The inaugural Atlantic Invitational, hosted by the Worcester Beach Bots and STEMaction, will be held Saturday, June 29, 2013 in Berlin, MD, near Ocean City.  The event will feature a “Ring It Up” FTC Competition, a “Senior Solutions” FLL Competition, and a “Super Seniors” Jr.FLL Expo.

The event will be held at Buckingham Elementary, 100 Buckingham Road in Berlin, MD.  Opening Ceremonies for the FTC event will be at 10:30am, while the FLL and Jr.FLL events will get underway at 1:00pm.  The event is free and open to the public, so watch for more details and come enjoy and fun day.

For teams interested in participating, click here for more information on registering, hotels, food and entertainment options.  FTC teams can arrive Friday evening from 5-7pm for optional load-in and inspection, then enjoy discount tickets to the Jolly Roger Amusement Park in Ocean City.

The University of Maryland Robotics Center and FIRST Robotics in Maryland together are organizing a free workshop titled “Fostering Excellence in Robotics” for high school students to introduce them to modern research in robotics, and its applications to various fields. This workshop is organized as part of 2013 American Control Conference at Washington DC.

The workshop will consist of short presentations and demos by University of Maryland professors, researchers and robotics clubs from FIRST teams, local high schools and the University of Maryland.

Date: Sunday, June 16 Time: 1:00pm – 6:00pm Venue: Congressional A Renaissance Washington DC Downtown Hotel 999 Ninth Street NW, Washington DC 20001 To register for the workshop click: http://a2c2.org/conferences/acc2013/high_school_students.html

The recommended age is high school / pre-college. This workshop is limited to 100 participants; registrations accepted in order of receipt.

Participants will be given a certificate of participation and access to the welcome reception for the ACC Conference from 6:30-8:30pm on Sunday, June 16, which includes refreshments and buffet meal.

FIRST teams will exhibiting FRC and FTC robots along with more than 40 other great STEM programs and presenters at the inaugural Howard County STEM Festival on June 9 from 1-4pm at Howard Community College.  This great event is free and open to the public.  Come on down for a great afternoon of STEM fun and information.

Hello Maryland FRC teams,

Congratulations to all for completing the 2013 FRC competition season!  I will be scaling back the newsletters during the summer, probably once a month, until the fall.

Championship Congratulations!!

The Maryland FRC community was well represented at the 2013 Championship event this year.  More than we’ve ever had in the past.  Congratulations to the following teams for a great showing!

• Team 836
• Team 1111
• Team 1629
• Team 2199
• Team 3941
• Team 4067
• Team 4464
• Team 4505
• Team 4541

Opportunities for Teams

The regional planning committee is looking for teams to participate in upcoming demonstrations.

•  June 2:  Howard County STEM Festival at Howard Community College
• June 16: Event in DC in cooperation with the University of Maryland at the American Controls Conference.

Please contact our Regional Director, Bill Duncan, at wduncanfirst@gmail.com if your team is interested.

What Now?

The off season is upon us but that doesn’t necessarily mean that teams go dormant during this time frame.  Do take some time to get to know your families again, recharge, and enjoy the break but there are also some things you can do to document lessons learned and provide for team growth for the years to come.

• Host a year end celebration for team members as a send-off to your seniors and to thank your mentors, parents, sponsors, and teachers for their efforts
• Implement a “Continuous Improvement” process to gather feedback on your past season and evaluate the team’s performance compared to your team goals
• Make a to-do list and assign responsibilities for any tasks needed in preparation or improvement for next year (delegate!!!)
• Start fundraising efforts for next year.
• Attend off-season events to keep robot competition excitement going.

Districts Update

The National Capitol Region is still in the process of evaluating the pros and cons of instituting the district model in Maryland, DC, and Virginia.  Thank you to those of you who attended our information sessions at the regional events and provided feedback.  As the evaluation continues, I wanted to point you to a very informative white paper written by one of the founders of FIRST in Michigan (FiM), the original district model pilot.  It answers some of the most asked questions about the district model and how the FiM and MAR district models differ from each other. 

We will have a FIRST LEGO League New Coach and Mentor Clinic on May 18 at UMBC to introduce anybody interested in learning the basics of establishing and running a FIRST LEGO League team. No obligation to form or support a team is required. Specific topics include:

• Introduction to FIRST and FIRST LEGO League (FLL)
• Advice on setting up a team and successfully completing your first season
• Basic instructions on how to program a MINDSTORMS NXT Robot

This clinic is intended for anyone interested in creating or helping run a new FLL team. Coaches and mentors from existing FLL teams are welcome to attend, but will probably find the topics covered too rudimentary.

The clinic will be held the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) from 9AM to 12 noon on Saturday, May 18th. We will attempt to provide the clinic as a online webcast also. Specific details will be provided later.  Register here: http://tinyurl.com/FLLWorkshop051813

Hello Maryland FRC teams, 

The Chesapeake regional is next week!  Congratulations to all who have competed and good luck to those of you competing next week.  I will not have a newsletter next week since I’ll be supporting the regional event.

Congratulations!!

The Maryland FRC teams had great successes last week:

• Team 836:  Excellence in Engineering at the DC Regional
• Team 1629:  Engineering Inspiration award at the Buckeye Regional
• Team 4464:  Highest Rookie Seed and Rookie All Star at the DC Regional

FIRST Stop Guest Program

The Chesapeake Regional has developed a new program for all guests and visitors of the event called “FIRST Stop.”  This program allows guests to be part of the action and learn about the FIRST family of programs from our ambassadors.  Teams are encouraged to distribute the FIRST Stop invitation to sponsors, VIPs, friends, and family.

Student Ambassadors

Does your team have students willing to be trained as ambassadors?  Some students really shine in this role.  Student ambassadors give special tours to VIPs and visitors.  We will debut a new “FIRST Stop” program to handle invited and walk-in guests and the Student Ambassadors are a crucial part of the program.  Training is provided from 10-11 am on Thursday and students will sign up for time slots after the initial training session.

Team mentors should send names of interested ambassadors to me as soon as possible.

Student Singers

Student singers will be invited to be part of the Chesapeake Chorus, who will sing the National Anthem at opening ceremonies.   A few short practice sessions will be held, beginning Thursday, to get the group sorted and remind everyone of the words.

If you have any interested students, please send me names as soon as possible.

Internship Opportunity

Looking for an early start on an engineer’s dream job? SpaceX, the world’s fastest growing provider of launch services into outer space, is offering 10-15 high school seniors the opportunity for preliminary acceptance to their highly selective Internship Program.  Applications are due on Monday, April 15th.

Shipping to the Championship Event

All teams registered for the Championship event are required to ship their robots to St Louis.  Those teams that qualify at regionals throughout the season should receive a bill of lading from Pit Administration at that event.  If you have already qualified and have not received your bill of lading, contact frcteams@usfirst.org as soon as possible.

Instructions for shipping your robot to the Championship event can be found in section 5.7 of the Administrative manual.  Teams are required to ship their robot by the Thursday following their final competition in a crate built to the specifications.  Make sure your total crate weight is under 400 lbs or you will be charged for any overage.

Teams are required to ship from the Championship event as well unless they request an exemption by contacting frcteams@usfirst.org by April 17 with the subject line “Robot Removal, for Team XXX.”

Planning for Championships

FIRST has released their planning guide for the Championship event.  There is lots of information located in that guide including:

• Schedules : All the FIRST programs will be represented and there are schedules for each.  Take some time to become familiar with all the events besides the competition.
• Pre-order lunch forms:  Lunches can be expensive since the event is held in a stadium.  Outside food is not allowed so plan ahead.  The pre-order lunch provides one option but there are some other food options close by outside of the stadium as well.
• Practice field policy:  The practice facilities at the Championship are limited due to the number of teams attending.  Be familiar with how your team can gain access including how to use your practice field pass.
• FIRST Robotics Conference:  The conferences will be available to all for free this year.  The schedule should be released soon but the conferences will be Wednesday evening and throughout the day on Thursday.
• FIRST Finale:  This event is held after the closing ceremonies on Saturday at the St Louis Science Center.  Teams that book hotels through Steele Meeting received tickets to the event or tickets can be purchased from Steele Meeting.
• St Louis Cardinals Tickets:  The Cardinals have offered discounted tickets at $19.00 (+ service fee) which includes the price of admission and a hot dog and soda coupon to FIRST attendees for the April 26th game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  FIRST ticket holders will have the opportunity to participate in an on-field parade before the game.

FIRST will update the documents on the site as Championship gets closer so be sure to check back often.

Watching Regionals

For those of you not competing this week, there are several opportunities for you to be part of the action right from your own computer.  Many of the regionals and district events are webcast and there’s a new tool that makes it even easier to access them:  The Blue Alliance Gameday.  Here you’ll find links to all the webcasts and an interface which allows you to watch up to 6 at the same time.  I highly recommend watching each week to see how the game evolves as teams learn to play.  It is great practice for your coach and drive team to get a feel for what they will see once they get to their event.

 Opportunities for Teams

The regional planning committee is looking for teams to participate in upcoming demonstrations.

• June 16: Event in DC in cooperation with the University of Maryland at the American Controls Conference.
• April 28:  Rockville Science Festival
• June 2:  Howard County STEM Festival at Howard Community College

Please contact our Regional Director, Bill Duncan, at wduncanfirst@gmail.com if your team is interested.

 Asking for Help

The Chesapeake Regional Mentor Support committee has an email, frcteamsmd@googlegroups.com, through which teams can ask questions or ask for assistance.  The email is answered by several longtime mentors: the Chesapeake Lead Robot Inspector, the Chesapeake Head Referee, the Maryland Senior Mentor, and the Chesapeake Regional Director.  This is typically a faster way to get a response to game rule interpretation, robot building, design, and awards questions.

Hello Maryland FRC teams,

The competition season is in full swing!!  Good luck to all the Maryland teams competing this week.

Student Ambassadors and Anthem Singers

The Chesapeake regional is looking for student volunteers for student ambassadors and singers at the event.  Student ambassadors give special tours to VIPs and visitors, sharing the message of FIRST.   We will debut a new “FIRST Stop” program to handle invited and walk-in guests, and the Student Ambassadors are a crucial part of the program.  Training is provided, and volunteers can sign up for one or more time slots after the initial training session on Thursday.

Singers will be invited to be part of the Chesapeake Chorus, who will sing the National Anthem at opening ceremonies.   A few short practice sessions will be held, beginning Thursday, to get the group sorted and remind everyone of the words.

If you have any interested students, please send me names as soon as possible.

NI Parkway System – Requesting Support at Your Event

I just wanted to clarify that the NI Parkway system doesn’t require you to install an app to make use of the service.  It is a web-based program so you’ll need a device with access to the web to make use of it.  If you don’t have access to such a device, you can use the NI Parkway station at Pit Administration to make your request.

Who is Who at Regional Events

There are many volunteers and some staff that help make each regional competition happen.  It is helpful for teams to know who some of those key people are and what their roles are.

-          Head Referee:  The head referee wears a yellow and black polo shirt.  You can find them on the field, managing the game play from match to match.  They lead their crew of referees in stripes to call each match per the latest Game Manual.  Student team members with appropriate field access buttons can ask questions of the Head Referee by waiting in the marked question box typically found near the scoring table near the field.  They have the final authority on all calls made for each match.

-          Lead Robot Inspector (LRI):  Wears a neon yellow hat and a black LRI vest.  Typically found either at the inspection station, on the field, or in a team pit performing a robot inspection.  They are the final authority on the robot rules at the event.  Teams who have questions about a ruling or a possible future change to their robot should visit the inspection station where the LRI can be called.

-          FIRST Technical Advisor (FTA):  Typically wears either a FTA vest or polo shirt and is found on or near the field.  They are responsible for making sure the event is running on time, getting all the robots connected to the field, and making sure the GDC set rules are being adhered to by the lead volunteers.  They do not have the authority to over-rule an LRI or Head Referee call though they can be consulted in making rulings.

-          Field Supervisor:  Responsible for making sure the field is working properly and is kept as clean as possible.  Typically found on or near the field leading the field reset crew.

-          Judges:  Judges are the folks in the blue polos with an embroidered FIRST logo.  They will be visiting each team’s pit starting Friday morning, typically after opening ceremonies.

-          Regional Director:  They are FIRST staff  who are responsible for the planning and execution of the regional event.  If you have a question/concern about the event, visit the volunteer registration desk or Pit Administration both of whom can call the Regional Director.

-          Safety Advisors:  They wear green polo shirts and are responsible for keeping the pit and field area safe.  They also determine the winner of the safety award.

Watching Regionals

For those of you not competing this week, there are several opportunities for you to be part of the action right from your own computer.  Many of the regionals and district events are webcast and there’s a new tool that makes it even easier to access them:  The Blue Alliance Gameday.  Here you’ll find links to all the webcasts and an interface which allows you to watch up to 6 at the same time.  I highly recommend watching each week to see how the game evolves as teams learn to play.  It is great practice for your coach and drive team to get a feel for what they will see once they get to their event.

 Opportunities for Teams

The regional planning committee is looking for teams to participate in upcoming demonstrations.

• June 16: Event in DC in cooperation with the University of Maryland at the American Controls Conference.
• April 28:  Rockville Science Festival
• June 2:  Howard County STEM Festival at Howard Community College

Please contact our Regional Director, Bill Duncan, at wduncanfirst@gmail.com if your team is interested.

 Asking for Help

The Chesapeake Regional Mentor Support committee has an email, frcteamsmd@googlegroups.com, through which teams can ask questions or ask for assistance.  The email is answered by several longtime mentors: the Chesapeake Lead Robot Inspector, the Chesapeake Head Referee, the Maryland Senior Mentor, and the Chesapeake Regional Director.  This is typically a faster way to get a response to game rule interpretation, robot building, design, and awards questions.

You’re invited to join us at the 2013 Chesapeake Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at the Baltimore Convention Center on April 12-13.  Be part of the action as high school robotics teams compete in “Ultimate Ascent”, this year’s game of flying discs and climbing robots.  Better yet, get involved with FIRST and change the lives of students in Maryland and beyond. FIRST is one of the nation’s best activities to inspire student interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  The Chesapeake Regional is the best place to see FIRST in action — and it’s free and open to the public.  We invite you to be part of our new FIRST Stop program, the easy way to see all the action and learn more about FIRST.  Register here to reserve a spot. STEM education has never been more important, and FIRST needs your help now more than ever.  So come on down, bring some friends, get a taste of the action and get involved as a mentor, volunteer, sponsor or help start a team.

Hello Maryland FRC teams,

The competition season is in full swing!!

Congratulations!!

The Maryland FRC teams had great successes during the last few weeks of regionals:

• Team 449:  Sharon Goodall received the Woodie Flowers Finalist award at the Pittsburgh Regional.
• Team 1629:  Finalists and Excellence in Engineering Awards from the Pittsburgh regional
• Team 2199: Entrepreneurship Award from the Virginia Regional

Congratulations to you all!!

Software Updates

A required update has been released for those teams using C++. This update fixes an error in the implementation of Network Tables feeding information to the SmartDashboard.  It also fixes an issue with LiveWindow code causing crashes for teams using threads.  Full release notes can be found on the 2013 Software Notes page.

Inspectors are reporting that many teams are going to events without updated software.  Please be sure to complete all mandatory software updates including the Driver Sation update listed in the Software Notes page above.

Teams using cameras should also note the bandwidth limit incorporated in to this year’s communication protocol (described on pg 7 of the FMS Whitepaper and legislated per [R59]-B). Generally speaking, this limit restricts the amount of information that can pass through the field network on a team’s VLAN. This setting can be mimicked at home using the Bridge Configuration Utility.  If you notice sluggish or erratic control using these settings at home, you can expect the same behavior at an event. If you disable these limits at home, you’ll be able to transmit more data, however once you’re on a competition field, the limits will be back in place, and you may again experience sluggish or erratic controls.

Student Ambassadors and Anthem Singers

The Chesapeake regional is looking for student volunteers for student ambassadors and singers at the event.  Student ambassadors give special tours to VIPs and visitors, sharing the message of FIRST.   We will debut a new “FIRST Stop” program to handle invited and walk-in guests, and the Student Ambassadors are a crucial part of the program.  Training is provided, and volunteers can sign up for one or more time slots after the initial training session on Thursday.

Singers will be invited to be part of the Chesapeake Chorus, who will sing the National Anthem at opening ceremonies.   A few short practice sessions will be held, beginning Thursday, to get the group sorted and remind everyone of the words.

If you have any interested students, please let me know as soon as possible.

NI Parkway System – Requesting Support at Your Event

FIRST, with the help of National Instruments, has developed a new tool available to teams at all 2013 events.  The tool is in the form of a downloadable App which teams can use to make requests for technical support or parts during their event.  For those without access to a smart phone, laptop, or tablet, there will be a kiosk available at either Pit Admin or the Inspection Station of each event.

You can access the tool here on any device with internet access such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.  Please remember that not all venues have publicly available internet service.  Once you access the tool, you have the option of either making a request or helping out.  The FIRST Tech Advisor (FTA), FIRST Tech Advisor Assistants (FTAA), and Control System Advisor (CSA) will all be using the system to determine what teams require their assistance.

The system is also to be used to make part requests instead of having pit administration announcement.  This is in the hope of reducing the number of announcements and making the queuing calls easier to hear.  It is recommended to take some time to make yourself familiar with the system prior to your event.  There are tutorials on the site listed above.

Preparing for Matches

Getting ready for matches can be very stressful for a team especially if there are technical issues to resolve.  Here are some best practices to help alleviate some of that stress and make the transition from the pit to the field easier for the entire team.

• Develop a pre- and post-match checklists:  These should include all the tasks that the pit crew needs to accomplish as the robot comes off the field and when you are preparing for your next match (i.e. replace battery, check tension on belts, get feedback from drivers).  I recommend printing each of these and laminating them so they can be checked off by the pit crew using whitboard markers before and after each match and then re-used for the next match.
• Match list preparation:  As soon as you receive your match list, someone should highlight each of the team’s matches and another person should check to make sure none were missed.  Transfer your list of matches to a white board that everyone can see.  The last thing you want to do is miss a match.  Having the list available to the entire team allows the team to schedule major maintenance events, if necessary, during the larger breaks between matches.
• Limit the number of people in the pit area:  A pit crew can be much more efficient if they have space to work.  I’ve always found that as a maximum, there should be one representative to take care of each major robot subsystem, a safety captain/runner, a judge representative, and a pit boss (often an adult).  The drive team will most often call the pit home as well but will be in and out to go to matches and strategy sessions often.
• Communication between the pit and drive crews:  The pit crew often has very little time to turn the robot around and needs to know what the drivers experienced and what the drivers want changed or adjusted.  One method that works well is to have the coach inform the pit boss of the robot’s field performance directly after each match.  The pit boss can disseminate the information to the pit crew.  The coach and drivers can then have a debrief with one off field observer to discuss what went right and what changes should be made to strategy.  Limiting the number of people who speak to the drivers after the match is usually in their best interest.
• Define rolls to get the robot on and off the field:  Only 4 people are allowed in the field area and there are many little tasks to accomplish before and after each match.  It helps to define who is responsible for each task.  For example, the drivers can be responsible for placing the robot on the field and turning it on, the coach is responsible for the cart, and the human player is responsible for connecting the control board.  Each person then has the same responsibility in reverse when the robot comes off the field.

Watching Regionals

For those of you not competing this week, there are several opportunities for you to be part of the action right from your own computer.  Many of the regionals and district events are webcast and there’s a new tool that makes it even easier to access them:  The Blue Alliance Gameday.  Here you’ll find links to all the webcasts and an interface which allows you to watch up to 6 at the same time.  I highly recommend watching each week to see how the game evolves as teams learn to play.  It is great practice for your coach and drive team to get a feel for what they will see once they get to their event.

 Opportunities for Teams

The regional planning committee is looking for teams to participate in upcoming demonstrations.

• June 16: Event in DC in cooperation with the University of Maryland at the American Controls Conference.
• April 28:  Rockville Science Festival
• June 2:  Howard County STEM Festival at Howard Community College

Please contact our Regional Director, Bill Duncan, at wduncanfirst@gmail.com if your team is interested.

 Asking for Help

The Chesapeake Regional Mentor Support committee has an email, frcteamsmd@googlegroups.com, through which teams can ask questions or ask for assistance.  The email is answered by several longtime mentors: the Chesapeake Lead Robot Inspector, the Chesapeake Head Referee, the Maryland Senior Mentor, and the Chesapeake Regional Director.  This is typically a faster way to get a response to game rule interpretation, robot building, design, and awards questions.

Hello Maryland FRC teams,

The competition season continues.  I am out of town this week so this will be a very short newsletter.  Just a reminder that teams should be using the most up to date software versions required by FIRST before going to your competition.

Watching Regionals

For those of you not competing this week, there are several opportunities for you to be part of the action right from your own computer.  Many of the regionals and district events are webcast and there’s a new tool that makes it even easier to access them:  The Blue Alliance Gameday.  Here you’ll find links to all the webcasts and an interface which allows you to watch up to 6 at the same time.  I highly recommend watching each week to see how the game evolves as teams learn to play.  It is great practice for your coach and drive team to get a feel for what they will see once they get to their event.

 Asking for Help

The Chesapeake Regional Mentor Support committee has an email, frcteamsmd@googlegroups.com, through which teams can ask questions or ask for assistance.  The email is answered by several longtime mentors: the Chesapeake Lead Robot Inspector, the Chesapeake Head Referee, the Maryland Senior Mentor, and the Chesapeake Regional Director.  This is typically a faster way to get a response to game rule interpretation, robot building, design, and awards questions.