2011-2012 Eastern Virginia Qualifying Tournament Norfolk State University Norfolk, Virginia Satruday, January 14 th, 2012
to create a world where science and technology are celebrated where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes. Dean Kamen Founder, FIRST About FIRST FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people s interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, FIRST is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. As a volunteer-driven organization, FIRST is built on partnerships with individuals, as well as businesses, educational institutions, and government. Some of the world s most respected companies provide funding, mentorship time and talent, and equipment to make FIRST s mission a reality. As a team coach, there are over 80,000 committed and effective volunteers who are key to introducing more than 200,000 young people to the joy of problem solving through engineering. FIRST provides four programs: the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for grades 9-12, FIRST LEGO League (FLL) for 9 to 14 year-olds, and Junior FIRST LEGO League for 6 to 9 year-olds. Also located at FIRST headquarters is the research and development facility called FIRST Place. FIRST Place is integral to game design, new program development, evaluation, and professional development of FIRST mentors and teachers. We want to change the culture by celebrating the mind. We need to show kids that it s more fun to design and create a video game than it is to play one. Dean Kamen, Founder, FIRST Dean Kamen is President of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, a dynamic company focused on the development of revolutionary new technologies that span a diverse set of applications. As an inventor, physicist, and entrepreneur, Dean has dedicated his life to developing technologies that help people lead better lives. Dean s proudest accomplishment is founding FIRST. GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM, A FIRST CREDO Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST National Advisor, asks and provides his view regarding the question, Why do FIRST folks talk so much about that phrase? Obviously it would not make sense to endorse asinine professionalism or gracious incompetence. It is, however, completely consistent with the FIRST spirit to encourage doing high quality well informed work in a manner that leaves everyone feeling valued. Gracious professionalism seems to be a good descriptor for part of the ethos of FIRST. It is part of what makes FIRST different and wonderful. Gracious professionalism has purposefully been left somewhat undefined because it can and should mean different things to each of us. We can, however, outline some of its possible meanings. Gracious attitudes and behaviors are win-win. Gracious folks respect others and let that respect show in their action. Professionals possess special knowledge and are trusted by society to use that knowledge responsibly. Thus, gracious professionals make a valued contribution in a manner pleasing to others and to themselves. In FIRST, one of the most straightforward interpretations of gracious professionalism is that we learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. We try to avoid leaving anyone feeling like they are losers. No chest thumping barbarian tough talk, but no sticky sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, pride and empathy comfortably blend. To understand that gracious professionalism works is not rocket science. It is, however, missing in too many activities. At FIRST it is alive and well. Please help us take care of it. In the long run, gracious professionalism is part of pursuing a meaningful life. If one becomes a professional, and uses knowledge in a gracious manner, everyone wins. One can add to society and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that you have acted with integrity and sensitivity. That s good stuff! *May include 8th grade students 13 and older who are prepared to enter a high-school program.
Grades K-3 (ages 6 to 9) Grades 4-8 (ages 9 to 14) Grades 9-12 (ages 14 to 18) About FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) FTC is a mid-level robotics competition for high school students that offers the traditional challenge of the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit. Teams of up to 10 students are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The ultimate goal of FTC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Its mission is to provide communities with tools and games that challenge young people while cultivating in them an interest in science and technology. Key Factors that make FIRST Tech Challenge a Success Entices kids to think like scientists and engineers Provides a fun, creative, hands-on learning experience Teaches kids to experiment and overcome obstacles The skills that they learn makes math and science tangible, accessible and real The Tetrix robot kit is reusable and is programmed using a variety of languages Teams learn to document their design ideas and discoveries Builds self-esteem and confidence
Game Description Use your Smart Phone to scan this! The Game: Bowled Over! is played on a 12 x12 diamond shaped field as shown on the diagram above. Two alliances one red and one blue composed of two teams each compete in matches consisting of a 30 second autonomous period followed by a two-minute driver controlled period. The object of the game is to score more points than your opponent s alliance by placing racquet balls into crates and then stacking the crates. Teams will be challenged to complete tasks during autonomous and driver controlled periods and will score special racquetballs and six pound bowling balls for additional points. The Details: There are a total of 100 racquetballs available to both teams as scoring objects in the game. The field also holds 12 stackable Ball Crates that teams can fill with racquetballs and stack for additional points, and two bowling balls that can be scored during the autonomous or end game period for additional points. The field includes two home zones comprised of a platform and a ramp, and two protected zones where a team may stack their crates without fear of having them toppled by their opponents. End Game: The final thirty (30) seconds of the Driver Controlled Period is called the End Game. Each Alliance is challenged to push their Bowling Ball onto their Home Zone or to elevate stacks of Ball Crates to score additional points based on the height of the Ball Crates. Autonomous Period Scoring: Upright Ball Crate Parking a Robot In Back parking zone Parking a Bowling Ball In Back Parking Zone Parking a Robot In Front Parking Zone Parking a Bowling Ball in Front Parking Zone 5 points each 5 points 20 points 10 points 10 points Match Scoring: Regular or Magnet Ball in Low Goal 1 point each Regular or Magnet Ball in Ball Crate 2 points each Magnet Ball in Off Field Goal 25 points each Crates Stacked are awarded 10 points above Based on the highest point of 10.5, then 10 each crate in the stack more points for (for a crate to count it must each 6 above contain at least one ball) that
Participating Teams Team # Team Name School / Organization City 293 Cape's Crusaders Cape Henry Collegiate School Virginia Beach 342 Blue Devils Inc. Hopewell HS Hopewell 343 Blue Devils Automation Hopewell HS Hopewell 364 Warrior Geeks Matoaca HS Chesterfield 965 Redstone Rangers GW Community School Springfield 975 Synergy Robotics James River HS Midlothian 1033 Team CLUTCH Benedictine College Preparatory Richmond 1793 The Pilots Norview High School Norfolk 2898 The Armada of St. George Blue Ridge School Saint George 3116 Robo Warriors Henrico HS Richmond 3511 Pink Duct Tape Norview High School Norfolk 3599 3 Dudes with Attitude Community Team Mechanicsville 3668 Smokie Jr. Hermitage Technical Center Henrico 3749 Sam & Those Stupid Kids GW Community School Springfield 3804 Team Snuffleupagus St. Christopher's School Richmond 4105 Teal Tornadoes Glen Allen High School Glen Allen 5045 Tachyons Community Team Glen Allen 5251 Cavaliers Clover Hill HS Midlothian 5419 Phantoms Phoebus HS Hampton 5430 Founding Fathers Denbigh HS Newport News 5431 Cyber Knights Franklin Military Academy Richmond 5527 Eagle Engineering Landstown HS Virginia Beach 5607 Eagle Engineering Landstown HS Virginia Beach
2011-2012 Virginia FTC Tournament Schedule We invite you to join us at our Qualifying Tournaments throughout the Virginia FTC Competition Season. Come watch as teams compete to qualify for one of 48 spots at the Virginia Regional Championship. Then join us in Charlottesville in February for the 5th Annual FIRST Tech Challenge Virginia Regional Championship as teams compete to see who will come out on top as Virginia FTC Champions and qualify to move on for a chance to compete at the 2012 FIRST World Championship which will be held in St. Louis, MO. Southwest Virginia Qualifying Tournament Southwest Virginia Community College Richlands, Virginia Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 Northern Virginia Qualifying Tournament Northern Virginia Community College - Annandale Annandale, Virginia Saturday, January 21st, 2012 Central Virginia Qualifying Tournament St. Christopher s School Richmond, Virginia Saturday, December 17th, 2011 Charlottesville Virginia Qualifying Tournament University of Virginia - Slaughter Recreation Ctr. Charlottesville, VA Saturday, January 28th, 2012 Eastern Virginia Qualifying Tournament Norfolk State University Norfolk, Virginia Saturday, January 14th, 2012 Virginia Regional Championship Tournament Arthur Ashe, Jr. Athletic Center Richmond, VA Saturday, March 3rd, 2012
FIRST Tech Challenge Awards Inspire Award This award is the most prestigious FTC award, and is given to the team that truly embodied the challenge of the FTC program. The team that receives this award is chosen by the judges as having best represented a role model FIRST Tech Challenge Team. The team that receives this award is a top contender for all other judging categories and is a strong competitor on the field. Rockwell Collins Innovate Award This award celebrates a team that not only thinks outside the box, but also has the ingenuity and inventiveness to make their designs come to life. This award is given to the team that has the most innovative and creative robot design solution to any or all specific field elements or components in the FIRST Tech Challenge game. Elements of this award include elegant design, robustness, and out of the box thinking related to design. PTC Design Award This award recognizes design elements of the robot that are both functional and aesthetic. All successful robots have innovative design aspects however the PTC Design Award is presented to teams that incorporate industrial design elements into their solution. These elements could simplify the robot giving it a clean look, decorate the robot, or otherwise express the creativity of the team. The winning design should not compromise the practical operation of the robots but compliment its purpose. Motivate Award This award celebrates the team that exemplifies the essence of the FIRST Tech Challenge competition through team spirit and enthusiasm. They show their spirit through costumes and fun outfits, a team cheer or outstanding spirit. This team has also made a collective effort to make FIRST known throughout school and community. Connect Award This award is given to the team that most connected with their local community and the engineering community. A true FIRST team is more than a sum of its parts, and recognizes that their schools and communities play an essential part to their success. The recipient of this award is recognized for helping the community understand FIRST, the FIRST Tech Challenge, and the team itself. The team that wins this award is aggressively reaching out to engineers and exploring the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science and technology. In addition, this team has a clear fundraising goal and plan to achieve that goal. Think Award This award is given to the team that best reflects the journey the team took as they experienced the engineering design process during the build season. The Engineering Notebook is the key reference for judges to help identify the most deserving team. Judges will be most interested in notebook entries describing the steps, brainstorms, designs, re-designs, successes, and those interesting moments when things weren t going as planned. A team will not be a candidate for this award if they have not completed the section of the Engineering Notebook describing the team s experience. Winning Alliance Award This award will be given to the winning alliance represented in the final match of the competition, usually consisting of three teams. Finalist Alliance Award This award will be given to the finalist alliance represented in the final match of the competition, usually consisting of three teams.
FIRST Scholarships Many colleges and universities, professional associations, and corporations offer college scholarships to high school student s on FIRST teams. This is official recognition of the knowledge and technical and life skills these students have gained from participat ing in a FIRST competition. FIRST scholarships enable students to pursue majors and careers in engineering, computer science, science, math, design, aeronautics, and many other fields. In 2010, the FIRST Scholarship Program provides: $12.2 million in college scholarships Over 746 individual scholarship opportunities Over 136 Scholarship Providers Visit www.usfirst.org /scholarships for information on currently available scholarships and how to apply. Adelphi University ASME-ASME Auxiliary Bradley University Bucknell University California State University Northridge Case Western Reserve University Clarkson University DePaul University DigiPen Institute of Technology Drexel University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - FL Fairleigh Dickinson University Florida Institute of Technology Georgia Institute of Technology Grand Valley State University Harvey Mudd College Hofstra University Illinois Institute of Technology ITT Technical Institute Kansas State University Kettering University Laboratory Robotics Interest Group - John Morin Memorial Scholarship 2011 FIRST Scholarship Providers Lake Superior State University Lawrence Technological University Marquette University Milwaukee School of Engineering Missouri University of Science and Technology Northwestern University Olin College of Engineering Oregon Institute of Technology Oregon State University Pennsylvania State University/BAE Systems Phil Clancy Memorial Scholarship Rochester Institute of Technology Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Seattle Pacific University SME Education Foundation Society of Women Engineers - Houston Area Southern California Regional Robotics Forum (SCRRF) Spring Arbor University Stevens Institute of Technology Team 1649 - EMS Team San Diego/Time Warner Cable Tulane University University of Hartford University of Illinois at Chicago University of Kansas University of Maryland/BAE Systems University of Massachusetts Lowell - ENGINEERING University of Massachusetts Lowell - SCIENCES
Tournament Schedule 7:15...Team check-in & Pits Open 8:30-10:00...Inspections & Practice Matches 8:00-10:00...Judging Sessions 10:00...Drivers Meeting 10:30...Opening Ceremony 11:00-12:00...Qualification Matches 12:00-12:30...Lunch 12:30-3:00...Qualification Matches 3:10...Alliance Selection 3:45-5:15...Elimination & Final Rounds 5:30...Closing Ceremony 6:30...Pits Close ****Times are approximate and subject to change During the Qualifying Matches, teams are randomly assigned into alliances of 2 teams. A team s alliance partner in one match may be their opponent in the next match. Team Rank: Teams will be ranked from first through last on the basis of their total Qualifying Points (QPs). If multiple teams have the same QP total, then teams will be ranked on the basis of their Ranking Points (RPs). If multiple teams have the same RP total as well, then teams will be ranked on the basis of their highest match score. If still tied, the next highest match score will be used until the tie is broken. Qualifying Points: Teams receive 2 points for a Win and 1 point for a Tie and 0 points for a loss or disqualification (DQ). Ranking Points: All teams receive the score of the losing alliance unless they have a DQ (which gives the team 0 RP). Alliance selection is held after all of the qualifying matches. Four alliance captains are selected based on team rank. These captains then pick 2 additional teams to be their alliance partners for the Elimination Matches. Elimination Matches: Alliances get a win, loss or tie. The advancing alliance is the first one to win two matches.
Thank you! Virginia FTC Sponsors & Partners Thank you to all who help make this program possible for our youth. FIRST could not exist without the support of the army of mentors, parents, teachers and volunteers who step up to provide their time and expertise to inspire our young people to get excited about science, technology, engineering and math. Thank you FTC National Sponsors FTC Official Program Sponsor FTC CAD and Collaboration FTC Program Sponsor