We are Robotrojans STEAMex 6832 from Mexico and we are working with FUN to answer the most common questions related to FIRST. The questions can be about FLL Jr. FLL, FTC, FRC, any teams, awards, KoP, engineering, game season, mentoring, FIRST trivia, or literally any worthy question related to FIRST. Post your questions and share. Cheers from Mexico!”
“Is that like BattleBots?”
Not really a question, but when somebody being recruited as a mentor responds “But I don’t know anything about robots.” - the correct answer is “But you know <whatever it is they do know which is why they’re being recruited>. FIRST and Chief Delphi and your fellow mentors will teach you how to make that work for robots.” If what they know is non-technical (fund raising, business, etc.) change “robots” to “robotics teams”.
This has been the #1 most useful answer in our team’s inventory throughout our existence.
Ditto. My boss still marks my vacation time for volunteering as “robot wars”… and as a result everybody at works thinks I build such :o.
“What does your Robot do?”
Such a loaded question as it usually entails an explanation that gets old quickly and makes their eyes glaze over.
Now, I just show them this:
Not a Robot
and ask them to attend an event.
“Why aren’t there more girls involved?” -Every spectator ever (and rightfully so)
“WHAT? HOW IS THAT CONSIDERED A FOUL?”
“Why are both World Championships in the United States?” - says everyone in the USA that isn’t a part of FIRST
And the corollary: “Why wasn’t THAT called?”
chute door
My favorite parent recruitment went like this. I and another Father of a student were standing down near the field as our team battled through the eliminations rounds to the finals. He turned to me and said “This is so cool”. I said “Yeah, its great”. He replied “I’d love to get involved but I’m not an engineer, I’m just a bank manager”. I replied “Great, we have a lot of engineers but we need someone to help show the students how to make a proper business plan”. When we started the PNW district he started volunteering and continues to do so despite the fact that his son has long since graduated.
“Wait, you have to put the perfectly functional robot in a bag?!?!?”
“What’s a PID?”
“What’s a Derivative?”
“What’s an Integral?”
“How do you score 4 rotors with 7 gears and only get a yellow card?”
“What is Purdue First Programs?”
All valid questions, all very interesting answers.
Is it a sammich?
“What do you mean it costs more than $6000?”
“How do you banish notmattlythgoe to the shadow realm?”
“How much does this cost?”
“Are you like a teacher?”
“Do they pay you for this?”
“Did you build it from a kit”
“Wait, not everything is included in the kit of parts?”
Here’s one for FTC:
“Why aren’t the robots moving?”
Often said in the first 30 seconds of early events. Most of the time there’s not much of a reason for young teams to program autonomous. They know they can’t score game pieces in auto, so why even bother doing auto at all?
That being said I really hope FTC does what FRC did this last season by giving bonus RP for moving in auto (with seasoned teams completing the tougher objective). Matches are a lot more exciting when they start with movement.
