Things Every FRC Team Should Know
Glenn Lee – Team 359 – The Hawaiian Kids
Collin Fultz – FRC Team Advocate
FIRST is not just for Technology Enthusiasts…
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Variety of skills are needed
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Marketing
Business
Team Spirit
Technology
FIRST Promotes Inclusion
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Opportunities for hands-on STEM learning for non-traditional or
underserved populations
FRC Calendar Year
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FRC Calendar:
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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)
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Average Mentor Volunteer Hours/ Week
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In Season (Kickoff to Championship)
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Off Season
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4-7 Hours: 5%
12-19 Hours: 25%
30+ Hours: 28%
4-7 Hours: 31%
12-19 Hours: 10%
30+ Hours: 4%
Tips to Avoid Burnout
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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)
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Registration Fee
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Regionals vs. Districts
Other Costs
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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
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Range: $6,000 to $100,000+
Most Common: $10,000-$20,000 (28%)
Where to Find Resources & Support
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Know what you Need
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Develop a Budget & Business Plan
Examples in the FIRST Fundraising Toolkit
It’s Difficult to Meet Needs Through Fundraising Alone
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Seek out partnerships and other long-term resources
Apply for grants
Seek In-Kind Donations, Not Just Cash
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Ask for donations of service/equipment- from equipment rental to pizza
Find Local Resources
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Meet with parents and mentors to develop a list of possible sponsors/partnerships
Grants
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NASA Grants
Rookie Grants
It’s Going To Take Mentors (to give their patience and time)
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Mentors and Parents are the Backbone of your Team
Where to Look:
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Schools
Colleges
Sponsors
Parents
Alumni
What to Look For:
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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
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Run your Team like a Business
Peer Mentorship
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Provide leadership opportunities for experienced members
Train new mentors (ensure knowledge/experience stays with
the team)
Team Organizational Chart
Robot Construction
Robotics Outreach
Robotics
Documentation
FRC Team 359
Robotics Support
Robotics Administration
Robotics Administration
Coordination
Planning
Finances
Fundraising
Class Setup
Schedule
Team meetings
Purchase Orders
Team Travel
Grant & Financial Support
Robot Construction
ROBOT CONSTRUCTION
Rules of Competition
Kick-Off Meeting
Rules Person: Student Team Captain
Control
Systems
Robot Programming
Autonomous Mode
Electrical
Pneumatics
Controls Layout
Driver Station
ROBOT ASSEMBLY &
COMPETITION
TEAM
Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks,
AutoCAD
Operational Prototype
Final Robot
Controls Fabrication
Spare Parts
Pit Crew
Driver Selection
Tactician
Scouting
ROBOT SUPPORT
Field & Goal Fabrication
Crate Modification
Cart Modification
Control Fabrication
Fabrication Training
Field Setup
Safety Captain
Week
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Robot Assembly Tasks
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Work Flow
Robot Support Tasks
Fabrication Training Tasks
Game & Parts Overview
State the Challenge
Brainstorming
Select Robot Design Parameters
Define Human Player & Other Team Functions
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• Prototyping, Drive/Chassis
Fabrication & Subsystem
Design
• Fabricate Field, Goals,
Etc.
• Mill, Lathe, Cut-Off
Saw, Band Saw, etc.
Familiarization
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• Subsystem Fabrication &
Drive/Chassis Assembly
• Continue As Time
Permits
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• Drive/Chassis Testing &
Subsystem Bench Testing
• Driver Practice
• Complete Field & Start
Fabrication Training, if
any
• Build/Update Control
(wood) & Cart
• Robot Parts & Continue
As Time Permits
• Build/Fix Crate
Dead Time
• Robot & Spare Parts
Fabrication
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• Subsystem Integration &
Final Assembly
Robotics Support
Robotics Support
Coordination
Planning
Robotics 6-week meal schedule
Snacks
Lunch
Supervision support
Robotics Regional Support
Team Uniforms
Team Agenda & Booklet
Team Schedule & Activities
Spirit items-Buttons, Pencils, Magnets,
Calculators
Banners
Collection of Payments/Dues-Admissions
Meals
Raffles and Trivia
Team Documentation
Team Documentation
Digital Media Production
Multimedia Presentations
Facilities Tours
STEM Outreach Events
Competition Awards, Mentor/Student
Awards, Pit Crew Manual,
Engineering Design Manual,
Safety Manual, Business Plan,
Annual Team Documentation
Supporting documents
Media, newspaper, Interviews
Team Web Page, Animation
Video, Team Video Documentary
Web page design-Adobe,
Animation Tutorials
Team Roster and Organization
Video Tutorials
Team Updates
Photos, Instagram, Twitter, FaceBook
Evidence of Student Learning
Post-Secondary Plans
Community Recognition & Outreach
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Participate in Community Events- as much as possible!
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Show Off Awards & Trophies
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Join local parades and other activities
Set up a display at your local library, sporting events, etc.
Press releases to local media
Display in school/organization trophy case
Post to social media
Reach out to Alumni
TEAM 359
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Sponsorship of School- oriented
Projects & clubs:
Blood Drive
Christmas Parade
• Community Service:
●Beach Clean-up
●Annual Robotics Open House
•Dole Robotics Fundraiser Luau
Community
& School
FIRST &
STEM
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FIRST Mentoring
& Collaborations
Maintaining robotics in Hawaii &
the Hawaii FRC Regional:
●Hawaii Robotics Planning
Committee
●Waialua STEM Learning Center
Promoting 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
-Sharingideas
Support Feeder Oranizations
-Through funding & coordination
STEM Workshops
-Sustainability
-Grant Writing
-Business Plan
Don’t Know Where To Start?
– Reach out to:
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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:
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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 Introduction
Wednesday, 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