Bill's Blog

FIRST General Forum
#1

http://frcdirector.blogspot.com/

Good Afternoon Teams,

Believe it or not, life at HQ is busy during the off season. I apologize for neglecting to blog last week and for blogging late this week, but I want to assure you, it’s not for lack of activity here in Manchester.

The GDC met on site this past weekend. Conceptually the 2012 game is a lock and the 2012 Game Manual is 90% complete (and on track to be shorter than previous years). Now, in addition to following up on the 2011 season and making all the repairs/changes/upgrades that were pushed off until after Championship, the staff can get started on all the logistical and administrative tasks that go into turning a game concept into a successful competition. We need to finalize the designs, order game pieces, prepare fields, redesign field road cases, update the field management system, schedule events and chase down all the hundreds of other details that go into hosting a successful season. Meanwhile, the GDC needs to finalize the scoring and turn our attention to the 2013 game.

You’d think the GDC would want rest on our laurels for a moment having designed a game in record time, but we are still far from our goal of getting a season ahead. The GDC has monthly onsite meetings scheduled through the fall and will be holding conference calls at least weekly in order to get everything done. One of the many reasons I enjoy working with this team has to do with the game selection process that Linda did a good job of describing in her guest blog. As a group we tweek game ideas that didn’t make it in prior years and we modify game ideas that evolved during game development but were left behind in the final cut, while at the same time members propose radical new game ideas. In the end we often take a piece from each of these categories to construct something completely different .

So, what else is happening at HQ this week?
• FIRST as a whole is reviewing and updating our strategic plan. We’re trying to define the ultimate goals of the organization, describe what success looks like, and map out the steps necessary to get there in 5 – 10 years. This is not as easy as it sounds.
• FRC is developing a Qualification Event Structure based on what we learned during District Event pilot. We’re currently in negotiations with RDs and Regional Planning Committees from areas that are interested in participating. I’ll let you know the minute we have dates and venues locked in.
• Kate, Collin, Carla and assorted staff members are preparing for the annual Supplier’s Summit and Dean’s List Summit which will include dinner at Dean’s house this August.
• IT is completely redesigning the Volunteer Information Management System (VIMS) and making upgrades to TIMS and STIMS in preparation for FRC registration this fall.
• The engineering staff is developing the 2012 control system which will incorporate the new 4-slot FRC cRIO II. They’re going to need Beta Test teams again this year. Watch this space, I’ll let you know the second they’re ready to take applications.
• We’ve reviewed the initial applications submitted by candidates for the new FRC Engineer position and we’re initiating the interview process. If you are interested in (and qualified for) the position and haven’t yet submitted an application, consider this last call.
191 days until the 2012 kickoff
See you then!

#2

Just to be a goof:

NEW FIELD! Star Shaped! Circle Shaped! FIRST Logo Shaped!

(Let the game hint-hunting games begin!)(Ahh, they probably already began)

#3

A shorter manual? that could be good or bad. More concise sounds good, less precise would be bad. I kinda nervous now.::rtm::

#4

As long as FIRST doesn’t have a lockout, I’m fine :stuck_out_tongue:
Student Robotics Labor Union, we want paid for our hard work!!! :cool:

#5

Agreed; I’d hate to see something like the cylinder-size debate again (the metric v standard discrepancy).

#6

The entire OCCRA (local robotics competition) manual is only about 10 pages long. Including a full-page field diagram, a full-page vex field diagram, and all of the game/vex/robot rules. It’s simple and includes exactly what is needed, and nothing more.

#7

More likely it means that they will have to take out all of the insides of the cases that were designed to fit the racks, and replace them with what ever the new field will have on it. It does say that the field will be more then a 27 by 54 foot field of just carpet.

#8

The field will not change in size. It will remain 27’x54’ like it always. What they mean is just getting rid of the scoring rack and lane dividers. FIRST is not made of money so they have to use the same field every year.

#9

While it is efficient to use the same field size every year, FIRST definitely has the resources to change the field size if they want to.

#10

Yes. But if they are using a 27’x54’ playing field, why spend the money to build a new field for prototyping when they could just breakdown the Logomotion field?

#11

I didn’t say it was easy to change the field, nor that it was an effective means of creating a game. You alluded to the fact that FIRST doesn’t have a lot of money (“FIRST is not made of money”). I was simply saying that FIRST has plenty of money to make a new playing field if they so desire.

#12

I am shocked this bullet hasn’t gotten more attention:

•FRC is developing a Qualification Event Structure based on what we learned during District Event pilot. We’re currently in negotiations with RDs and Regional Planning Committees from areas that are interested in participating. I’ll let you know the minute we have dates and venues locked in.

#13

I do not doubt what you are saying. FIRST defiantly has enough money to purchase a new field.

#14

WOW!!! how did I miss this? With this news it is most likely that PA is going to the District setup like you guys have in Michigan.

#15

But the teams that participate don’t necessarily have bottomless coffers. There has been an overt shift toward creating some of the major components of the field consistent (overall dimensions, placement of alliance stations) so teams don’t have to recreate the entire field year after year for their practice areas.
I believe something was stated by FIRST in 2008 or 2009 to that effect, but I don’t recall exactly where.

#16

Makes sense; didn’t think of it that way.

On another note, I’m curious to see if/where districts will pop up this year. Right now FIRST is getting to the point where it can barely fit all of the teams that qualify for championships; districts leading to states leading to champs could cut this number down.

#17

Guys, I was joking about the field. More interesting news:
More district models! Where are other heavily-FRC populated areas? I’m hearing PA and east coast. Maybe Minnesota? They have some intense FRC growth going on there (although I don’t think their state champs would be as intense as MI)(no offense, MN).

#18

also California and Texas have a large number of teams so they could be getting a district system too

#19

California for sure. With ~175 and four regionals, we are packed.

#20

Its not just specific states that could be getting these. It could be regions, like the Northeast or the West Coast, or Canadia.