The FRC Competition: How it works
Preseason
The preseason is the time before this year's game is introduced. It may be more busy then you'd imagine; our main goals during this time period are to learn more about engineering from our mentors, find and teach new members, raise money from our sponsors, and make sure we have the tools and raw materials needed for build season.
The Kick-Off
At the beginning of January the Kick-Off in Manchester, NH is broadcast to teams across the US and we pick up our kit of parts. We are required to use the major electronics and battery included in the kit, but otherwise we are allowed to use anything as long as we don't spend more than $3,500 total. Every year the game changes, but it is always played on a 26' x 54' field with two alliances competing to score the maximum number of points. On each alliance there are three robots (each team only builds one robot). The game begins with an autonomous period, during which the robot executes a pre-programmed sequence of actions, using information from sensors and sometimes its camera to determine its position. Then the operated period begins, where the robots are operated with remote controls.
Build Season
During this intense six-week time period, beginning in January, we need to build and program a fully operational 6-foot, 120 pound robot before FedEx ships it off to competition. First the entire team brainstorms the general design, and then we divide into build, electronic, and programming sub-groups.
Competition
The three-day regional events are very exciting; last year's Regional was in Milwaukee, but this year it's right here in Minneapolis! The first day consists of practice rounds where we test our robots on the playing field. The next day are the seeding rounds, when teams are randomly paired to make different alliances every match. The third day, the top 8 teams from the seeding rounds pick other teams to be on their alliance. Then the elimination rounds begin and the three teams on the top alliance advance to the World Championship. Last year our team made it all the way to the semi-finals!
