Things Every FRC Team Should Know

Glenn Lee – Team 359 – The Hawaiian KidsCollin Fultz – FRC Team Advocate

FIRST is not just for Technology Enthusiasts…

• Variety of skills are needed– Marketing– Business– Team Spirit– Technology

• FIRST Promotes Inclusion– Opportunities for hands-on STEM learning for non-traditional or

underserved populations

FRC Calendar Year

• FRC Calendar:• Pre-Season• Kickoff (first Saturday in January)• Build Season (6 weeks)• Week Zero Events• Stop Build Day• Competition Season (7 weeks)• Championship (April)• Off Season (mid-May to mid-November)

It’s Going To Take Time (a whole lot of precious time)

• Average Mentor Volunteer Hours/ Week• In Season (Kickoff to Championship)

• 4-7 Hours: 5%• 12-19 Hours: 25%• 30+ Hours: 28%

• Off Season• 4-7 Hours: 31%• 12-19 Hours: 10%• 30+ Hours: 4%

• Tips to Avoid Burnout• Take breaks• Don’t completely abandon your non-FIRST friends and family• Get others involved to share the load and maintain energy

It’s Going To Take Money (a whole lot of spending money)

• Registration Fee • Regionals vs. Districts

• Other Costs• Robot Parts (including spares)• Construction Materials (for robot and practice field)• Tools/Equipment• Team Uniforms/Mascot• Travel to Events• Outreach Activities• Unexpected Costs (be prepared!)

How Much Spending Money?

Example Budget from Team 2470 (The Blitz Team), posted to the FIRST Fundraising Toolkit

NOTE: Team Budgets vary widely•Range: $6,000 to $100,000+•Most Common: $10,000-$20,000 (28%)

Where to Find Resources & Support

• Know what you Need• Develop a Budget & Business Plan• Examples in the FIRST Fundraising Toolkit

• It’s Difficult to Meet Needs Through Fundraising Alone• Seek out partnerships and other long-term resources• Apply for grants

• Seek In-Kind Donations, Not Just Cash• Ask for donations of service/equipment- from equipment rental to pizza

• Find Local Resources• Meet with parents and mentors to develop a list of possible sponsors/partnerships

• Grants• NASA Grants• Rookie Grants

It’s Going To Take Mentors (to give their patience and time)

• Mentors and Parents are the Backbone of your Team• Where to Look:

• Schools• Colleges• Sponsors• Parents• Alumni

• What to Look For:• Skills your team needs (technical and non-technical)• Redundancy is good

What Kinds of Mentors?

From the Business Plan of Team 1625 (Winnovation), posted to the FIRST Fundraising Toolkit

Be Organized

• Run your Team like a Business

• Peer Mentorship• Provide leadership opportunities for experienced members• Train new mentors (ensure knowledge/experience stays with

the team)

Team Organizational Chart

FRC Team 359

Robot Construction

Robotics Support

RoboticsDocumentation

Robotics Administration

Robotics Outreach

Robotics AdministrationCoordination

PlanningFinances

FundraisingClass Setup

ScheduleTeam meetingsPurchase Orders

Team TravelGrant & Financial Support

Robot ConstructionROBOT CONSTRUCTION

Rules of CompetitionKick-Off Meeting

ROBOT ASSEMBLY & COMPETITION

TEAMAutodesk Inventor, SolidWorks,

AutoCADOperational Prototype

Final RobotControls Fabrication

Spare PartsPit Crew

Driver SelectionTacticianScouting

ROBOT SUPPORTField & Goal Fabrication

Crate ModificationCart Modification

Control FabricationFabrication Training

Field SetupSafety Captain

Rules Person: Student Team Captain

Control Systems

Robot Programming

Autonomous ModeElectrical

PneumaticsControls Layout

Driver Station

Work FlowWeek

1

2

3

4

5

6

Robot Assembly Tasks

• Prototyping, Drive/Chassis Fabrication & Subsystem Design

• Subsystem Fabrication & Drive/Chassis Assembly

• Drive/Chassis Testing & Subsystem Bench Testing

• Driver Practice

• Subsystem Integration & Final Assembly

• Driver Practice

• Final Testing• Driver Practice

Robot Support Tasks

• Fabricate Field, Goals, Etc.

• Complete Field & Start Fabrication Training, if any

• Build/Update Control (wood) & Cart

• Build/Fix CrateDead Time

• Game & Parts Overview• State the Challenge• Brainstorming• Select Robot Design Parameters• Define Human Player & Other Team

Functions

Fabrication Training Tasks

• Mill, Lathe, Cut-Off Saw, Band Saw, etc. Familiarization

• Continue As Time Permits

• Robot Parts & Continue As Time Permits

• Robot & Spare Parts Fabrication

• Spare Parts Fabrication

Robotics SupportRobotics Regional Support

Team UniformsTeam Agenda & Booklet

Team Schedule & ActivitiesSpirit items-Buttons, Pencils, Magnets,

CalculatorsBanners

Collection of Payments/Dues-AdmissionsMeals

Raffles and TriviaRobotics 6-week meal schedule

SnacksLunch

Supervision support

Robotics SupportCoordination

Planning

Team Documentation

Team Web Page, Animation Video, Team Video Documentary

Web page design-Adobe, Animation Tutorials

Team Roster and OrganizationVideo TutorialsTeam Updates

Photos, Instagram, Twitter, FaceBookEvidence of Student Learning

Post-Secondary Plans

Competition Awards, Mentor/Student Awards, Pit Crew Manual,

Engineering Design Manual, Safety Manual, Business Plan,Annual Team Documentation

Supporting documentsMedia, newspaper, Interviews

Team DocumentationDigital Media ProductionMultimedia Presentations

Facilities ToursSTEM Outreach Events

Community Recognition & Outreach

• Participate in Community Events- as much as possible!• Join local parades and other activities • Set up a display at your local library, sporting events, etc.• Press releases to local media

• Show Off Awards & Trophies• Display in school/organization trophy case• Post to social media

• Reach out to Alumni

TEAM 359 COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Maintaining robotics in Hawaii & the Hawaii FRC Regional:●Hawaii Robotics Planning Committee●Waialua STEM Learning CenterPromoting STEM in Hawaii:●Working with Governor Lingle to promote STEM & FIRST in Hawaii●Robot demonstrations at engineering events:Ex: Engineering Week (Kahala Mall)

Other Teams-Uses of facilities, materials and equipment-Access to mentors-SharingideasSupport Feeder Oranizations-Through funding & coordinationSTEM Workshops-Sustainability-Grant Writing-Business Plan

Sponsorship of School- oriented Projects & clubs:●Blood Drive ●Christmas Parade• Community Service:●Beach Clean-up●Annual Robotics Open House•Dole Robotics Fundraiser Luau

Don’t Know Where To Start?

– Reach out to:• Regional Director

• FIRST Senior Mentor

• VISTA

• Other FRC Teams

• FRC Team Support– 603-666-3906, x0– frcteams@usfirst.org

Other Resources

– Progression of Programs (Jr.FLL, FLL, FTC)– Chief Delphi – FRC Resources:

• Kit of Parts (www.usfirst.org/frc/kitofparts)

• Technical (www.usfirst.org/frc/technicalresources)

• General (http://www.usfirst.org/frc/resources)

• Look for changes to the FRC website to make these easier to find

Thank You for Watching!

Next Behind the Lines Episode:

2015 Control System IntroductionWednesday, October 15th

8:00 PM (ET)Experts:

Representatives from the Control System Design Team

This episode will be followed up with another discussion featuring Beta Test Teams