1. EDEN PRAIRIE ROBOTICS

2. FIRST Robotics Progression
PROGRAM
TARGET AGE
COMPETITION
First Lego League (FLL)
Grades 4-6
Research and Robot components (NXT Mindstorms)
First Tech Challenge (FTC)
Grades 7-8
Robot (uses NXT base with TETRIX components)
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
Grades 9-12
Serious robotic components!
FRC
FLL
FTC

3. Mentors, Mentors, Mentors
All three programs are dependent on the involvement of volunteers or mentors.
A mentor’s role is to help run a team in FLL & FTC, share a skill, provide supervision, provide snack
Without mentors, teams cannot exist.

4. What is First Lego League?
Robotics using Lego Mindstorms NXT

5. Example of Nature’s Fury competition field with elements in place.
Person with water: 15 30 30
People:
12 each
2 people one region : 33
3: 66 25
Pets with people : 15 20
30 if clear 25
5 per each stack 30
Equipment in red : 3 each 20 20 10
People:
18 each 16 23 31
Robot in red : 25
Yellow: 20
Blue: 30

6. What is First Lego League?
Research Component

7. First Lego League: Research
Research a topic related to the Challenge Theme.
Create an innovative solution to a problem in the Challenge Field.
Present your research and solution in a fun and creative way at the competition.

8. Competition Regionals in November-December State in Late January
4 Scoring Categories
Robot Design
Robot Game
Project
Core Values

9. What does the season look like?
Spring/Summer – Teams Form
August – challenge mats released – teams start meeting (some teams are just now forming)
September – Official Challenge released Labor Day. Teams start meeting 2 times a week
October – November – teams continue meeting 2 times a week, increasing as competition approaches
November is crunch time
November – December – Regionals
Late January – State tournament for advancing teams

10. Benefits for FLL Participants
Learn how to think through engineering challenges and process flows
Exposure to computer programming
Research and presentation skills
Teamwork

11. Volunteers are Needed!
2 needed per team. Ideally – one takes charge of robotics the other on research.
All volunteers will be background checked.
No managers, no team.

12. What is FIRST Tech? Challenge?
A competitive, head-to-head robotics competition that uses a sports model.
Robots are larger and more complex than the FLL robots
Same base field each year but different challenge

13. TEAMWORK Game Strategy Mechanical Engineering Research & Documentation
Electrical Engineering
Marketing & Fundraising
Software Engineering

14. Season Schedule Fall Aug. - See your robot at the MN State Fair
Sept. - Season challenge released
Sept. to Nov. - Meet 2x week
Winter
Dec. - CRUNCH TIME – Extra meetings as required by team to complete robots
Jan. – Regional qualifiers and driving practice
Feb. – Regional competition
Apr. – World competition in St. Louis MO.

15. First Robotics Challenge
Eden Prairie High School
Grades 9-12

16. Upcoming EP Robotics Events
Car Show - August EPHS

17. Closing
Questions?
Next steps - REGISTRATION
Demos