A Request

[Foster]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

I'll second this. And further, I'll expand it to VEX.

It is the JV to the FRC Varsity. It is slower, less exciting, less of a spectacle. From my perspective it is an excellent tool to use to feed students into the Varsity program which we can use to actually change the culture.

And, before someone says I am unfamiliar with the programs:

2 years FVC mentor, 2 years FTC mentor, 7 years FRC mentor.

/sigh I was going to not jump in, but you said the "V" word.

Vex is to FRC like Varsity to wanna-Varsity, FRC robots lumber across a basketball court like the Seniors League at the Y. Yea, some great shots, but mostly driving into each other like old guys. VEX robots, since they only have 12' of space need to be nimble, pivoting and scoring. FTC has the same space and with 4 robots, need to be agile.

Oh yea three robots on an aliance, so two can be lame and one can score. Not in Vex and FTC world. Only one partner, a dead robot and you are looking at the loss side of a score. Pfft.

But what cranked my started was the "change the culture". Really? All the time hands on with the robot (5 kids on a team means lots of touch time) and multiple design / build / compete iterations, we are changing roboteers lives over here. Nice that you spent $ 18,000 on 20 kids and built a robot and went to 2 events. For $12K I build 10 robots, compete in 4 events and change 50 kids into roboteers. Oh wait, I need mentors, min 2 for each robot, so I have 20 parents working with roboteers. Minor skills needed (righty tighty and maybe some programming) vs machine skills of the stars. One controller and a battery vs PDU, RIO, BDF, CAN, CAM, etc. So FTC and VEX is accessable to average Mom / Dad / Grandparent.

Oh but FRC worlds!!! Sorry, VEX Worlds is bigger than FRC, but wait, 65 FRC regionals vs 500 VEX events? Not quite the same face time. We run more FTC / VEX competitions within 2 hours of Philly than FRC does in a three state area. (No disrespect MAR, your district program rocks)

So, don't mock the FTC / VEX programs.

Oh, I was an FRC mentor for 4 years, but 7 years as VEX. Match you roboteer for roboteer.

Love FRC. Love FTC. Love VEX. Love FLL. Love BEST. etc.

We are trying to change a world, less than 3% of the students in schools have a chance to do the coolest thing in the world, COMPETITION ROBOTICS. Why slam a roboteer and a robotics program that has the same goals and objectives?

/rant