Welcome to the FIRST Robotics Competition Blog
Your source of season information for the FIRST Robotics Competition.
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Registration Issues Update
Sep 29, 2017 Written by Frank MerrickYesterday, I noted we had an issue with first-round event assignments, in which approximately 5% of teams were not assigned the correct event. I apologize again for this.
Kit of Parts – 2018 Drive Base Kit Option and International Game Pieces
Sep 29, 2017 Written by Jonathan Bryant, Kit of Parts EngineerEdit 9/29/17: Added start date/time of Drive Base Opt Out period, highlighted in yellow below.
Drive Base Kit Option
Your 2018 Kickoff Kit will again include a drive base kit! Maybe; it’s up to you.
Event Assignment Issues
Sep 28, 2017 Written by Frank MerrickWe found a bug in the software that was used today to assign teams to events. I apologize for this. Approximately 5% of teams were not assigned the correct event.
We kept the lottery numbers teams had been assigned during the first run of this process and re-ran the process with the bug corrected. We then compared the first-run results with what the results would have been if the bug had not been present.
It’s a Big Day! And Some Numbers
Sep 28, 2017 Written by Frank MerrickThe Big Day
The event preference system closes at noon Eastern Time today! Please, please, get your preferences in if you have not already done so.
Here’s the rough sequence of events for today:
Event Preference Submission Deadline Thursday!
Sep 27, 2017 Written by Frank MerrickJust in case you missed the 23 tweets, 12 emails, 7 blog posts and 2 carrier pigeons we sent directly to the home of every FIRST Robotics Competition mentor on this planet, the deadline to submit your event preferences is tomorrow, Thursday, September 28th, Noon, Eastern Time!
Event Preferences Update
Sep 25, 2017 Written by Frank MerrickAs of last night at 10 PM, 2,226 teams had submitted event preferences. This is 80% of all teams that are 'Event Ready' meaning they have completed all requirements necessary to let them submit their preferences.
Event Preference System and DLC Pack #1
Sep 21, 2017 Written by Frank MerrickThe Event Preference System we’ve been talking about for weeks is now open! We hit a bit of a rough patch when we first opened at Noon, but the system seems to be performing well now. For those of you who experienced issues, sorry about that. If something in the systems still does not seem right to you, please contact us.
Preference System User Guide and Events Posted
Sep 19, 2017 Written by Frank Merrick
The system will open at Noon Eastern Time this Thursday, September 21, and close at Noon Eastern Time next Thursday, September 28th.
The Teaser and Event Preferences
Sep 18, 2017 Written by Frank MerrickIt seems like the 2018 FIRST Robotics Competition Season teaser has been well received by the community. Between YouTube and Facebook, we’ve already exceeded 100,000 views. And most comments I’ve seen have been positive.
Training on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Sep 15, 2017 Written by Frank MerrickOne of the Five Strategic Pillars of FIRST is Increase Diversity. As Don Bossi, President of FIRST, said in this blog “we need kids of all backgrounds, capabilities and social circumstances to contribute and participate in addressing the world’s toughest challenges and making the world a better place for future generations.”