Hints For FCS Success

(Note: on a 64 bit computer, the programs may be under "C:\Program Files (x86)" instead of C:\ProgramFiles" as stated below.)

1.      Make sure you have installed Program Chooser, and run it on your NXT brick to choose your TeleOp Program.

·         Labview:

·    "c:\Program Files\National  Instruments\LabVIEW 2010\examples\FTC Toolkit\Program Chooser 2.0\Program Chooser.vi"

·   If you don't have a FTC Toolkit directory, you can get the FTC Toolkit from: http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/ftcsoftware?opendocument&lang=en&node=seminar_US

·   Program Chooser installs to the NXT under "Software Files"

·         RobotC:

·   "C:\Program Files\Robotics Academy\ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS\Sample Programs\NXT\Try Me Program Source\Program Chooser.c"

·   Program Chooser installs to the NXT under "Try Me Files"

2.      Make sure you are using this year's official FIRST Templates:

·         RobotC: "C:\Program Files\Robotics Academy\ROBOTC for Mindstorms\Sample Programs\NXT\Templates"

·         LabVIEW: "c:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 2010\examples\FTC Toolkit\Templates"

3.     Read and follow the Samantha Mounting Best Practices:

·         In the picture below, find the little squiggly line near the top of the circuit board in the middle picture: this is the antenna.  This end needs to be pointed up and not buried in a bunch of metal.  The Mounting Best Practices explain the proper mounting position.

http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Community/FTC/Team_Resources/Samantha_Mounting_Best_Practices.pdf

4.     Install the Wireless Diagnostic Utility: Samostat:

·         Labview: C:\Program Files\Samantha Field Control System\Labview\samostat.vi

·         RobotC: C:\Program Files\Samantha Field Control System\RobotC\samostat.c

5.    Install and practice with the Samantha Field Control System
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/samanthadocs.aspx?id=17465 (scroll down)

·         Test under a variety of robot conditions, simulating a competition.

·         Test under heavy motor loads (changing directions, going up inclines, pushing things around, with low batteries).  You may need to have your motors coded to less than 100% power to help avoid drawing down the 12v battery voltage too much, causing Samantha to restart.

·         If you don’t have your own wireless router, (or even if you do!) get some real world experience by attending a Scrimmage.

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #13

Good morning, Coaches!

You are receiving this e-mail because you are a coach or an assistant coach for an FTC-Iowa team.
(Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)

1. November Status Reports
2. FTC-Iowa Championship
3. Getting Your Team Prepared for an Event
4. Optional Robot Survey
5. Experiences from the St. Louis Qualifier Tournament

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1. November Status Reports
Just a "friendly" reminder, the November Status Reports will be open until tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 8th) for teams to complete. If you haven't already done so, please take a few minutes to complete it.
The information provided really helps us determine which teams need help and how to assist them.
The form can be found at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEdXTXVLY19tV2ZkbzFWcGZxeUlUc1E6MA#gid=0

Thank you to those teams who have already submitted their report!

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2. FTC-Iowa Championship
The FTC-Iowa Championship is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25/Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City. Tournament planning is coming together very nicely and its going to be a great event.
A link to register and information about the event can be found at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/ftc-iowa-championship

A few quick notes about the event:

• If you have not already registered, please do so prior to December 15, 2010 to guarantee a spot. (See link above) After Dec. 15, we will allow teams from outside of Iowa to register for the competition, and we will not be able to guarantee your team's registration.)
• The capacity for the tournament is 48 teams.
• There is a $275 registration fee to attend this tournament, which is different than the $275 FIRST Registration fee your team paid at the beginning of the season.
• If you received Rockwell Collins funding (94% of teams), you agreed to participate in an Championship event.

Thank you to those team who have already registered!

Additionally, we are seeking volunteers! If you have a fantastic parent/teacher/student (over the age of 13) who would like to be involved, please encourage them to volunteer at the tournament. Information can be found at:
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowa/volunteers

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3. Getting Your Team Prepared for an Event
Getting your team (mentally) prepared for an event can seem daunting, especially for the new/rookie teams. A few things to keep in mind:

• Your robot will NEVER be 100% ready.
• Attend an event (scrimmage/championship event) regardless of how ready your team feels they are.
• Robots do not work 100% of the time.
• Scrimmages do not require completed robots. Scrimmages are opportunities for teams to learn from other teams.

Also, FIRST has created a website to help teams as they prepare for events. Check it out at: http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=18432
Good stuff!

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4. Optional Robot SurveySeveral students from Cedar Rapids Jefferson, a FTC and a Project Lead The Way school, are asking for your help in gathering some feedback.  The feedback provided will help them as they work on a PLTW project. All responses will be anonymous.
Please help these students by completing the following form: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dHVFUFF1b2NZd3JwU2NEM0ZsSzhsWkE6MQ#gid=0
It will be open for one week, until Dec. 14, 2010.

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5. Experiences from the St. Louis Qualifier TournamentAs mentioned in last week's e-mail, a group of wonderful volunteers attended and volunteered at the St. Louis Qualifying Tournament this past weekend. Overall, it was a great event and the teams did great!

However, there were some items we'd like to pass along. As a coach, please remember:

• The referees have final calls. Do not argue with them, as your behavior could lead to your team's disqualification from the tournament.
  A team was almost disqualified for their coach's behavior. (Ironically, this particular team ended up competing in the final matches of the game.) The other coaches, parents, and volunteers were noticing this not-so-nicely behavior and expressed their concern.  In summary, he was not a positive representative of his school/organization and team.
  

• Question box
  Near each field will be a taped-off area for teams to ask a question to the referees about a particular call from the previous match. Please keep in mind, this area is for one student to ask the referees a question - coaches are not allowed in the question box area.
  
• Team judging time
  The judging time is a the best opportunity for teams to "toot-their-horn" about their robot and the overall season. If your season hasn't gone the best, but in the end you pull through, please let the judges know. Keep in mind, awards are not determined solely on the robot performance - the awards are determined based on the journey of the team during the season.
  
• Samantha Mounting GuidelinesDuring many matches, several teams were losing their connections to the Field Control System due to poor placement of the Samantha Wi-Fi module. Keep in mind, if your robot loses connection, there is no a guarantee the match will be replayed. As you prepare for an event, please review the guide FIRST distributed about proper mounting of the Samantha Wi-Fi module. It can be found at:
  http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Community/FTC/Team_Resources/Samantha_Mounting_Best_Practices.pdf
  Please review the FTC Team Blast (from ftcteams@usfirst.org) dated Nov. 18 for more information about Best Practices with Samantha. An archive of team blasts can be found at: http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=18132

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Thank you, coaches, and please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #12

Hello, Coaches!

You are receiving this e-mail because you are a coach or an assistant coach for an FTC-Iowa team.
(Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)

1. November Status Reports - Now Open!
2. FTC-Iowa Championship Registration
3. Scrimmage Registration
4. Check out Ken's Blog
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1. November Status Reports - Now Open! The link to complete a November report is now open. You can find it at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEdXTXVLY19tV2ZkbzFWcGZxeUlUc1E6MA

We would like 100% of the teams to complete this report. Remember, if you are a coach of multiple teams, please fill out one for each of your teams.

This report will close on Wednesday, Dec. 8th.

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2. FTC-Iowa Championship Registration
If you have not already done so, please register for the FTC-Iowa Championship at:
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/ftc-iowa-championship 

The deadline for Iowa teams to register is Wednesday, December 15, 2010. At that time, we will open the remaining spots to out-of-Iowa teams.

Please remember, if you received a Rockwell Collins grant (94% of the teams), you agreed to participate in a tournament with your team. There is a $275 registration fee to compete in FTC-Iowa tournament. (This is different than the $275 FIRST registration fee at the beginning of the season.). Teams may attend up to three tournaments during the season. Please keep in mind, other tournaments may have a lower registration fee, but the travel accommodations may be more expensive. 

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3. Scrimmage Registration
Attending a scrimmage is one of the best opportunities for teams to learn. These events are free and we encourage all teams to attend at least one scrimmage.

Due to various facility capacity requirements, we must have an accurate count of the teams to attend. Please register for the scrimmages at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events

Our first scrimmage is on Saturday, Dec. 18 at Kirkwood Community College!

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4. Check out Ken's Blog
We encourage you to check out Ken's blog at: http://firsttechchallenge.blogspot.com/
Good stuff!

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This weekend a group of us will travel to St. Louis to check out the St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley Qualifier. We'll be taking many, many, notes. Just as a heads up, next season, FTC-Iowa will be implementing qualifying tournaments.

Thank you teams and please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team

FTC-Iowa Team Blast - Week #11

Hello, Coaches!
First and foremost, we are wishing all of our coaches, mentors and team members a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We, at FTC-Iowa, have a lot to be thankful for!

You are receiving this e-mail because you are a coach or an assistant coach for an FTC-Iowa team.
There was not a team blast for Week #10. (Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)


1. FTC-Iowa Championship Registration
2. Scrimmage Registration
3. FTC Forums

4. Handy Tools for Teams
5. Software Resources

6. FTC Team Blasts from FIRST

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1. FTC-Iowa Championship Registration
If you have not already done so, please register for the FTC-Iowa Championship at:
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/ftc-iowa-championship 

The deadline for Iowa teams to register is Wednesday, December 15, 2010. At that time, we will open the remaining spots to out-of-Iowa teams.
Please remember, if you received a Rockwell Collins grant (94% of the teams), you agreed to participate in a tournament with your team. There is a $275 registration fee to compete in FTC-Iowa tournament. (This is different than the $275 FIRST registration fee at the beginning of the season.). Teams may attend up to three tournaments during the season. Please keep in mind, other tournaments may have a lower registration fee, but the travel accommodations may be more expensive.
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2. Scrimmage Registration
Attending a scrimmage is one of the best opportunities for teams to learn. These events are free and we encourage all teams to attend at least one scrimmage.
Due to various facility capacity requirements, we must have an accurate count of the teams to attend. Please register for the scrimmages at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events

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3. FTC Game Q&A Forum

FIRST provides a Question and Answer Online Forum to assist all FTC Teams with Best Practices, the latest information available and in some cases clarifications regarding the Game Manual that are enforceable at  FTC Competitions.

 

In order to post your question to the FTC Game Q&A Forum, you must be a Registered FTC Team. Some posting address common questions regarding  Get OVER IT! The Game, Samantha, the Field Control System, Programming Solutions, Fundraising and there is also an Open Forum segment. Each FTC Team is highly encouraged to use the FTC Game Q&A Forum to ask questions, share your good ideas and communicate frequently throughout the season. For more visit: http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/

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4. Handy Tools for Teams

The FTC-Iowa FTA has some great inexpensive tool recommendations for teams to consider. These are not required for teams, but they may be handy.

• 7/64 Hex Insert Bit - the sort you'd use with a small cordless screwdriver (like the 4v Ryobi at Home Depot) (be careful not to strip screws, use the clutch!) This is a stainless steel bit that fits the hex screws very tightly, and is good for tiresome things like putting the long screws through the wheels, tightening down easily accessible screws.  The disadvantage is that this tool cannot reach into tight spaces. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001550CHA/ref=oss_produc
• 7/64 Hex Precision Screwdriver http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ID97YI/ref=oss_product
• 7/64 T Handle with a 7" long blade, good for getting into tight spaces and really tightening things down. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000936RDC/ref=oss_product
  

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5. Software Resources

Based on the feedback we received from teams, it looks as if many teams are seeking resources for both software platforms.

• LabView: (https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/software/labview) On this page, check out the ftcmastery.com link.
• RobotC (https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/software/robotc), and the attachment, the RobotC Training Guide. In addition to the resources on this page, check out the Robotics Academy, sponsored by Carnegie Mellon at http://www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/fire/competitions/ftc/. 

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6. FTC Team Blasts from FIRST

Are you getting the team blasts from FIRST? Please pay close attention to these, as they contain important information. One particular e-mail, to pay close attention to, is the one from November 18. An archive of the team blasts, from FIRST, can be found at: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=18132  

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Thank you all, and have a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday.

Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #9

Good afternoon, teams:

Please keep in mind, this is team blast for Week #9. There was not a team blast for Week #8. (Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)

1. Monthly Reports - Thank you!
2. FTC-Iowa Championship Registration
3. Samantha - Things to think about with the Samantha Wi-Fi Module
4. Contact List of Coaches
5. RobotC Resource from Carnegie Mellon

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1. Monthly Reports - Thank you!
To the teams who submitted a status report for October -- thank you! We'll be analyzing them early next week and contact the teams who need help. If you haven't submitted it for October, please take a few minutes and complete it at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dE5LdnhTcWdfeFRJc2JacmY1alRPVWc6MA#gid=0
It will be closed later tonight. (Friday, Nov. 12)
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2. FTC-Iowa Championship Registration
Space is limited for the FTC-Iowa Championship. It is official, we have more teams in Iowa than space at our tournament. If you haven't already done so, please register for the championship at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/ftc-iowa-championship  Click on the link at the top.  At the beginning of January, any remaining spots will be open to teams from out of Iowa.

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3. Samantha - Things to think about with the Samantha Wi-Fi Module
Over the past few weeks, we've been able to see Samantha in action. Lets just say, it works like a charm, especially compared to the previous years' wireless communication methods. (For the rookie teams, the Samantha is the little black box which allows your robot to communicate with the computer during a competition.) For teams, a few things to keep in mind: when you are designing your robot, please put the mounting bracket in a "safe" place - a place where it will not be bumped or damaged (directly or indirectly) from contact by other robots. Also, there has been several instances of USB connection cables becoming damaged during a match. Please make sure the connection cable between the NXT and Samantha is secure and not stressed. If the connection cable becomes stressed during a match, then Samantha will lose connection to the Field Control System and your robot will not work. FIRST is in the process of developing a guide to the proper mounting of Samantha.

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4. Contact List of FTC-Iowa Coaches
As mentioned in our previous Team Blast, communication between teams helps everyone succeed -- it is part of mantra of Gracious Professionalism. Attached is a listing of the current teams, the coaches and their e-mail addresses. Please seek out communication with each other. If there is something you'd like to have posted on the FTC-Iowa Coaches Website (https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/home) please send it to this address and we'll post it.

• For the rookie teams, do not hesitate to contact a coach of a returning team. They've been through this process and may be able to help you.
• For the returning teams, take action to be an on-line mentor for a rookie team.  

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5. RobotC Resource from Carnegie Mellon
The below message is from Ken Johnson's blog (http://firsttechchallenge.blogspot.com/): 
"Carnegie Mellon continues to provide FTC teams with resources to make the build season better. If you have not checked them out you should.
Carnegie Mellon University has posted the whole ROBOTC for TETRIX and MINDSTORMS curriculum for FTC teams only! http://www.cmuroboticsacademy.com/solt/lessons/trctetrix/content/index.php
And… their most recent webinar is on Continuous Rotation Servos http://www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/fire/competitions/ftc/#webinars
Good Stuff!"


Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need help.
Thank you all, and keep up the good work!
Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #7

Coaches:
Hope everything is going well with you and your team! You are receiving the e-mail because you are a coach or an assistant coach for an FTC team in Iowa.

Please keep in mind, this is team blast for Week #7. There was not a team blast for Week #6. 
(Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)


1. October Monthly Status Report
2. Coaches Contact List
3. "FTC Robotics: Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Secrets"
4. FTC-Iowa Events
  **LabView Workshop on Nov. 13**
5. FTC-Iowa Championship Details & Registration


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1. October Monthly Status Reports
As a reminder, teams are "highly encouraged" to completed a monthly status report. The one for October can be found at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dE5LdnhTcWdfeFRJc2JacmY1alRPVWc6MA#gid=0
This report will be active for one week, until Wednesday, Nov. 3. These reports are a way for us to know how your team is doing during the season. We find it beneficial to get feedback from the teams, so we can use our resources efficiently. If you are a coach for multiple teams please complete a report for each team.

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2. Coaches Contact List
Several coaches have requested the e-mail addresses of other coaches, and this is GREAT! If it is ok with all of you, we'd like to distribute a "coaches contact" document with the names and e-mail addresses of each coach, as well as the team # and team location. If you don't want your name or e-mail address shared, then please let us know. The contact list will be sent out by the end of next week, target date of Nov. 5th. Remember: Communication between teams helps everyone succeed.

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3. "FTC Robotics: Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Secrets"
The Pope John Robotics Team in Sparta, NJ has written a book titled "FTC Robotics: Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Secrets." This book contains hundreds of short "tips" from several different area champion teams that will help improve any team's performance. It covers every aspect of FTC, including building, programming, design, game strategy, scouting, tournaments, and fund raising. Early reactions to the book have been extremely positive. The book is available on Amazon.com and a full description is here: http://www.amazon.com/FTC-Robotics-Tricks-Strategies-Secrets/dp/1451576927/

As an outreach project, Pope John is offering one free copy of the book to every rookie FTC team in the USA. To claim their free book, they simply send email to pj.ftc.tips@gmail.com and include your team number, adult mentor name, and shipping address. Must reserve your copy by November 15.

Veteran teams will also find the book extremely useful for bringing new team members up to speed as well as learning the techniques that several champion teams use. It is only $8.60 on Amazon and qualifies for "Prime" and other free shipping type offers there. All profits are used to fund the "Free rookie book" program and other community service activities and is not used for general team funding.

In addition, all teams are invited to email us their own tips for future editions of the book. Simply email suggestions to pj.ftc.tips@gmail.com. If we use their material, those teams will get free copies of the editions in which their material is used as well as attribution in the book!

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4. FTC-Iowa EventsRecently, we have had to cancel one of our events because no teams registered. What a bummer! Please keep in mind, we encourage teams to participate in as many events as possible.
A listing of events can be found at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events

**LabView Workshop on Nov. 13**
National Instruments, the makers of LabView, will be hosting a workshop about LabView prior and after the Des Moines Build Event on Saturday, Nov. 13. (Huge thank you to Emmaly, from team #3550 and Chad E from NI, for coordinating this workshop!)

10:30am-12:30pm - Introduction to LabView
1:00pm-4:00pm - FTC Build Event
4:00pm-5:30pm - LabView and FTC program: How to use the templates

Please let us know if you'll be attending a LabView Sessions.

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5. FTC-Iowa Championship Details & Registration

• The FTC-Iowa Championship is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011 at the Iowa Memorial Union, the heart of the University of Iowa campus, in Iowa City.
  
• All robot inspections will be on Friday, Feb. 25th. If you will be competing with a robot, then your robot will need to be inspected on Friday, we will be assigning inspection times.
• Limited capacity - please make sure to register early!
  
• Registration procedure: Teams must register via the online system. After a team has registered online, the registration will be considered "pending". Within a week, your team will receive an electronic invoice for the registration fee, $275. After payment has been received, the registration will switch to "confirmed". If payment has not been received within 30 days of the invoice, then you will forfeit your spot at the tournament. For those of you who have school boards who approve your invoices, please make sure you know these procedures and put a "rush" on the invoice.
• First priority will go to teams within Iowa. However, if during late January, if there are open slots, then we will allow out-of-Iowa teams to register. (We've already been contacted by several out-of-Iowa teams.) Please remember, if you received a Rockwell Collins grant, you agreed to compete in a tournament.
  
• Registration for the FTC-Iowa Championship event will open on Monday, Nov. 1 at 5:00pm. The link to register, and a listing of registered/confirmed/pending teams, will be located: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/ftc-iowa-championship/2011-championship-registrations

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Please do not hesitate to ask if you need help. If your team needs help "getting started", here is a good website from FIRST: http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=14925

Thank you all, and keep up the good work!
Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team

Skills Driving Course - Summary

A job well done for those teams who attended the Skills Driving Course Event today (Oct. 16, 2010) at the Coralville Public Library. Kudos to those teams who attended!

At the beginning of the day, we heard the following from several teams:
--"We can't get our robot to move, and we are getting frustrated!"
--"What is the next thing we need to do after building this chassis?"
--"We haven't been able to get Samantha to work. Please help!"
--"Firmware? What's Firmware?"

By the end of the event, and a half of a day later, we had nearly all of the robots moving, many students driving, and Samantha working like a charm. (Thank you, John Toebes & gang!)

As far as the explanation for firmware, simple: "Its not hardware. Its not software. Its Firmware. Kinda like a jello-like substance." Not sure if this helps....

Another great conversation: Team: "We left our ZXT at our school."  Volunteer: "You mean your NXT?" Team: "Yeah." Volunteer: "Although that is the brain to your robot, I do have one you can borrow. His name is Larry." Team: "Thank you!"  By the end of the day, the team was able to get their bot to move using Larry, the borrowed brain....The team was so thrilled...what a great feeling. 

• Check out a video of the course.
• Check out some of the pictures from the event.
  
• Videos of one of the robots completing the course. Video Part 1 and Video Part 2

~Kudos! Kudos! Kudos! A job well done volunteers, coaches, mentors and teams!~

P.S. Teams who attended: Don't forget to add this to your engineering notebook!

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #5

Hello FTC-Iowa Teams!

Its time for Team Blast - Week #5! As always, an archive of the FTC-Iowa Team Blasts is located at: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/
You are receiving this message because you are a coach, or an assistant coach, for an FTC team in Iowa.


1. University of Iowa Scholarships for FIRST students - Please pass this to your students!
2. FTC-Iowa Upcoming Events
3. Resources for RobotC
4. "I have the best job in America"

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1. University of Iowa Scholarships for FIRST students - Please pass this to your students!
The College of Engineering at The University of Iowa is very excited to be able to offer scholarships for FIRST students. This is the first year for this scholarship and it is only available to FRC or FTC students! The scholarship includes three (3) $4,000 scholarships, each renewable for up to 4 years -- meaning a student can receive $16,000 from this scholarship! To apply, students must: be currently a senior in high school, or a student transferring into the Univ. of Iowa College of Engineering; have participated on an FTC or FRC team; apply and be admitted to The College of Engineering at The University of Iowa, and; indicate a major in Electrical & Computer Engineering.  Applicants will need to fill out an online application, including answering four (4) 200 word "essay" questions, submit three (3) letters of recommendation, and a resume.

Deadline to apply: January 31, 2011. Award winners will be notified by March 1, 2011.

The details about this scholarship, and the online application form, can be found at: http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/sdc/scholarships/ECE-first.php

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2. FTC-Iowa Upcoming Events
As the last FTC-Iowa Team Blast indicated, we have a lot of great events planned throughout the FTC season. As a reminder, many of these events have strict capacity restrictions and set registration deadlines. Don't miss out on these opportunities - Register ASAP!
A list of upcoming events can be found at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events

Pictures from the Skills Driving Event, will be posted next week. We are excited to see several of the teams on Saturday!

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3. Resources for RobotC
Tim Friez, one of the developers of RobotC, from the Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Academy, is offering free webinars and forum support for FTC teams this year.  Tim will be hosting 6 webinars over the next 6 weeks to help FTC teams solve this year’s challenge. If you have a question and can’t get an answer, then post it at the forum and there is a good chance that Tim will answer the question during his webinar. To access the webinars go to: http://www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/fire/competitions/ftc/#webinars
To post questions and receive answers from experts in the community go to:  http://www.robotc.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=52 .  
If you’ve never programmed with RobotC and want to learn to program quickly go to: http://www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/fire/competitions/ftc/#top and you will find lots of great training materials.
*There are also resources for teams who are using LabView.*

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4. "I have the best job in America"
Recently, CNN Money published a series of articles about the different types of careers. One of the most interesting, is an article called "I have the best job in America", which can be found at: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/pf/jobs/1010/gallery.best_jobs_real_people.moneymag/index.html

A few highlights:

• 8 of the "favorite jobs" are related to an area in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) fields.
• 4 of the "favorite jobs" are engineering related including: Software Engineer #1, Environmental Engineer #5, Civil Engineer #6, and Biomedical Engineer #10.

  Other resources which may be of interest 

• 10 Booming Jobs in America: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/pf/jobs/1010/gallery.best_jobs_job_growth.moneymag/index.html
• Best Jobs in America: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2010/index.html
• "Education and the Changing World" video, duration: 4:43 min: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH8tW1lihtA
  

Just remember, "We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't exist, using technologies that haven't been invented yet, in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet." ("Education and the Changing World" video, :50)  This is powerful stuff.

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Please don't hesitate to ask if you need help.

Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team


P.S. Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? (An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)

Hints for Passing Inspections!

Teams:
Would you like some guidance to help pass inspections? FIRST has done a fantastic job and has published some helpful guides for passing both hardware and software inspections.

Check them out at: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=18293

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #4

Hello FTC-Iowa Coaches & Asst Coaches!

This is Team Blast - Week #4. In case you were wondering, we did not publish a blast for Week #3. (Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)

Thank you to the teams who completed/submitted the September Monthly Report. These on-line surveys are "highly encouraged", so we can gauge the progress of the teams, and get help to those who need help. ~~If you are a new team, and are still waiting on your kit, please contact Rebecca immediately.~~

Finally, we apologize for the lengthy e-mail. Please grab a cup of coffee, put on some music, kick-back, and enjoy the read. :)

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1. Upcoming Events

a) Skills Driving Event - Oct. 16
b) Team Build Days - Nov. 6 & Nov. 13
c) Scrimmage Events
d) FTC-Iowa Championship - Feb. 25 & 26, 2011

2. Game Manual - updated version
3. Senior Mentor Calls
4. FIRST Consent and Release Form
5. Scholarships for FIRST students

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1. Upcoming Events:
We are very fortunate to be able to offer a many of events during the FTC season. Attendance to at least one scrimmage event is "highly encouraged" for all teams. 

A listing of all of the upcoming events can be found at:
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events

Pre-registration for these events is required, which will typically close two weeks prior to the event. Also, several of the events have limited capacities, so registrations will be on a first-come/first-serve basis.

a) Skills Driving Event - Oct. 16
The goal of the Skills Driving Event is to give teams experience with driving a basic chassis of a robot. We believe this will help as teams proceed through the "Get Over It!" season. Although we will have a few elements from the field incorporated into the skills challenge, we will not be using the official "Get Over It" field. As you register your team, you will be asked if your team would benefit if we had the official "Get Over It" field set up and on display.

Saturday, Oct. 16 - Skills Driving Event
Coralville Public Library
1401 5th Street
Coralville, Iowa
(Lower Level meeting rooms)
Registration will be closing on Monday, Oct. 11
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events/skills-driving-event


b) Team Build Days - Nov. 6 in Algona and Nov. 13 in West Des Moines
For the build days, we are not asking for teams to bring a fully functioning/completed robot, we also don't want the teams to just bring a kit of parts. If your team just has a chassis completed, please bring it. Teams are highly encouraged to bring what they have completed. We are coordinating a wide selection of volunteers to be ready to assist you with various needs, including helping with software.

Saturday, November 6 - Team Build Day
Water's Edge Nature Center
1010 250th St.
Algona, Iowa
12:30pm-3:30pm
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events/team-build-day-11-06-2010

Saturday, November 13 - Team Build Day
Valley Southwoods Freshman High School
625 S. 35th St.
West Des Moines, Iowa
1:00pm-4:00pm
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events/dsm-build-event-2010-11-13

c) Scrimmage Events
The goal of the scrimmage events is to prepare teams for a competition environment. Like in various sports, a scrimmage is a mini-competition. During each scrimmage, the following will happen: teams will have an assigned pit area; robots will be required to pass inspections (hardware & software); matches will be generated; robots will be competing!
We aren't expecting perfection, but we are expecting robots to move. We will be having referees, judges and inspectors for the scrimmage events. Please bring the engineering notebook, as judges will be available to give you feedback on your notebooks.

Saturday, December 18, 2010
Kirkwood Community College
Main Campus
Cedar Rapids
Time: to be determined
Capacity: 14 teams
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events/2010-12-18-scrimmage

Saturday, January 8, 2011
Iowa Children's Museum (within CoralRidge Mall)
1451 Coral Ridge Ave
Coralville, Iowa
Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm
Capacity: 14 teams
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events/scrimmage-01-08-2011

Saturday, January 22, 2011
Putnam Museum
1717 W. 12th Street
Davenport, Iowa
Time: to be determined
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events/scrimmage-at-putnam-01-22-2011

Saturday, January 29, 2011
Central College
Kuyper Athletic Complex
Pella, Iowa
Time: 12:30pm-4:00pm
Capacity: 20 teams
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events/scrimmage-at-central-2011-01-29

Saturday, February 5, 2011
Advanced Technology Center
Indian Hills Community College
Ottumwa, Iowa
Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm
Capacity: 14 teams
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events/scrimmage-at-ihcc-2011-02-05-1

Saturday, February 12, 2011
Oelwein High School
315 8th St. SE
Oelwein, Iowa
Time: 11am-2pm
Capacity: 12 teams
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events/scrimmage-at-ohs-2011-02-12

d) FTC-Iowa Championship: Feb 25 & 26, 2011
Mark Your Calendar!! The FTC-Iowa Championship will be Friday, Feb. 25 & Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011 at the Iowa Memorial Union on the University of Iowa campus. This year is going to be a great competition - FIRST has approved for us to host a 48 team competition! As teams register, they will be divided into two divisions.

 A few items to take note of:

• Due to our large capacity, we are asking all teams to arrive on Friday for team check-in, and hardware & software inspections. All teams must pass inspections prior to competing in any matches on Saturday.
• Please prepare your teams: Saturday, Feb. 26 will be a long day - although the start time hasn't been determined, it be early. :)
• Registration for the FTC-Iowa Championship will be opening in late October. Registrations will be on a first-come/first-serve basis, and Iowa teams will have priority.

We are expecting each to participate at the FTC-Iowa Championship. (Participating in a competition event was an item you agreed to when you applied for the Rockwell Collins grant.)

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2. Game Manual - updated version
There is a new revision of the "Get Over It" Game Manual (version #2). Please make sure you download the correct copy. Page 4 has a listing of the updates included in the new version of the Game Manual.

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3. FIRST Sponsored Senior Mentor & Samantha Calls
Recently, FIRST has coordinated and held some great conference calls for teams.
Call #1: Samantha Expert Conference Call (held on Sept. 14) - for teams wanting to know the details about the Samantha module
Call #2: Teams in Transition (held on Sept. 30) - for teams who transitioned from FLL into FTC.
Call #3: Senior Mentor Calls (held on Sept. 23) - for any team who need assistance with season planning, recruiting mentors, organizing a team, and what happens at a tournament.

Recordings of these calls, as well as agendas, can be found at: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=18093
 
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4. FIRST Consent and Release Form Students, coaches and mentors attending a Team Build Events, Scrimmages or FTC-Iowa State Championship are required to turn in a completed Consent and Release form at every event.  The form is available for download from the FIRST web site:  http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Community/Asset/FIRST_Consent_Release_Form.pdf

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5. College Scholarships for FIRST students
Did you know there are college scholarships available to your FTC students?  A listing of scholarships, for FIRST Students can be found at: http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/scholarships.aspx
Its a great "perk" for participating in FIRST, please share the above link with your students

Exciting News!!! Beginning this season, The University of Iowa College of Engineering will be offering several "big" scholarships to FTC & FRC students! We are in the last stage of setting up the process with FIRST, and once its been completed information will be passed to you. Please prepare your students, as this is will be an excellent opportunity!!

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Please do not hesitate to ask if you need help.
Thank you and we hope you enjoyed the coffee and music. :)

Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team

P.S. Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? (An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)

Updated Link for September Status Report

Here is an updated link for the September Status Report:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDF2R0I3T1BaU3h5dThMckYwVFlPZWc6MA#gid=0

We apologize for any inconvenience.

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #2

Good afternoon and Happy Friday!

This is going to be a quick e-mail.

1. September Team Status Report - Now Open!
2. Skills Driving Event: Saturday, Oct. 16th
3. Upcoming FTC Events
4. FTC-Iowa Blog

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1. September Team Status Report - Now Open!
Please take a few moments and give us some feedback as to how your team is doing with the FTC program. We understand a few of you have just registered and are just starting (which is great!) but we'd still appreciate some feedback as to how we can help you.  This will not take more than a few moments to complete and you can have one of your mentors or team members complete it. This report will be open until Friday, Oct. 1, 2010 and we ask for all teams to complete this report. (If you have multiple teams, please fill out a report for each of your teams.)

The status report can be found at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dGZXLWhybDBKZjNiNU55cXZHOTI2aXc6MA#gid=0

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2. Skills Driving Event: Saturday, Oct. 16thOur first "official" event of "Get Over It!" is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16th -- and there is still space available for your team! Please register at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/skills-driving-event

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3. Upcoming FTC Events
We are excited to partner with several colleges and museums, throughout the State, as host sites for our scrimmage events.
A listing of our upcoming events can be found at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/calendar

We will notify you when scrimmage registrations has opened.

A few changes from last season:

• We encourage teams to attend at least one scrimmage. The more you can attend, the better your team will be.
• There is no registration fee to attend scrimmages.
• We will be running the scrimmages, especially the ones in January and February, as if it is a tournament. Please come prepared to compete. If your robot doesn't work perfectly, that is ok. We will have resources there to help you.
• We will be doing robot inspections at the scrimmages. Please make sure all of your robot parts fit within the guidelines put forth in the game manual.
  

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4. FTC-Iowa Blog
If you miss a Team Blast E-mail, they will be posted on our blog. http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #1

FTC-Iowa Team Blast #1
Sent on Sept. 17, 2010

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1. Information about "Get Over It"
FIRST has linked information about "Get Over It" on the following website: http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=962
You can find the Game Manual, Coaches Manual and information about the Samantha Module on the listed website.

Mentors, team members, and coaches are expected to know the content of the Game Manual.
Coaches are expected to know the content of the Coaches Manual.

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2. Follow-up from FTC-Iowa Kick-Off
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the FTC-Iowa Kick-off on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Point Middle School in Cedar Rapids. It was a great time, and my team and I really appreciated seeing all of the great reactions from the teams about the game! Awesome!

If you would like to download the materials distributed during a few of the workshops or to see pictures from the Kick-Off, you can view them on our site at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/2010-kick-off-celebration

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3. Upcoming Event: Skills Event on 10/16/2010
As we mentioned during the Kick-Off Celebration, our first event will be a skills driving event on Saturday, October 16, 2010.

• Location: Lower Level rooms of the Coralville Public Library (1401 5th Street, Coralville, Iowa)
• Time: Team Pit time - 10:30am-12pm, Lunch break - 12pm-1pm, Skills Driving Event - 1pm-4pm
• As with a majority of our events, there is no cost to attend. (Thank you, volunteers!)
• For more information about the event, and how to register, please visit our website at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/skills-driving-event

We encourage all teams to attend as many events as possible throughout the season, as there is a huge benefit to the students, mentors and coaches who attend and interact with the other teams. Information about other upcoming events will be posted on our website at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/calendar

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4. FTC Team Forum: New Site & New Look!
FIRST has just released a new FTC team forum, and it has a new look! Check it out at: http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/ (This is a great site to bookmark!) All teams will need to register with this new forum, regardless if you had access to the FIRST Forums in the past, as this will replace the "blue" forums. Registration will ask for your 4-digit team number, so please have it handy.

FIRST has done a great job subdividing this forums into "categories". They include:

• Samantha Module Questions/Issues - moderated
• Game Q & A - moderated
• FTC Community Forum - open forum, anyone can post
  

In regards to the Samantha and Game Q/A categories, here are some pointers:

• Prior to posting a question, please read over the Game Manual to see if a solution has has already been provided in the manual.
• Do a keyword search prior to posting a question- a team may have already asked a similar item.
• Have a team member to “monitor” the forums at least once a week.
• Your question/issue will be answered by the Game Design Committee (GDC) or FIRST staff. The answer they give will be final.
• Your question will only appear after the GDC or FIRST staff have addressed it.
• Postings will begin to appear after the first regional competition has taken place (beginning of December), so do not expect a lot of postings on the forums until then.

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5. FTC-Iowa Championship: Feb. 25/26, 2011
The FTC-Iowa Championship will be held on Feb. 25 & Feb. 26, 2011 at The University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. We will be having a large competition. We will be requiring ALL teams to check-in and be inspected on Friday, Feb. 25th with team judging beginning early in the morning on Saturday, Feb. 26th. Please start to plan accordingly.

More information about the Championship will be sent at a later date.

If you received funding through a Rockwell Collins grant, you agreed to attend and compete in a tournament. The FTC-Iowa tournament is the way to go. :)

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6. Potential Event: PTC workshop in October
We are currently working with PTC to offer an evening workshop during sometime in October. Although the date/time/location has not been determined, please respond and let us know if you would be interested in attending.

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As a reminder, the September Team Status Report will be active during the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 1, all teams will need to complete these on-line reports.