Collegiate FIRST competition

[sssbox]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

I agree with Greg, make it more about the Robot and whittle it down to one game.

This is college level, it should be about the robot when it comes to victory. Although the other areas are important, engineers are primarily paid to make good products.

Personally, it'd be the difference for someone like me even considering competing or not; some people only like competitive competitions.

Though I agree that robots are important in a robot competition, I disagree slightly with the notion that engineers are only going to need to make good products.

In most cases that may be true, but as someone who has worked for two startups, I know how much effort goes into building a team of skilled people and organizing them to do more than build a great product. You can have the best idea and the best product in the world, but if you don't have a well run team and you don't know how to market your product, support your customers, etc you will not succeed.

[JesseK]

I've sat on my thoughts for this, and think I'm ready to give some input.

FIRST is about inspiration, yes. College FIRST should be about intrinsically inspiring individuals, not a society. Typically, students who would choose to do a FIRST challenge in college have already chosen the path that FIRST's message wants them to take, so FIRST in college with all of the high school mentality is like preaching to the choir.

In college it's time to face the real world, including actual failures that lead to loss. In high school the mentors told them failure is ok; in college it's the same, yet students should at least mature to understand the risk in endeavor. Take the training wheels off and force the students to get GOOD at what they're trying to do in the most technical sense possible. This is how FIRST in college could inspire an individual.

Any bonus points should come from a business plan for the design of the robot that the team comes up with. The rest are frivolous intermediary awards that serve no purpose for a college that's in the business of pushing engineering students to their technical limits.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by sssbox

Though I agree that robots are important in a robot competition, I disagree slightly with the notion that engineers are only going to need to make good products.

In most cases that may be true, but as someone who has worked for two startups, I know how much effort goes into building a team of skilled people and organizing them to do more than build a great product. You can have the best idea and the best product in the world, but if you don't have a well run team and you don't know how to market your product, support your customers, etc you will not succeed.

I agree that other areas are important, as I said. However, engineers are primarily paid to make good products (or test good products, or oversee the work on good products, Marketing a good product, etc.. etc... It all comes down to good products).

[Akash Rastogi]

I agree with what Adam has said here. I am currently not involved in FIRST while at college because I was one of the people that did not really like the community aspect of the team. I wanted to focus on building the best machine possible, but community involvement always seemed to get in the way. A college competition based solely around the machine would be more inviting for serious engineering students.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

I agree with what Adam has said here. I am currently not involved in FIRST while at college because I was one of the people that did not really like the community aspect of the team. I wanted to focus on building the best machine possible, but community involvement always seemed to get in the way. A college competition based solely around the machine would be more inviting for serious engineering students.

You mean like the Vex Robotics College Challenge? The competition exists, is challenging on both a mechanical and software front, and has had a few years of success behind it. There aren't many other college level head-to-head robotics competition models, so it has a pretty neat niche.

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

You mean like the Vex Robotics College Challenge? The competition exists, is challenging on both a mechanical and software front, and has had a few years of success behind it. There aren't many other college level head-to-head robotics competition models, so it has a pretty neat niche.

And in the Mid-Atlantic, this is a really fun event: http://robotevents.com/robot-competi...challenge.html

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

You mean like the Vex Robotics College Challenge? The competition exists, is challenging on both a mechanical and software front, and has had a few years of success behind it. There aren't many other college level head-to-head robotics competition models, so it has a pretty neat niche.

I love VEX, but Bigger!
Meh, I still don't see a problem with having a pilot competition. The way they gauge how well/poorly the pilot does is the issue. Hopefully FIRST will publish criteria for the pass/fail of the pilot event.

[popnbrown]

Summing up a bunch of other points, opportunities for serious engineering students exist already, in research and actual classes. I would still take FIRST College (what're we calling it now?) to be an extra-curricular and additive to anything you do as an engineering student. And since FIRST's mission isn't about Robotics (just happens that's the best discipline to spread their mission), and is more about spreading science and technology, and creating the next generation of engineers. I would expect an equal weight to the robot building design as well as the presentation aspect.

I mentioned this earlier about a Engineering Design award, where the award should be based not only on the actual design of the robot, but equivalently to the presentation of the design.

I would also like to see another award similar to chairman's, showcasing how a team acts in its community and affects others to become inspired by science and technology. Because this again, is part of FIRST's mission (and really what makes it different).

Taking all the same aspects of FRC to the college level but upping the actual science and technology behind the robot and including a "conference paper", would be really optimal.

[mplanchard]

My advice to any college engineering student is to first concentrate on successfully completing the courses for your degree. Second, look and see what activity will help you start your career. Once you are working, paying back loans, you will then have the resources to be a mentor. I have seen some great college mentors - but I have seen others that have had a tough time with second semester classes.

There are many college competitions which have the spirit and the community of FIRST, I have seen one SAE team give another SAE team parts, help weld, or cheer on a competitior. Even if your college does not participate in FIRST or VEX, they may have other robot competitions that compete on the college/commerical/international circuit. Marie

[ShotgunNinja]

Toasting in an epic bread.

[Shof]

Originally Posted by ShotgunNinja

Toasting in an epic bread.

Hmmm...yummmy?

[prettycolors91]

While I agree that FIRST College should have a strong emphasis on the end product, looking at it from a business perspective is also useful.

From my observations working with MTU's Robotics Enterprise, it is not enough to simply produce a great robot. This robot building process requires a large support staff of business people, accountants, and managers. In addition to this, in the real world, you would have to SELL your product to people. Corporate responsibility and philanthropy can be huge factors in this. Learning where your community needs the most help, and providing volunteers or services can be a huge asset to the overall growth of your business.

This is where marketing and corporate pride (team spirit anybody?) come into play. A company that is proud of what they do and transparent in their actions will be much more appealing to the consumer. FRC is about inspiring students to take the leap into a STEM field, but FIRST College should be about having something useful to put on a resume. Being able to present a well laid out team structure with management and business plans, extensive budgets, examples of community involvement, AND a great product will get you far.

This is why I think it is important to integrate some of FIRST's core values and take them to the next level in this new program. Losing sight of everything else FRC stands for is setting an example for a younger generation. How can we participate in a program that FRC students will look at and say "well, the college kids don't have to do any of this feel good crap. I just want to build robots. I don't want to do community service. Clearly it's not important if they just drop it once we hit the next level"

Instead of dropping things, let's step it up and take FIRST to a whole new level!

[J-Blondie]

I spent a lot of time at the CARD thing this past weekend. I mean, yes it was small and yes it was the first time it ever made a debut, but I think it went rather well! You guys did a good job!

In my opinion, a college-level FIRST program would be a fine addition to the FIRST family of programs. As said by others on this thread, yes the FIRST goals talk about getting students into STEM careers and inspire them to pursue STEM into college in order to get to those careers. If students stop doing STEM related fun when they get to college, then what is there to keep inspiring them to become a great engineer or scientist?

Now for a quick story:
I am currently a year out of high school, just finishing up my freshman year of college. I am still mentoring team 1675 ago (my high school FRC team) as well as helping with a couple FLL teams since that is where I got my start 8 years because I went to college in my hometown. I had never had any interest in engineering until about two months ago when I looked at my life and said "I am not happy with where I am going and headed", the where here being towards 8 more years in school as a medical student plus another 4 years about with residencies and all that medical stuff even before I got an official doctor job. Therefore, I am now in the process of transferring to the Milwaukee School of Engineering and pursuing mechanical engineering instead. Now I am horrible at math and always have been, and I know that math is the basis for most engineering, which means I am going to have to study super hard and get my work done and just in general work as hard as I can to be where I want to be.

Yes, FIRST has had a hand in all this of course, but one of the problems I saw at my current college is that no one had in common with me the love I have for FIRST. At MSOE, I will have those people, and a college team to share the love with. Now, I am not just transferring to join this team, since I could from where I am at now, but I believe having the opportunity to still compete in college, as well as mentor an FRC team (along with my FLL teams and FTC and FLL volunteering throughout the year) kind of all around embodies all that FIRST is about. Yes, it is about inspiring students, but hey, I still am a student for the next 4 years right?

College is a very hard place to sit as a mentor. Some teams even make their students stay away from mentoring until you have graduated. You don't have much to offer yet as far as professional advice and you may not have as much power as you think you will have. I know I am sitting kind of in limbo right now between alumni and actual mentor. I would love to have a competition to keep me busy AND keep me involved with FIRST, since Dean has been big on keeping in touch with ALL FIRST alumni.

Sorry if this post sounds a little weird, as I think it does, you know Champs was just this past weekend and I am nowhere near recovered yet...

[Whitesea]

A collegiate level First Program would not only further the goals of First, but it would also get FIRST students more excited about college, and provide even more incentive for students to go to college and to actually be able to apply what they learn as they learn it.

[jhusser]

Originally Posted by CJmango

I'm glad you posted this Andrew! I was going to make a thread in the next week or two, but now is as good of a time as any.

There certainly are discussions in the works. We have a planning committee that is working through all of the logistics to make a pilot competition a reality at the 2011 World Championship in St. Louis!

As a sneak preview, the game is likely to involve Quadcopters - 4 rotor aerial vehicles that have quite a bit of zip!

We would be happy to hear input from teams and we could even do so through this thread. What do you think would be important to see at the collegiate level? That goes for the game, the robots, the engineering challenges, the Gracious Professionalism and so on.

If you're interested in participating in the challenge, working with the committee or volunteering in some other way, please email me directly and we can go from there. You can reach me at FIRSTSeniorMentor 'at' gmail.com or through CD.

Thank you in advance!

i belive that a collegiante level competition is an amazing idea. the only problem might be with finding students and mentors, and we cant forget coming up with amazing challenges and games to challenge the mind of a college student.

and lets face it everyone knows that the worst part of FIRST, is having to give it up after high school.

but this may effect frc teams because some teams have college students as mentors for thier team.

i know that the comittee will make the right choice, like the do all the time, and make robotics even more fun and more challenging then any one ever though it could be.