1. FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)

2. Presented By… Colton Mehlhoff Scott McDowell
FTC 4140 – Fish in the Boat
Modeling & Robot Design
University of Minnesota
Scott McDowell
FTC 4140 – Fish in the Boat
Coach / Mentor
High Tech Kids

3. Why are we here? Learn more about FTC
Compare and contrast FTC with FRC
Destroy the Misconceptions
More STEM
More Robots!!

4. What is FTC?
FIRST Robotics program positioned between and overlapping both FRC and FLL
7th – 12th Grade
Up to 10 students on the team
Two-on-Two, Driver Controlled Format
12’ x 12’ Competition Area
Medium Sized Robots (18”x18”x18”)
5-8 Qualification Rounds
Top 4 Qualification Seeds are Alliance Captains
Best 2 out of 3 Elimination Ladder

5. Hook Surprise! FTC is not all about the Robot.
As with all FIRST robotics programs, the robot is the hook to draw people into the program
Real-World and Engineering skills are the core of what participants gain

6. FTC Misconceptions FTC is a JV program Competition with Erector sets
FRC is the Varsity Sport for the Mind
So, FTC must be something else?!
Competition with Erector sets
All Kit-of-Parts Robots
Less Engineering
Bigger Robots must be harder

7. How is FTC Like FRC? Design & Build Robot Program Robot
Alliance Format
Drive Teams - 2 Drivers & 1 Coach
Partners vs. Opponents
Qualification Rounds
Elimination Rounds
Competitive Game Strategies
Scouting
Outreach
Modeling Robot
Web sites
Business Plans / Strategic Plans
Videos
Marketing & Team Branding
Corporate Sponsorships
Work with Engineering Community
High Energy Tournaments

8. How is FTC Different than FRC?
Robots are smaller – 18”x18”x18”
Limited by size and electronics vs. cost, weight and size
Robots are slower than FRC – No Bumpers
FTC Robots tend to be more Complex & less Sophisticated
Components are more restricted
Build and Tournament Season combined
Iterative Design – don’t have to guess right the first time
No Human Player
No Video Navigation Systems
Engineering Notebook

9. Advantages of FRC over FTC
Cool Factor – Robots are bigger & go faster
FRC more recognized program
Longer History – Team & Program Legacy
More sophisticated robot systems available – Pneumatics, Electronics & COTS
Large competition arena & easier for audience to see robot game
More Programming options
More Awards
Deans List
Woodie Flowers Award vs. Compass Award
Better representation at the World Championships
FRC 400/2600 = 15%
FTC 128/3000 = 4%
FLL 70/24,000 = 0.3%

10. Advantages of FTC over FRC
Longer combined build and tournaments season
Iterative Design
No Bag & Tag
Smaller teams – students can work on all parts of program
Favors development of Generalists over Specialists
Scales with number of students
Robot is more transportable to demos & tournaments
Learning curve is lower on the front end
Cost - $2000 team startup costs
Less space required
More student driven with guidance from mentors
More use of sensors and autonomous programming

11. Why Start FTC teams? Scales with student population
Team size limit up to 10
Cost $2000 for a startup team
Different engineering skills than FRC
Generalists more than specialists
Progression of Programs
Transition from FLL to FTC to FRC
Allows for a new system of challenges every 3-5 years
Iterative design
Boys vs. Girls vs. Coed teams
$500 Rookie Grants!

12. Tetrix Building Systems
Developed by LEGO and Pitsco Education
35% discount to FTC Teams
32mm repeating pattern aluminum system
Reusable for multiple seasons
Single 12VDC Battery based
Up to 8 DC Motors
Up to 12 Servos (4 varieties)
Servo & Motor Controllers

13. Matrix Building Systems
Geared to international teams
Tetrix system outside the US is very expensive
HiTechnic is the US distributor
Closer to VEX building system
Reusable for multiple seasons
Single 9VDC Battery based

14. LEGO Building Systems LEGO Mindstorms NXT LEGO Manufactured Sensors
EV3 not legal for season
LEGO Manufactured Sensors
LEGO Motors
Any LEGO Part
Duplo Parts are not legal

15. Communications System
Samantha WiFi Communications Module
Replaced Bluetooth four years ago
Provides all communication between the Field Control System (FCS) and the Robot
Limited Security & Susceptible to Disruption

16. LEGO & HiTechnic Sensors
Touch
Light
Color
Infra-Red
Ultra-Sonic
Electro-Optical Position Detector (EOPD)
Magnetic
Force
Angle
Compass
Gyro
Tilt/Accelerometer
Motor/Axle Encoders
Touch Sensor MUX
Sensor MUX

17. Custom Developed Sensors
HiTechnic NXT Super-Pro Prototype Board
Must only connect to the named ports on the board
Must be powered by the voltage available through the board
Additional circuit boards may be connected to the Prototype board
On board processor may not be re-programmed

18. Legal Raw Materials
Raw materials may be used in any dimension and quantity. Teams may use these raw materials to make any type of finished part.
A Raw material can be any type of commonly available material including steel, aluminum, plastic (of any kind), fiberglass, carbon fiber, stone, wood (including paper, plywood, etc.). Also included are castable materials such as polymer resins, rubber, cement, etc.
To be legal a Raw Material must be readily available to the majority of teams from standard distributors (e.g. McMaster-Carr, Home Depot, Grainger, etc.). Materials that are found in only one region or can only be obtained from a team’s sponsor are not allowed.
Materials in the form of angle, channel, tubing, sheet, film, blocks, etc. are allowed but these same shapes with post machined features (holes, slots, etc.) are considered to be Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS)

19. Legal COTS Linear Slides Non-motorized Turntables and Lazy Susans.
Lead Screws and threaded rod plus compatible nuts.
Servo blocks (e.g. ServoCity Part # SB608SH and SB609SH), shaft adaptors, servo arms, ball links, shaft clamps
#25 or #35 chain with associated links.
Timing belts of any size and pitch.
Gears of any size and pitch, including non-circular gears such as rack, worm, bevel, etc.
Sprockets of any size and pitch.
Pulleys including sheaves, timing belt, etc.
Springs of any type and material (coil, extension, compression, leaf, etc.) that are used in a safe manner.
Fasteners of any size, including nuts, bolts, screws, shoulder screws, washers, spacers, shaft collars, shaft couplers, rivets, Velcro, etc.
Bearings of any type and material. Including bushings, roller bearings, etc.
PVC, CPVC, PEX piping and fittings.
Extruded
T-slot aluminum construction material along with all compatible brackets and fittings (i.e , Macron Dynamics, etc.).
Wheels of any type up to 4” diameter. Wheels that have exposed features likely to cause damage to field and/or game elements are not allowed.

20. Beyond the Building Systems
a. Rope, cord, cable, monofilament, etc. These can be made from natural (cotton, wool, etc.), polymers (nylon, polyester, etc.), or metal materials. b. Rubber bands. c. Surgical or Latex Tubing. d. Non-metallic cable ties (also known as Zip Ties). e. Non-Slip Pad (e.g. McMaster-Carr Part #69275T54 or Home Depot SKU #134555). Packaging material must list the product as Non-Slip Pad. f. Adhesive backed tape of any type. g. Glue, cement, adhesives. <R07> Welding, brazing, and soldering are legal methods for assembling a robot.

21. Programming Options
3 LabView licenses provide free with paid FTC team registration
Icon based programming language
6 RobotC licenses can be purchased for $100
Text based programming language

22. Judged Awards Inspire Award Think Award Connect Award
Top Award in FTC. Similar to FRC Chairman's Award. Winning team is competitive in all judged categories and performance.
Think Award
Judging how well teams documented their engineering journey. Engineering design process and Engineering Notebook central.
Connect Award
Judging how well teams connect with the engineering community. Business Plan, Strategic Plan & Outreach are central.
Rockwell Collins Innovate Award
Judging creativity in robot design and game strategy. Performance is a factor.
PTC Design Award
Judging teams use of CAD in their robot design. Unique robot design also key.
Motivate Award
Teams Spirit, Team Branding, Community Outreach

23. Judged Awards (continued)
Control Award (Optional)
Use of Sensors and Software to improve robots reliability and performance.
Promote Award (Optional)
1 minute Public Service Announcement (PSA) video on FIRST. New theme each year.
Compass Award (Optional)
1 minute video recognizing an adult coach or mentor.
Future Innovator Award
Sponsored by the Abbott Fund. Judged at the national level. Work on solving one of several real-world issues.

24. Performance Awards Winning Alliance Finalist Alliance
Captain
1st Pick
2nd Pick
Finalist Alliance
Qualification Round Seeding
Top 4 Seeds are Alliance Captains

25. Tournament Hierarchy Scrimmages Regional Qualifiers (4-6x 16-24 Teams)
Put on and run by teams
Regional Qualifiers (4-6x Teams)
1-2 Regional Qualifiers per team
5-8 teams advance per Regional Qualifier
Championship Tournament (24-36 Teams)
MN Snow Drift
5-6 teams advance
Super-Regional (4x 72 Teams)
North Super-Regional (Iowa City, IA)
13 States in the North Super-Regional
20-25 teams advance per Super-Regional
FTC World Championships (128 Teams)
St. Louis, MO

26. Advancement Criteria Qualifier Host Team Inspire Award Winner
Winning Alliance Captain
Inspire Award 2nd place
Winning Alliance, 1st team selected
Inspire Award 3rd place
Winning Alliance, 2nd team selected
Think Award Winner
Finalist Alliance Captain
Connect Award Winner
Finalist Alliance, 1st team selected
Rockwell Collins Innovate Award Winner
Finalist Alliance, 2nd team selected
PTC Design Award Winner
Highest Ranked Team not previously advanced
Motivate Award Winner

27. Minnesota FTC Affiliate Partner
High Tech Kids
501(c)(3) Non-Profit
Run FIRST LEGO League (FLL) in MN
FLL Affiliate Partner since Pilot Year 1998
509 FLL teams in 2012
Renewable Energy Challenge (REC)
Cheryl Moeller, Executive Director
Vicki Coaty, Programs Manager
Vacancy, Programs Assistant
Vacancy, Americorps FIRST Vista

28. FTC Growth in Minnesota
Teams 5 Rookies
Teams 6 Rookies
Teams 11 Rookies
Teams 9 Rookies
Teams 18 Rookies
Teams Rookies

29. Starting a Team Build a Team Register Team $500 FTC Rookie Grants
Find interested Students
Register Team
Use TIMS to Register with FIRST
$500 FTC Rookie Grants
Attend Kickoff on September 7th!

30. Team Startup Costs FIRST Registration $275 Robot Kit of Parts $665
Tetrix Resource Kit $199
Samantha WiFi Module $85
Regional Qualifier $150
State Championship $250
North Super-Regional $500
World Championship $1000
Spare Parts $1000
RobotC $100
Transportation $
Hotels $
Food $
Team Uniforms $
Give Away / Promotional / Marking Items $

31. FTC Season Timeline Registration Open May 10th - Full
Kickoff Saturday September 7th
Workshops September-December
Regional Qualifiers November-January
State Championship February 23rd
North Super-Regional April 3rd-5th
World Championship April 23rd-26th

32. Minnesota FTC Kickoff Lakeville North High School September 7th
Workshops
Ring It Up! Scrimmage
Round Table Discussions
Panel Sessions
Information Booths
Game Reveal
Strategy Session

33. Volunteers!!!
With the explosive growth of the program in MN we are moving to a Regional Qualifier Model
We need 3 to 4 times the number of Volunteers as last season
Judges
Referees
FTAs
Emcees
Score Keepers
Queuers

34. Future FTC Trends
FRC started out with 18” Robots, a standard Kit-of-Parts and a 2-on-2 format - Sound familiar?
As parts were added and restrictions lifted, costs skyrocketed
Cost and sustainability are serious issues for FRC
Competition strongly favors teams with long histories
FTC is essentially a reboot of FRC
FTC is following the same path, but with more caution towards cost and balance to competition

35. Where to Find More Info Official FIRST FTC web page
MN FTC Affiliate Partner web page
FTC Blog
Chief Delphi FTC forums
MN GoFIRST
PTC
Tetrix Building System
Matrix Building System
RobotC
Labview
HiTechnic
Fish in the Boat Team Page

36. Video credit to Lancer Robotics FTC 3415