Transcript Designing for FTC with TETRIX Hints and Tips

The FIRST Tech Challenge
a chronology
Presented by:
John Pilvines, founding coach for
Team Unlimited, FTC0001 [ftc0001.org]
We acknowledge the efforts and copyrights of FIRST,
LEGO Education and LEGO. Without their generosity,
the FIRST Tech Challenge would not exist!
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . . from FIRST Frenzy
 First FVC season lasted one month, from challenge
release and equipment delivery to the demonstration
competition at the World Championships in Atlanta
 53 team Invitational challenge, scaled down in size from
previous season FRC challenge – FIRST Frenzy
 Vex Development System steel and plastic hardware,
supplied by Radio Shack, developed from the
EduBot/Robovation system used to train rookie FRC teams
 No autonomous – software not ready in time
 Our team name became “Team Unlimited”
 “Sharon Eagle Robotics Unlimited” too long for MC
 We liked it, we kept it
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . . from FIRST Frenzy
2005 FVC Demonstration Field - 1
 Key tasks – team members shooting whiffle softballs
into goals, capping goals with doubling ball, robot
hanging from bar at end of match
FTC Chronology
Vex Robotics Development System
Introduced
 Motors all servos (angle and continuous rotation)
 PIC-based microcontroller
 Square holes in steel structural pieces
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . . Half Pipe Hustle
2005/6 FVC Pilot Field - 2
 Pilot Season - 130 teams competed
 Gather balls from floor or wall feeders
 Score in corner or center goals
Bonus for parking
on center pads at
end of period
 Easy C introduced to enable autonomous coding
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . .Hangin’-A-Round
2006-7 FVC Extended Pilot Field - 3






Extended Pilot Season
554 teams competed
Autonomous 20 sec, operator-control 2 min
Gather balls from floor piles
Score in low or high goals, control doubling ball
Bonus for parking or hanging at end of period
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . . Quad Quandary
2007-8 FTC Competition Field - 4






FTC now an official program
799 teams competed
Autonomous 20 sec, operator 2 min
Gather 3” rings from floor piles
Score rings on side or mobile goals, 18” & 24” posts
Bonus for moveable goals in alliance quadrant
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . . Face Off!
2008-9 FTC Competition Field - 5
 986 teams competed
 Autonomous 30 sec, operator 2 min
 Gather 3” pucks from wall feeders
 Score rings into center goals, low, middle and high
 Double count for pucks scored in autonomous
FTC Chronology
Tetrix Robotics Development System
Introduced to Replace Vex System
 LEGO Mindstorms NXT as microcontroller
 Secondary chained driver modules to control DC gear
motors and servos
 Aluminum structural components – light and rugged
 LEGO components allowed as well
 Some additional non-kit parts allowed (sheets of
aluminum or plastic etc)
 Tetrix system integrated by LEGO Education in USA
 Bluetooth remote control from microcomputer
 Robot C and LabVIEW introduced for coding
FTC Chronology
Tetrix Robotics Design Platform
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . . Hot Shot!
2009-10 FTC Competition Field - 6






1111 teams competed
Autonomous 30 seconds, operator 2 min
Gather 3” whiffle balls from corner feeders
Score balls into center goals - low and high
Balls to outside boxes only during last 30 sec
Double score for goals with doubling balls, double score for balls
scored during autonomous
Double score for
balls scored in
autonomous, double
score for goals with
yellow doubling
balls (last 30 sec)
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . . Get Over It!
2010-11 FTC Competition Field - 7
 1606 teams competed
 Autonomous 40 sec, operator-controller 2 min
 Park above center divider, gather batons (including doublers)
& move goals across center divider during autonomous
 Gather batons from wall dispensers during operator control
 Score batons into low & mid moveable goals
 Score magnetic batons into high moveable goals
Balance robots & goals
during last 30 seconds
Samantha Wi-Fi module
added for remote control
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . . Bowled Over!
2011-12 FTC Competition Field - 8
 Autonomous 30 sec, operator-controller 2 min
 During autonomous, upright crates, park robots & bowling balls in
parking areas
 Gather racquet balls and place in crates or in low goal during
operator control, then stack crates – the higher the better
 Home Zone = low goal, stack without interference
 Magnetic balls into off-field goal
Bowling balls &
crates on platforms
only during last 30
seconds
FTC Chronology
Challenge current . . . Ring It Up!
2012-13 FTC Season
 More teams than ever!
 More international than ever!
 More fun than ever!
FTC Chronology
Challenges past . . .
Partial list of potential tasks
 Climb a step or ramp
 Hang from a bar
 Pickup and place objects, from/to various positions
 Balls of all sizes, rings, batons, pucks, . . .
 From floor level to above robot starting height
 Small to large, light to heavy






Move structures to various locations on field
End with robot at a designated location
Have team member perform tasks
Have the robot “shoot” balls
So far .
Find magnetic or heavy objects
Detect IR beacon
2011/12 Designing for FTC with Tetrix Workshop
..
Questions?
 Team Unlimited [FTC 0001] can be
contacted through our website
FTC0001.ORG
FTC Chronology