FIRST Technology Challenge

FIRST® Tech Challenge is half way through our season and for many of you, that means that your League and even Regional Championships are just around the corner! For most of our events (Qualifying Tournament, League Championship, Regional Championship, Super-Regional Championship, and of course, our World Championship) the Judging Interview comes into play. The Engineering Notebook plays a key role in the judging process, and is a key requirement for all Judged Awards. Throughout the season, we have been hearing about some great lessons learned that we hope to share with all of you. Tips and Tricks that will hopefully either give you an edge at your next event, or just set you up for a stronger interview. Lessons Learned TWO Engineering Notebooks means only TWO Engineering Notebooks. - It is great that your team has recorded every part of your season, however, as per Game Manual Part I rules, each team is only allowed to turn in two engineering notebooks. Tucking...

Have you slept since Kickoff, FTC community ? Or have you been lying awake replaying the Kickoff video and mentally designing a robot to compete in the game? It’s going to be a season of challenges, but we know that you are ready and able! Each Kickoff, we are so excited to share the new Game Challenge with you, and this year there were over 15,000 people at more than 70 Kickoff events around the world learning about the new game at 12 noon on Saturday – really exciting! Truly, the important question is, what do you think of FIRST RES-Q sm ?   So far the word on the street is that this is an awesome game with lots of opportunities to explore on the field and in designing your robot. Of course, huge thanks to the Game Design committee for all the work they put into creating this game over the past two years, and remember everything you need to know about the game is on the FTC Game Page. As always, we had a lot of fun with game hints this summer, and now we get to reveal them to y...

The FIRST Tech Challenge annual Game Kickoff is Saturday, September 12th at 12 noon ET this year and we hope that you will be celebrating at a Kickoff event or party in your area (and if not, join one online - more info as we get closer to the date). In case you are a newcomer to FTC, welcome! Here's a little background information. Each year,  FIRST  Tech Challenge releases a new game that presents teams with fresh engineering and design challenges.  We keep the game secret until our Kickoff in September.  The Kickoff happens online, with the release of the game animation and season materials, and also at a growing number of live  Kickoff events in your regions . We are really excited to reveal this year's game at Kickoff, which is three months away still, but a lot of other exciting stuff is happening between now and then: Intelitek has released the first New Technology Training Resource , with Part II coming out later this summer, and Part III coming out e...

Did you have a great Kickoff? Did you take pictures? We always want to see know what you are doing, so share your stories and photos with stories@usfirst.org .  We are so excited to finally share FIRST Tech Challenge CASCADE EFFECT sm with you all and to see what creations you will build to tackle this challenge. Don't forget to check out all of the information, tools, and tips on the FTC Team Reouscres web page. Now, how about a huge round of applause to the Game Design committee for all the work they put into creating this game, and if you haven’t heard all about it, head on over to the FTC Game Page to learn more. So far the word on the street is that this is going to be an exciting and challenging season. Is your Team rip-roaring and ready to go build a cool robot? We had a lot of fun with game hints this summer, and now we get to review them for you. The kickstand aspect of the center game element was on our minds a lot, as you can tell from the following: Only 13 days unt...

We are so excited to share the new FIRST Tech Challenge Game with you all this coming Saturday, September 6th, that we can hardly stand it! We hope the fun of dissecting all of the blog, Twitter , and Facebook posts for Game hints has kept you busy enough that the last few weeks of waiting have flown right by. There are any number of ways that you can celebrate the FTC Kickoff this Saturday. Attend a Kickoff event in your area and you will get to meet other Teams and FTC fans and get a feel for the energy of an FTC event. If you can't make it to an event, watch the live stream of the Massachusetts Kickoff available on the FTC Game Page on Saturday. Or you can always hold a Kickoff party just for your Team, screening the FTC Game Video at 12 noon EST on Saturday. Definitely make sure your Team is registered for this season. Then be sure to review all the FTC Game Materials carefully as you begin work on your Robot, as well as look through the new resources available today (mor...

The FIRST Tech Challenge Game Manual comes in two parts. Part I includes tournament information, awards, and robot rules. Part II covers the game and game rules. Part I for the 2014-2015 season is now available. All Teams should review the manual carefully to ensure a successful season. Any questions that might arise should be posted on the FIRST Tech Challenge forum . This year's Manual looks much like last years, but teams should do a thorough review of allowed parts, which change from year to year. In addition, there are two significant changes in this year's manual: The Control Award is now an official award and part of tournament advancement criteria The Advancement Criteria has been modified With less than two months to Kick-Off, we hope the Game Manual Part I has fueled your enthusiasm for the season ahead. Good luck Teams!