FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) Teams

Overview of FTC season

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc

May 15: Registration Opens

September 6: FTC Kickoff!

September – November: Build & Practice

Mid October: Sign-up for an Official Event

November – December: Official Events

January 10, 2015 (proposed): MI FTC State Championship*

March 26-28, 2015: North Super Regional, Iowa*

April 23-26, 2015: FIRST Championship, St. Louis, MO*

*MI FTC State Championship, Super Regional, and FIRST Championship events are advancement based; separate event fees will apply.

Where to Register an FTC Team and Order Start-up Items

Registration

As described in the Youth Protection Program documentation, your team needs two mentors to be registered as the leaders of your team. One of those mentors will act as the primary contact and will be in charge of registration and your team roster, in addition to other team duties.

Go to the FTC Team Information Management System (TIMS) site
Set up an account for your team

To register for the 2014 - 2015 FTC season, logon to your FIRST Account (TIMS) and complete the required steps below:

Create a new team (new teams only)
Edit your team information
Register your FTC team (all teams, each year)
Pay for 2014 - 2015 FTC Registration
Order materials
Register with FTC Partners for events and access the official forum

Registration will close when all slots are filled. This usually happens sometime after mid-September.

Orders for Robots and Robot Accessories

All teams must pay for their team registration and have two screened coaches before they can order materials. Materials are ordered directly from LEGO Education. A link will be provided to LEGO Education's website once the team meets the above criteria.

Events

The FTC team registration process and fee do not include participation in an event. The tournament application process varies by event and event participation fees will be set by and paid directly to the event organizer. Please see the FIRST in Michigan FTC website for a list of additional FTC events and information about the FTC season.

Note: If grants are applied towards a Kit of Parts for a rookie team, that team must participate in at least one tournament during the season. If it does not, the KOP must be returned and the grant amount reimbursed to FIRST.

What does it cost?

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/registration

http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default/files/2014-2015-FTC-Sample-Budget_1.pdf

Estimated Startup Cost: $1,800 – $2,200. Your team may have additional expenses like: office supplies, team shirts, snacks, and travel expenses.

FTC Team Registration: $275 (Required)
Samantha WiFi Module: $85 (Required)
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT: $140 (Required)
- NXT models only; EV3 is not permitted for use in FTC.
- This is a one-time cost; the NXT is reusable year after year.
Tetrix Competition Kit: $525
Tetrix Resource Kit: $199
Game field and game challenge items: $500
Field Control System: $100
Laptop Computer: approximately $300 (if one is not available)
Tournament Entry Fees: approximately $50-$100 (varies by location)

Sample FTC Budget

Grants

FIRST (National) Grants

$275 FTC Rookie Team Grant (700 available): For new team (cannot be used with Alcoa Grant). This grant is applied towards registration/parts order in the TIMS system.
$225 FLL Graduate Grant: For new team with at least 1 member graduating from FLL (must have competed in FLL one of the last four seasons)
$1,100 Alcoa Grant: For new teams within 20 miles of Farmington or Whitehall locations

FIRST (Michigan) Grants

These are reimbursement grants. Teams can apply for the grant after their kit of parts has been ordered and paid for. Reimbursement check will be mailed after registration/paid order is verified.

$600 General Motors grant (100 available): For new middle school teams
$400 grant from Consumers Energy: For new middle school teams in CE service area
$300 grant from Ford (10 available): For new or existing middle school teams that are mentored by a Ford employee

FIRST in Michigan 2014-15 grant information: click here.

FIRST FTC Grant Page

General Information

www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/team-grants-faq

Grant Procedures

docs.google.com/document/d/1SDSZhOxEtdPeIeorQhpZFXCGJ_AQakKzoamKMr1Qqo4/pub

GM, CE, Ford Grant Application

docs.google.com/forms/d/198kOGwOvEqqlahQcZNcf4sUeTY6KIv6Cr4BWuPl0nB4/viewform

Rookie Grant

usfirst.submittable.com/submit/d96875b5-cf8b-4c07-94d7-ec885baee35e

Alcoa Grant

docs.google.com/file/d/0By4NV3TncTpmaUZhSnNnV2Q2S2M/edit

Tools

FTC teams will use a wide variety of hand and power tools, including wrenches, drills, saws, pliers, dremel cutting/sanding tool, electrical tape, and duct tape. These will be used throughout the season for building the game field and the robot.