|
FIRST Tech Challenge
|
The site for information on the FIRST Tech Challenge
|
-
You want data? - we've got that
Hey FTC teams,
FIRST commissioned a study this summer with Brandeis University to measure the impact FIRST participation has on a variety of important things.
Why is this interesting? You already know the good stuff about FIRST – but you may want to:
• Find more money/sponsors
• Attract more teammates
• Start more teams
• Use FIRST to get you in that college (and scholarships)
How does this help you do that? Look at these stats – anyone you’re talking to about the bullets above will quickly “get it” with regard to what you’ve been doing with FIRST!
• 92% of FRC and 94% of FTC students report their program helped them understand and explain the engineering process of designing complex systems (robots).
• Over 93% of FRC and FTC students report learning how to solve problems programming and designing robots.
• Over 90% of students in FTC and FRC gained real world planning and problem-solving skills in areas of iterative design, unstructured problem solving, and working in teams.
These are just a few highlights of the data gleaned from this survey. To see the full executive summary of the survey click here. Use this for the purposes above or other things to show the rest of the world what you’ve learned – and how valuable that makes you in the future.
Ken
-
Calling all FTC innovators!
FTC and FRC continue to get lots of attention from companies that want YOU! Why do they want you? Because if you're involved with FIRST you're learning and putting into practice the skills these sponsors NEED. In recognition of the cool stuff FIRST teams are doing the following is being announced for both FTC and FRC teams - got a great idea? Do something with it!
From Timm Huffman - FTC
Do you have an invention or “intellectual property creation” that has come out of the FTC engineering and design process?
You’ll get your chance to take your innovation to the next level on Friday (Jan. 28) when FIRST opens up the application process for the brand new Future Innovator Award, presented by the Abbott Fund.
This judged award is your opportunity to receive recognition for your accomplishment as well as the real-world opportunity to meet with a venture capitalist firm to discuss the invention and possible business application!
Since this is an award open to all North American FTC and FRC teams, the competition will be fierce. So, put your game faces on (and your gracious professionalism) and get inventing!
There is a formal application process, make sure you follow the instructions closely and fill out all the forms correctly. There is also an option for attaching a video.
The application process closes March 16, 2012 and the winner will be announced at World. For full details on how to apply for this award, judging criteria, etc., go to http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/future-innovator-award.
-
New High Score
You may have thought the high score listing to the right was broken.... it has not changed for several weeks - until this last weekend. A new HIGH score was set.
The alliance of 2818 G-FORCE and 4240 4-H Techno Clovers (Both from Garrett County MD) racked up a score of 437 points in a single match! Whaaaaat?
Way to go, you've set the bar (box) high.
BTW this was at the Maryland Qualifying Tournament held at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD this weekend.
-
Innovation Award (in case you missed it)
Congratulations to FRC for a great kickoff to another wonderful season. The game looks exciting and there's a definite "buzz" all around the FIRST community.
One of the announcements leading up to the kickoff regarded a new Innovation Award. Not to be confused with the existing in-season Rockwell Collins Innovation Award, this new award is not directly connected to the FIRST season(s) but is intended to recognize teams innovation outside the competition. The Abbot Fund is the sponsor of this award.
More importantly it is open to any FIRST high school team - yes that means you FTC!
Check it out here: http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/first-celebrates-student-inventors
-
How did this work?
Hey FTC - wondering how many of you were able to use (or encourage others to use) some of the new tools we made available to teams this year. Specifically the TETRIX getting started guide and FTC Extensions. They're located here http://www.tetrixrobotics.com/ftc/.
We're asking folks to give us their opinion here (comments) and with another quick survey (top right of this blog) as to how useful you found it.
|
