Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Anderson
I expect to see FIRST try to tackle the VEX/FTC conflict. (However, I'm not sure I expect great things to result from the attempt.)
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I think it's clear that they're already moving on this one, and to me, they're moving in a very smart direction, by not trying to "defeat" VEX outright, but compliment the VRC program.
Programs like VEX and FTC have always had a somewhat ambiguous purpose, as they attract two distinct classes of teams. The first is teams which, for any number of reasons, cannot participate in FRC. For students in these programs, VEX/FTC is the pinnacle of their high school robotics careers, and they take it very seriously as a result. Some may move onto FRC eventually, but the majority won't. These teams tend to choose VEX or FTC on the basis of cost, the curriculum options and classroom packages available, and the ease with which competitive robots can be built with relatively few students. VRC seems to have the clear advantage here. FIRST has not been able to match the VEX program on costs.
The second class of VEX/FTC team is the "feeder" team. This is a team closely associated with an established FRC program, or a team created the year before starting an FRC team, created primarily to give new members experience with robotics before tackling the big robots. Everyone involved with these teams knows that, while valuable, it's a stepping stone towards something larger. As a result, when deciding between programs, these teams weigh factors such as parallels in technical knowledge with FRC, ability to use manufacturing resources already available thanks to the FRC program, and the FRC/FTC joint world championship. Cost is less likely to be a pivotal factor, since these teams already have the resources to support a full blown FRC program.
When VRC got started, a whole lot of these feeder teams chose to move to VRC due to the investment in the VEX platform they had made in the FVC years. For the years following this, a lot of newly started feeder teams chose VRC on the relative merits of the VEX and Tetrix platforms. But starting last year with the expanded FTC material rules, things have started looking a lot more favorable for FTC for these teams. This change, of course, drives up the cost of FTC, making it even less favorable for the first type of team, making them even more likely to choose VEX.
The end result I see is, FTC establishes itself as the program of choice for FRC teams looking to build a feeder program. VEX, meanwhile, continues to exist and thrive as an alternative competition for places where FRC is impractical. Students in VRC get to compete for the title of Champions of the World with over 600 teams, rather than compete for Champions of the Side-Event with 100-odd teams. Meanwhile, FTC teams get to compete alongside their FRC parent-teams, and students are inspired to take the next step forward.
If I was starting a mid-size robotics program without a lot of money, to be run as part of a pre-engineering curriculum or as a couple of kids in a garage with an interest in this stuff, I'd choose VEX. Up until last year, if I was starting a mid-sized robotics program to help teach incoming freshmen the basics, I would have still chosen VEX. But based on changes FIRST has made, the answer for the feeder teams, to me at least, is clearly FTC for the first time since the 2009 season.