiday weekend:
- Teams will not be restricted to using the Classmate as their Driver Station as long as certain criteria are met and all relevant rules are followed. More details to follow in the 2012 Game Manual when it is released.
- Software for 2012 is currently under development. Teams may purchase the new cRIO-FRCII now and get it physically installed and wired into a test platform, but you won’t be able to program it until after kickoff.
46 days until Kickoff
See you then!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Kickoff Update
Good Morning Teams,
Please pass the word to everyone you know who is planning to come to Manchester, NH for Kickoff on January 7, 2012.
See you then!
Please pass the word to everyone you know who is planning to come to Manchester, NH for Kickoff on January 7, 2012.
- Be aware, there is an extreme hotel shortage in Manchester due to the NH Primary scheduled for the following Tuesday.
- There is still room in the Workshops at HQ on Friday, January 6th. You may still register in TIMS.
- We are nearing capacity for the Founder’s Reception Friday evening, January 6th. If you are planning to attend and haven’t registered yet, I recommend you do so before close of business Monday, November 21st. Teams that register after we reach capacity will be placed on a waiting list for the event.
- Teams that attend the Kickoff screening at Southern NH University on Saturday, January 7th will still have the opportunity to see Dean and Woodie, interact with a 2012 season Competition field, and talk to the GDC.
See you then!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Pass it on
Good Afternoon Teams,
FRC (and FIRST) is in need of a few good non-engineering applicants for current job openings at HQ in Manchester, NH. Please spread the word and check back in the near future as at least one more non-engineering position is in the works.
Do you watch American Choppers on the Discovery Channel? Grainger (a FIRST sponsor) let us know that American Choppers filmed an episode at their facility back in October and that as part of the shoot, Grainger presented a check to FIRST. We understand that November 21st the build episode will air and that the unveil episode is scheduled for February 13th. I know I’ll be watching.
The 2nd generation e-watt saver light bulbs have arrived. Visit our website for more details.
51 days until Kickoff
See you then!
FRC (and FIRST) is in need of a few good non-engineering applicants for current job openings at HQ in Manchester, NH. Please spread the word and check back in the near future as at least one more non-engineering position is in the works.
Do you watch American Choppers on the Discovery Channel? Grainger (a FIRST sponsor) let us know that American Choppers filmed an episode at their facility back in October and that as part of the shoot, Grainger presented a check to FIRST. We understand that November 21st the build episode will air and that the unveil episode is scheduled for February 13th. I know I’ll be watching.
The 2nd generation e-watt saver light bulbs have arrived. Visit our website for more details.
51 days until Kickoff
See you then!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The wooden beams have started creaking
Good Afternoon Teams,
The tidal wave of field and game elements is on its way. Here at 200 Bedford Street we’ve been taking delivery of materials needed for the 2012 field for weeks now and expect a truck (or more) a day every day through Thanksgiving. Space is getting a little tight.
This is going to be a heavy field to set up when all is said and done. Our pallet jacks can handle up to 5,000lbs in a single load and the engineering staff tell me we’ve been pushing the jacks to their limit recently. At the moment we have an estimated 8,000lbs of polycarbonate sheets, four 1,000lb pallets of game specific steel elements, a pallet of aluminum, three 1,500lb pallets of a game specific item plus a fourth 1,000lb pallet of a different game specific item, two full pallets of gaffers tape, an entire pallet of carpet tape and multiple pallets of game pieces. None of which takes into account the existing field components we will be bolting, zip tying and otherwise attaching these items onto or the elements that have not been delivered yet.
The Kit of Parts is being put together at our warehouse which means truckloads of components are arriving there daily as well. Staff and volunteers are starting to pre-kit smaller items (putting separate elements into little plastic bags) ready to put those bags into larger containers and planning the physical layout of elements inside those larger containers. Back at 200 Bedford Street, Procurement is scheduling deliveries to local Kickoffs and preparing truck routes for competition events.
It’s never dull around here.
In other news:
The next Senior Mentor call will be FRC Control System/Driver’s Station Beta Test Observations with our very own Kevin O’Connor from the first floor. Join him November 21st at 7PM ET by calling 1-866-951-1151 and using conference room # 9533018
All teams (with the exception of teams in Israel who are only attending the Israel Regional) will be expected to Bag and Tag their robot this year.
52 days until Kickoff
See you then!
The tidal wave of field and game elements is on its way. Here at 200 Bedford Street we’ve been taking delivery of materials needed for the 2012 field for weeks now and expect a truck (or more) a day every day through Thanksgiving. Space is getting a little tight.
This is going to be a heavy field to set up when all is said and done. Our pallet jacks can handle up to 5,000lbs in a single load and the engineering staff tell me we’ve been pushing the jacks to their limit recently. At the moment we have an estimated 8,000lbs of polycarbonate sheets, four 1,000lb pallets of game specific steel elements, a pallet of aluminum, three 1,500lb pallets of a game specific item plus a fourth 1,000lb pallet of a different game specific item, two full pallets of gaffers tape, an entire pallet of carpet tape and multiple pallets of game pieces. None of which takes into account the existing field components we will be bolting, zip tying and otherwise attaching these items onto or the elements that have not been delivered yet.
The Kit of Parts is being put together at our warehouse which means truckloads of components are arriving there daily as well. Staff and volunteers are starting to pre-kit smaller items (putting separate elements into little plastic bags) ready to put those bags into larger containers and planning the physical layout of elements inside those larger containers. Back at 200 Bedford Street, Procurement is scheduling deliveries to local Kickoffs and preparing truck routes for competition events.
It’s never dull around here.
In other news:
The next Senior Mentor call will be FRC Control System/Driver’s Station Beta Test Observations with our very own Kevin O’Connor from the first floor. Join him November 21st at 7PM ET by calling 1-866-951-1151 and using conference room # 9533018
All teams (with the exception of teams in Israel who are only attending the Israel Regional) will be expected to Bag and Tag their robot this year.
- Section 5.5 of the Administrative Manual (now available on our website) allows teams to bag bumpers separately from the robot if it is more convenient for teams to transport their robot that way. Be aware, the bag with the bumper and the bag with the robot must both be sealed with a tag and logged independently.
- If you haven’t already done so, be sure to read the Bag & Tag FAQ and decide how you plan to proceed before the deadline for exemption requests passes on December 2nd.
52 days until Kickoff
See you then!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
This just in
Good Afternoon Teams,
The Administrative Section of the 2012 FRC Manual is now live on our website. Student Award submission in STIMS and Mentor Award Submission in TIMS went live today. That should give you plenty to read and do this weekend.
I will be taking tomorrow off as its Veteran’s Day.
58 days until Kickoff
See you then!
The Administrative Section of the 2012 FRC Manual is now live on our website. Student Award submission in STIMS and Mentor Award Submission in TIMS went live today. That should give you plenty to read and do this weekend.
I will be taking tomorrow off as its Veteran’s Day.
58 days until Kickoff
See you then!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
So what does FRC do in November?
Good Afternoon Teams,
We’re finalizing Kickoff. Engineering is gathering Kit of Parts components (not everything has arrived at our warehouse in preparation for kit packing yet); beta testing new control system components (my thanks to the teams who are helping); completing field drawings for local kickoff field builders; and updating a competition field in preparation for the kickoff filming and for display at the Manchester screening. Upstairs we’re supporting the local kickoffs; and preparing for workshops, the Founder’s Reception and the screening at SNHU where the GDC will be present to talk to teams. (The GDC, by the way, is busy finalizing the Game Manual.) In the field, Regional Directors are recruiting and supporting teams; working with Regional Planning Committees to plan competition events; and drumming up sponsor and donor support for FIRST.
We’re gearing up for build season. While teams are busy building robots, we will be training key volunteers, working out final details for competitions, building field elements, sourcing materials, packing trucks, finalizing award judging and holding a week zero event to test the new game systems in a competition environment. So right now we’re scheduling people, equipment and materials to ensure everything is in place the minute the Kickoff broadcast ends.
We’re planning for Championship. Maybe things will look a little different this year?
We have our eyes on the future. We’re looking ahead at everything from the business plan, to new technologies to new staff structures to a few other exiting changes.
So enjoy the quiet before the storm. It will be raining soon enough.
While you are waiting for the big day, check out the usfirst.org website. UL has introduced a new Safety ambassador program.
Anybody interested in a game hint? The GDC is mulling it over right now.
59 days until Kickoff
See you then!
We’re finalizing Kickoff. Engineering is gathering Kit of Parts components (not everything has arrived at our warehouse in preparation for kit packing yet); beta testing new control system components (my thanks to the teams who are helping); completing field drawings for local kickoff field builders; and updating a competition field in preparation for the kickoff filming and for display at the Manchester screening. Upstairs we’re supporting the local kickoffs; and preparing for workshops, the Founder’s Reception and the screening at SNHU where the GDC will be present to talk to teams. (The GDC, by the way, is busy finalizing the Game Manual.) In the field, Regional Directors are recruiting and supporting teams; working with Regional Planning Committees to plan competition events; and drumming up sponsor and donor support for FIRST.
We’re gearing up for build season. While teams are busy building robots, we will be training key volunteers, working out final details for competitions, building field elements, sourcing materials, packing trucks, finalizing award judging and holding a week zero event to test the new game systems in a competition environment. So right now we’re scheduling people, equipment and materials to ensure everything is in place the minute the Kickoff broadcast ends.
We’re planning for Championship. Maybe things will look a little different this year?
We have our eyes on the future. We’re looking ahead at everything from the business plan, to new technologies to new staff structures to a few other exiting changes.
So enjoy the quiet before the storm. It will be raining soon enough.
While you are waiting for the big day, check out the usfirst.org website. UL has introduced a new Safety ambassador program.
Anybody interested in a game hint? The GDC is mulling it over right now.
59 days until Kickoff
See you then!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Primary update
Good Afternoon Teams,
It has come to pass. The Secretary of State announced this afternoon that the NH Primary will be held January 10, 2012, just 3 days after kickoff. If you intend to travel to Manchester for kickoff, you may want to start looking for a hotel room right away. The media will be competing with you for a place to stay.
66 days until Kickoff
See you then!
It has come to pass. The Secretary of State announced this afternoon that the NH Primary will be held January 10, 2012, just 3 days after kickoff. If you intend to travel to Manchester for kickoff, you may want to start looking for a hotel room right away. The media will be competing with you for a place to stay.
66 days until Kickoff
See you then!
Working in the dark
Good Afternoon Teams,
Manchester was hit by a snowstorm that blanketed the US east coast in unseasonable snow, downed trees and extensive power outages over the Halloween weekend. Staff were back in the building on Monday morning and most have electricity back at home as of this morning. I hope all of you are safe and warm.
My thanks to the Manchester, NH High Schools Central, Memorial, Trinity and West for their support and assistance in allowing us to Beta Test hardware at River Rage this past weekend.
The following teams were particularly helpful:
Team 131 C.H.A.O.S tested Kinect & Jaguar in C++
Team 1073 The Force Team tested Kinect & Jaguar in C++
Team 166 Chop Shop tested Kinect & David* in C++
Team 811 Cardinals tested David* in Java
Team 238 Cruising Crusaders tested Kinect & Jaguar in Java
Team 125 Nutrons tested David* in Java
Team 2648 Infinite Loop tested Kinect in Java
Team 88 TJ2 tested David* in Java
Team 1922 OzRam tested Kinect & Jaguar in LabVIEW
Team 176 Northern Force tested Kinect & Jaguar in LabVIEW
Team 2423 The KWARQS tested Kinect, Jaguar & David* in Python/C++
We got lots of good feedback from the teams and are already hard at work following up on what we learned. I understand that field breakdown and event clean up at the end of River Rage this year was the fastest ever as teams noticed the snow already falling outside and packed up in record time.
*David stands for a new dual relay module that is being evaluated for possible future KOP use.
Ops asked me to remind you, if you are on a wait list for a competition event, please be patient. You have not been forgotten. Operations staff are working to move wait listed teams into events and will contact your team Main and Alternate Contact as soon as they move your team.
You should also know, the deadline to request a Bag & Tag exemption is Dec 2nd. Have you worked out a way to get your robot to your events? Be sure to read the Bag & Tag FAQ and review your travel plans now.
If your team is planning to program in C/C++ this year, you might want to checkout Ch, a C/C++ interpreter and scripting language environment available free to download here. This is not software your team can use to program the robot, but Dr Cheng from UC Davis tells me it is an excellent teaching tool your team can use improve your C/C++ skills as you wait for kickoff.
66 days until Kickoff
See you then!
Manchester was hit by a snowstorm that blanketed the US east coast in unseasonable snow, downed trees and extensive power outages over the Halloween weekend. Staff were back in the building on Monday morning and most have electricity back at home as of this morning. I hope all of you are safe and warm.
My thanks to the Manchester, NH High Schools Central, Memorial, Trinity and West for their support and assistance in allowing us to Beta Test hardware at River Rage this past weekend.
The following teams were particularly helpful:
Team 131 C.H.A.O.S tested Kinect & Jaguar in C++
Team 1073 The Force Team tested Kinect & Jaguar in C++
Team 166 Chop Shop tested Kinect & David* in C++
Team 811 Cardinals tested David* in Java
Team 238 Cruising Crusaders tested Kinect & Jaguar in Java
Team 125 Nutrons tested David* in Java
Team 2648 Infinite Loop tested Kinect in Java
Team 88 TJ2 tested David* in Java
Team 1922 OzRam tested Kinect & Jaguar in LabVIEW
Team 176 Northern Force tested Kinect & Jaguar in LabVIEW
Team 2423 The KWARQS tested Kinect, Jaguar & David* in Python/C++
We got lots of good feedback from the teams and are already hard at work following up on what we learned. I understand that field breakdown and event clean up at the end of River Rage this year was the fastest ever as teams noticed the snow already falling outside and packed up in record time.
*David stands for a new dual relay module that is being evaluated for possible future KOP use.
Ops asked me to remind you, if you are on a wait list for a competition event, please be patient. You have not been forgotten. Operations staff are working to move wait listed teams into events and will contact your team Main and Alternate Contact as soon as they move your team.
You should also know, the deadline to request a Bag & Tag exemption is Dec 2nd. Have you worked out a way to get your robot to your events? Be sure to read the Bag & Tag FAQ and review your travel plans now.
If your team is planning to program in C/C++ this year, you might want to checkout Ch, a C/C++ interpreter and scripting language environment available free to download here. This is not software your team can use to program the robot, but Dr Cheng from UC Davis tells me it is an excellent teaching tool your team can use improve your C/C++ skills as you wait for kickoff.
66 days until Kickoff
See you then!
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