Hosted by the FIRST Pittsburgh Alumni Association of Carnegie Mellon University
Sponsored by Google Pittsburgh
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Carnegie Mellon University
University Center, McConomy Auditorium
About the brainstorming sessions
Map to CMU / Campus Map (with Free Parking)
If you can’t make it to your local kickoff, watch the broadcast online: http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/robotics/
Teams: What to Bring to Kickoff:
- Team Roster – Team Leader: print out from TIMS
- Consent Forms for team members who have not completed the online consent form (with parental approval if under 18) on STIMS
- Laptops with encrypted game manual already downloaded (there won’t be public internet access at the kickoff) Note: Be sure to try the Decryption Test page to make sure the game manual password (revealed at Kickoff) will work on your computer.
- Teams participating in the Robot Quick Build Session: list of items to bring
- Recommended: dolly or cart with team number clearly marked (for the Kit of Parts)
Student Team Members: Now is the time to sign up in STIMS – and make sure that your parents electronically approve your online consent form. This will save time at the Kickoff and at the Competition.
Important: Consent forms must also be completed by adults who are attending the Kickoff. Extra forms will be available on site.
Teams Registered for the Kickoff
Consent forms (electronic / team roster OR paper): required for admission to the kickoff. Team members who completed their consent forms online (with parental or legal guardian approval if under 18) through STIMS will be listed on the Team Rosters and will not need a parent consent form. If under the age of 18, be sure that you either have the online consent process completed by a parent or legal guardian, or that you bring a hard copy of the consent form with your parent or legal guardian’s signature.
Note that consent forms have changed since last year. If you use the paper forms, be sure to download the new forms.
More about the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
Contact the Regional Director for more information (pdepra@usfirst.org)
To Sponsor a Team: Contact the Team Leader directly, or email the Regional Director
About the Brainstorming Sessions
The purpose of the breakout brainstorming sessions is to serve as a platform for initial discussion and brainstorming on the rules, strategies, and design ideas for this year’s Game. The breakout sessions will allow you to see how some of the other FIRSTers have interpreted the game, get a little cross-pollination of ideas, and make sure the time spent brainstorming with your team is put to the best use. While it’s understandable that some teams may be reluctant to “give away their ideas,” FIRST games are designed to be complex, and the chance that someone on your team has actually “solved” the game within a half hour of seeing it for the first time is quite low. The first day of the build season is more about understanding the intricacies of the game than deciding on a solution. Experience shows it takes days or weeks of brainstorming, prototyping, and trial and error before you will arrive at the best solution for your team, and the breakout sessions are an attempt to get as strong a jumpstart on this as possible.
Kickoff FAQ’s (also see FRC email blasts and Bill’s Blog)
Why should I download the encrypted game manual? – Right after the broadcast, you’ll have questions and want to know more – and the game manual will have the answers. It’ll likely be very slow (or impossible) to download the game manual from the FIRST website right after the Kickoff broadcast. Also, public internet access will not be available on campus thru CMU (unless you have a CMU computer account).
Kickoff FAQ’s from Team Leaders:
I’m bringing an adult mentor and/or guest – do I need to register them on TIMS before the Kickoff?
Not necessarily – but they will need to sign in at registration and fill out a paper consent/release form. We’ll have extras on hand, but it’ll make registration go much smoother if they fill it out ahead of time (download & print from the usfirst.org site). http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/first-student-team-information-
All of my students submitted their consent forms electronically – do I still need to bring a print-out of the team roster from TIMS?
Yes – this is very important! – the team roster is the team’s “ticket” into the event and – especially for new teams – the only way we know that you are authorized to receive the Kit of Parts.
Everyone under the age of 18 will need to have a parent or legal guardian sign (or approve electronically) a consent form – either electronic (listed on Team Roster) – or paper (parent or legal guardian must approve electronically or sign paper forms).
