2013-2014 FTC BLOCK PARTY! Judge Manual sm
2013-2014 FTC BLOCK PARTY! Judge Manual sm 2| Note: This manual is solely for the training of Judges. Any other uses or distributions, including to other Volunteers, Coaches, or Teams is a violation of the Core Values of FIRST. Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 |3 Thank you! Thank you for taking the time to volunteer for a FIRST Tech Challenge Event. FIRST and FTC rely heavily on Volunteers to ensure Events run smoothly and are a fun experience for Teams and their families, which could not happen without people like you. With over 3,000 Teams competing annually, your dedication and commitment are paramount to the success of each Event and the FTC program. Thank you for your time and effort in supporting the mission of FIRST! Revision 1 1.1 Date 9/30/2013 10/7/2013 1.2 10/15/2013 Revision History Description Initial Release Section 9, Judge Advisor needs to access PowerPoint to display Awards. Added Gracious Professionalism™ Video link to Appendix A Added link to Training Video Added Control Award Ceremony Script 4| 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Organizational Chart ............................................................................................................................. 6 3. Role Descriptions and Definitions ......................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Judge ................................................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Judge Assistant.................................................................................................................................... 8 3.3 Judge Match Observers ....................................................................................................................... 8 4. Judging Panel Attire .............................................................................................................................. 9 5. Top 10 List of Advice for Judges ............................................................................................................ 9 6. Judging Questions ................................................................................................................................. 9 7. Additional Questions........................................................................................................................... 10 8. Judge Deliberation Process ................................................................................................................. 10 8.1 Final Award List and Ceremony Scripts ............................................................................................. 11 9. Awards ................................................................................................................................................ 11 10. FTC Award Eligibility ........................................................................................................................ 12 13.1 FTC Inspire Award ........................................................................................................................... 12 13.2 Rockwell Collins Innovate Award .................................................................................................... 13 13.3 PTC Design Award ........................................................................................................................... 14 13.4 Connect Award ................................................................................................................................ 14 13.5 Motivate Award .............................................................................................................................. 14 13.6 Think Award .................................................................................................................................... 15 13.7 Control Award (Optional Pilot)........................................................................................................ 16 13.8 Promote Award (Optional) .............................................................................................................. 16 13.9 Compass Award (Optional) ............................................................................................................. 17 13.9 Judges Award .................................................................................................................................. 17 11. Performance Awards ...................................................................................................................... 17 Winning Alliance Award .......................................................................................................................... 17 Finalist Award ......................................................................................................................................... 18 12. Appendix A – Resources and Certifications .................................................................................... 19 13. Appendix B - FTC Volunteer Forum Registration Instructions ........................................................ 20 14. Appendix C - Award Ceremony Scripts ........................................................................................... 21 15. Appendix D - Judges Notes Sheet ................................................................................................... 25 Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 |5 16. Appendix E - Judge Summary Sheet................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 17. Appendix F - FTC Award Record Sheet............................................................................................ 29 18. Appendix G – Sample List for Deliberation ..................................................................................... 30 6| 1. Introduction Welcome and thank you for agreeing to serve as a FIRST Tech Challenge Competition Judge or Judge Assistant! You were asked to serve on the FIRST Tech Challenge Judging panel because your professional accomplishments make you an ideal role model for the high school students, engineers and other professionals who participate on the FIRST Tech Challenge. 2. Organizational Chart The Judge and Judge Assistants report to the Judge Advisor. Refer to the Organizational Chart below for the relationship between roles and Volunteer reporting at Tournaments. 3. Role Descriptions and Definitions 3.1 Judge Judges are required to participate in training prior to the Event. This training is provided by FIRST Headquarters via a pre-recorded video. Please reach out to your Tournament Director or Judge Advisor to make sure that you can access the training video prior to an Event. Judges are responsible for selecting Team Award recipients through interaction with Teams and review of a Team’s Engineering Notebook. Judges serve as role models for the competitors. Judges will receive a Judges handbook from the Judge Advisor or Volunteer Coordinator prior to attending the Event, and are required to read it prior to the Event. Prior to the Event, the Judges must: Review the FIRST Tech Challenge Game Manual. Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 |7 Review the details of the Judging process supplied by the Judge Advisor. Review the Award descriptions and guidelines. Print and sign the FIRST Consent and Release Form and the FIRST Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Statement. During the Event, Judges will: Conduct Team interviews or serve as Match observers. Review Team Engineering Notebooks. Observe Competition Matches. Determine the 3 top ranked Teams for each Judge Award. Come to consensus with other Judges on the recipient of each Award. Share their notes on top ranked and winning Teams with the Judge Advisor and other Judges for use in Award Ceremony script. A FIRST Judge takes on four distinct roles during the Competition: FIRST Ambassador: The Judges are ambassadors for the FIRST mission throughout the Competition. This role is paramount at all times during the Event. Giving positive feedback to the students (and adults) is very important. Role Model: No matter if you are an engineer, a scientist, or a parent Volunteer, Judges serve as a role model to students and Teams. Demonstrate a sense of humor, and above all be gracious and professional. Remember that the mission of FIRST is to inspire students. Detective: It is up to the Judges to discover the contestants deserving of the Awards. You must find the facts and sort them out in a minimum of time. Many Robots can be similar and have almost identical features. Find the differences by visiting the Teams in the Pits, viewing how a Team interacts with their peers, and watching their performance on the Competition Field. Reporter: Part of the Judge duties includes writing a short script that explains why each Team was recognized for their Award. This script is read at the Award ceremony, and Judge notes will be used to describe each Team’s performance. Take notes! At the Competition, the Judge Advisor will divide Judges into groups of two or three. Each group is provided with a list of Teams to interview. They are also provided an interview schedule, Event schedule, and the Engineering Notebooks that correspond to the Teams that they have been assigned. It is important to note that no Judge should ever be in a one-on-one situation with a student. There can be anywhere from 12-48 Teams competing at each FTC Championship Tournament and 128 Teams competing at the World Championship. It takes a group effort to make sure that all Teams are interviewed and their accomplishments are fairly assessed. The Judges must arrive at a consensus with a group of strangers, using their best detective work to make fair decisions. 8| It is important to note that FIRST Judges are not Game Referees on the Playing Field. Judges to not need to understand all of the rules that apply to the Game, however you should be familiar with what the Game is to be able to conduct their interviews properly. Any specific Game questions should go to the Head Referee. 3.2 Judge Assistant The Judge Assistant is responsible for assisting the Judge Advisor throughout the Event, providing computer support (word processing), and performing other duties as assigned. The Judge Assistant is not a Judge, does not interview Teams, and does not participate in Awards recipient selection process. The Judge Assistant is responsible for setting up the Judge’s room on the evening before or morning of the Event. They are also responsible for breaking it down after the Judges have reached their decisions. At the Event, the Judge Assistant will: Act as time keeper for Judge sessions. Update Judges on any schedule changes that occur throughout the day. Provide Judges with Engineering Notebooks. Provide an extra pair of eyes and ears for the Judges. Sign the FIRST Consent and Release Form and the FIRST Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Statement. Notify the Judge Advisor of any conflict of interest. 3.3 Judge Match Observers Most of the Judges will be involved in the Judge interviews, and won’t have a whole lot of time to see the Robots in action. We also recommend that two or three Judges be asked to serve as Judge Match Observers. Their role is to watch the action on the Field, and collect data on the quality of the Robot performance in the actual contest. These observers should keep notes on each Team during a Match, collecting observations about: Autonomous operation. Reliability during the heat of the Competition. Other attributes of the Team that make them stand out. Many of the Awards that are discussed during deliberations have qualities that need to be observed during the Competition. The interview Judges often get only one or two chances to see the Robots in action. The Judge Match Observer will be able to see all of the Teams more than once, and collect information on each. We recommend having a Match observer sheet for each Team to help keep things organized. The Match observers will be involved in the deliberation process by providing much needed feedback to the other Judges about the operational qualities of the Robots. Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 |9 4. Judging Panel Attire FIRST Judges are often provided with a shirt to wear during the Competition. The Judge’s shirt identifies you as a Judge to Teams, other Volunteers, and spectators. You may be doing a lot of walking, so we recommend that you wear comfortable shoes. 5. Top 10 List of Advice for Judges 1. FTC Judging is subjective. Read the Manual and make the fairest judgments you can. You can’t be wrong. 2. You are not required to nominate Teams for every Award. If you don’t have a contender, don’t nominate. 3. Judging is an interactive discussion with the Team. Ask questions and listen. 4. Pay attention to the clock. Stay on schedule. 5. Keep your evaluation sheet organized. 6. Take good notes to help you remember each Team. What made them stand out? Were there areas for improvement? 7. A camera or camera phone can be helpful. Take a picture of each Team with their Robot as a memory aid. 8. Be gracious and professional. 9. Never discuss Team rankings with anyone other than FTC Judges, and never discuss Team rankings in public. 10. Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth without washing your hands. Use hand sanitizer often. 6. Judging Questions Most of the Judges will participate in Judge interviews with the Teams. During the interview process, some Teams come prepared with a presentation, and other Teams expect Judges to ask them questions. Either Team approach is acceptable. Here are some sample questions: What does it mean to be a Gracious Professional™? What does your Robot do? How did you come up with the overall design? What role does each of your Team members play on your Team? How do you manage your time? How does your Team attract Mentors? What did you learn by being a part of the Team? How do you fundraise? Does our Team perform any type of community service? Does your Team reach out to other Teams? In what way? Describe a way that your Team has displayed Gracious Professionalism™. Which of your student Team members participated in an outreach activity? How many student members are there on your Team? 10 | Which of your student members participate in community service? 7. Additional Questions Judges sometimes find it hard to determine how much initiative and ownership an FTC Team demonstrated when it is also associated with either another FTC Team or an FRC Team. The additional questions below may help the Judges understand the role of the members of one specific Team in relation to the other FIRST Teams with which it is connected. What role did your Team play in determining what outreach activities and community service your multiple FIRST Teams did? Were there any activities where your Team took the lead? How did you work with the other FTC/FRC Team(s)? 8. Judge Deliberation Process Reaching consensus on your Awards list is not an easy task! The Judge Advisor is responsible for the process used during deliberations, but there are generally several stages in the process. 1. Create the initial list of potential Teams for each Award on a whiteboard or notepad. Have a brief (10-20 second) comment about each Team on the list and why they are nominated (See Appendix G for a sample of what this may look like). 2. After the first pass through the list, Judges will be asked to nominate Teams for removal from the list based upon what they have heard of all the candidates. We want each remaining Team on the list to be a contender. 3. After two passes through the lists, you are likely going to have only contenders on the lists. Judges are now reassigned from their interview panels into groups responsible for each Award. Each group now owns a particular Award. They can go visit the Teams in the Pits and discuss the candidate further. 4. Judges will typically meet Teams in the Pits, watch Matches, and gather additional information to help with their decisions. 5. A second round of deliberations is done after these sub panels have had time to further evaluate the nominee Teams. The goal is to eliminate all but three Teams from the list, then prioritize the three Teams on the list. The Inspire Award is the Award that goes to the Team who was outstanding in many categories. It may be the case that the Inspire Award winner is obvious; however in other cases it isn’t quite as obvious. As a group, you need to nominate 3 Teams for the Inspire Award and rank them in order. Only one will win the Award but the Event advancement factors in the second and third place Teams for this Award. It is common and expected that the nominees for the Inspire Award are likely nominees for other Awards as well. It is best practice to leave the Inspire Award to the end of the deliberation process, when you have narrowed down the nominees in all other categories. Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 11 8.1 Final Award List and Ceremony Scripts The Judge Advisor will facilitate the process of writing the Awards scripts. There is a format to the Awards scripts that we like to use. A good Award script is usually three sentences. The structure of the sentences is important. 1. Sentence one could apply to many Teams, but has a subtle hint. 2. Sentence two has a hint in which the winning Team might understand. 3. Sentence three has a bigger hint, leaving the Team somewhat sure who it is, but is not 100% positive. 4. The last sentence is: “And the Award goes to…” Example: For example, Team 3344 is called the Robo-Knights, from Carnation, WA. They are winners of the PTC Design Award. Their Team colors are blue, they have a Robot with an impressive arm design, and the Robot has a shiny blue finish. The Award script might say: “This VALIANT effort required many nights designing a Robot with an impressive array of features. In particular, a strong arm and a solid design has their opponents turning BLUE with envy. A SHINING example worthy of a knight at the round table of Camelot, the PTC Design Award goes to Team 3344 the Robo-Knights from Carnation, WA.” Key points about Award scripts: Judges should write them. They have the notes and details needed. Always read them aloud when making final edits. They often read and speak differently. Do the MC a favor: Avoid long sentences and long words. Someone else needs to read your script. Pay attention to words to emphasize, and capitalize them for the MC. Don’t reveal the winner in the first sentence. “We think Team 1234 deserves the PTC Design Aware because…” is a common submission from the Judges. Ask them to rewrite it to reveal the result only at the end. Keep in mind that scripts are only needed for the winners of the Award. Finalist nominees do not get scripts. 9. Awards The FIRST Tech Challenge recognizes both on-Field performance and the attributes that help FIRST achieve its mission to change culture by inspiring young people. The honors bestowed by FIRST Tech Challenge Judges are a combination of Awards based on the Robot, creativity and innovation, Team performance, outreach and enthusiasm. These Awards are designed to help FIRST achieve its mission of demonstrating that science and technology can be fun and rewarding. 12 | Judges make their recommendations based on what they see and hear from the Team on the day of the Competition. Awards received at past Events or in prior seasons should have no bearing on a Team’s eligibility or ineligibility for an Award. Some Teams will ask that they not be considered for a specific Award if they’ve won that same Award at another Event. This is an acceptable request and we recommend that it be honored. However, if the Team appears to be a strong contender for that specific Award, they will still be recognized as one of the top three contenders for the Award during Award ceremony. Note: This is not accurate for the Inspire Award; please see the Awards descriptions section of this Manual for specifics. We recommend that a Team only receives one Judged Award at an Event. At many Events, a member of the Winning Alliance is also the Inspire Award winner. Please remember that it is very appropriate for a Team to be the recipient of both a Judged and a performance Award, and the final decision for Judged Awards should be made prior to the end of the Competition. When nominating a Team for an Award, we encourage you to nominate the Team for every Award for which you believe they are a strong contender. Deserving Teams should be considered for any and all Awards without limit. During deliberations, the list of Teams for each Award should be narrowed to three Teams, and then a decision about the winning Team for each Award must be made. Remember that all three of the finalist Teams for each Award will be recognized in the Award Ceremony. **Important update for 2013-2014 Season: The Scoring System no longer has an option to input and display Awards. This is to be handled by the Judge Advisor via a separate PowerPoint. 10. FTC Award Eligibility 13.1 FTC Inspire Award This formally Judged Award 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’ FTC Team. This Team is a top contender for all other Judging categories and is a strong competitor on the Field. The Inspire Award Winner is an inspiration to other Teams, acting with Gracious Professionalism™ both on and off the Playing Field. This Team understands how to communicate their experiences and knowledge to other Teams, sponsors, and the Judges. The winner of the Inspire Award at each Event will receive an automatic invitation to the next Event level within their state or region. Once a Team has won an Inspire Award at a Qualifying Tournament, they are no longer eligible to be considered for an Inspire Award at any other Qualifying Tournament within their Qualifying Region. Once a Team has won an Inspire Award at a Championship Tournament, they are no longer eligible to be considered for an Inspire Award at any other Championship Tournament within their Super Region. Once a Team has won an Inspire Award at a Super Regional Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 13 Championship Tournament, they are no longer eligible to be considered for an Inspire Award at any other Super Regional Championship. Guidelines for the Inspire Award The Team must demonstrate respect and Gracious Professionalism™ both for Team members and fellow Teams. The Team is a strong contender for all other Judged Awards. The Inspire Award is based on the guidelines for all of the Judged Awards. The Engineering Notebooks must be submitted, and must include an Engineering Section, a Team Section and a Business or Strategic plan. The entire Engineering Notebook must impress the Judges. The Team demonstrates and documents their work in their community spreading awareness of the Team, FIRST, and FTC within the community. The Team displays good communication and Teamwork skills within the Team as well as with their Alliance partners. The Team communicates clearly about their Robot design and strategy to the Judges. The Team presents themselves well in the Judges’ interview. The Robot effectively competes in the Game challenge and impresses the Judges. The Team and Robot consistently perform well during Matches. 13.2 Rockwell Collins Innovate Award The Rockwell Collins Innovate 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 judged 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 FTC game. Elements of this award include elegant design, robustness, and ‘out of the box’ thinking related to design. This award may address the design of the whole Robot, or of a sub-assembly attached to the Robot. The creative component must work consistently, but a Robot does not have to work all the time during Matches to be considered for this award. The Team’s Engineering Notebook should be marked with journal entries to show the design of the component(s) and the Team’s Robot in order to be eligible for this award, and entries should describe succinctly how the Team arrived at that solution. Guidelines for the Rockwell Collins Innovative Award Guidelines for the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award: Team demonstrates respect and Gracious Professionalism™ to all Robot or Robot sub-assembly must be elegant and unique in its design Creative component must work reliably Team must submit an Engineering Notebook with an Engineering Section Robot is stable, robust and controllable Robot design is efficient and consistent with Team plan and strategy 14 | 13.3 PTC Design Award This judged 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 design elements could simplify the Robot’s appearance by giving it a clean look, be decorative in nature, or otherwise express the creativity of the Team. The winning design should not compromise the practical operation of the Robots but complement its purpose. This award is sponsored by Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC), developers of the CAD tools, Creo and Mathcad. PTC gives licenses to the FTC student Teams for these software products to help them with their designs. Use of these tools is not required to be eligible, however, Teams that use them in their design are given extra consideration for this award. Guidelines for the PTC Design Award: Team demonstrates respect and Gracious Professionalism™ to all Team must submit an Engineering Notebook with an Engineering Section that includes detailed Robot design drawings Robot differentiates itself from others Design is both aesthetic and functional Basis for the design is well considered (i.e. inspiration, function, etc.) 13.4 Connect Award This judged 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 its schools and communities play an essential part to their success. The recipient of this award is recognized for helping the community understand FIRST, the FTC, and the Team itself. The Team that wins this award is aggressively seeking engineers and exploring the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science and technology. In addition, this Team has a clear Business or Strategic Plan and has identified steps to achieve their goals. Guidelines for the Connect Award: Team demonstrates respect and Gracious Professionalism™ to all An Engineering Notebook must be submitted and must include a Business or Strategic plan. Team provides clear examples of outreach to community Team has worked to develop an in-person or a virtual connection with the engineering, science or technology community Team has a business or strategic plan that identifies their future goals and the steps they will take to reach those goals. The plan could include fundraising goals, sustainability goals, timelines, outreach and community service goals. 13.5 Motivate Award This judged award celebrates the Team that exemplifies the essence of the FTC Competition through Team building, Team spirit and enthusiasm. They celebrate their Team, their individuality and their spirit Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 15 through costumes and fun outfits, a Team cheer and their outstanding spirit. This Team has also made a collective effort to make FIRST known throughout their school and community. Guidelines for the Motivate Award: Team demonstrates respect and Gracious Professionalism™ to all Team functions as a cohesive unit to discover the goals of the program Team can articulate the journey of becoming a Team of individuals with different roles Team has formed and can articulate internal processes to assign roles and communicate between Team members Team attitude of celebration and spirit is consistent throughout the Team and the Competition Team is enthusiastic Team functions well as a unit Team enthusiasm is evident in community outreach 13.6 Think Award This judged 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 section of the notebook is the key reference for judges to help identify the most deserving Team. The Team’s Engineering Notebook should focus on the design and build stage of the Team’s Robot. Journal entries of interest to judges for this award will include those describing the underlying science and mathematics of the Robot design and game strategies, the designs, re-designs, successes, and those ‘interesting moments’ when things weren’t going as planned. A Team is not a candidate for this award if they have not completed the Engineering Section of the Engineering Notebook. Guidelines for the Think Award: Team demonstrates respect and Gracious Professionalism™ to all Team must submit an Engineering Notebook with an Engineering Section Team notebook must be clearly identified with the Team # and Team Name Engineering Notebook must demonstrate that the Team has a clear understanding of the engineering design process, with pictures or drawings and details documenting all stages of Robot design Engineering Notebook must be organized and follow the formatting guidelines provided by FIRST and include a Summary Page Teams must tab/flag 6 to 8 pages of the Engineering Section to support entries on the summary page. It is acceptable to include designs/ideas that are adapted from an outside source, providing that this is noted and credit is cited to the original source Supporting drawings and diagrams must be included in the correct chronological order, not in a separate section. 16 | Note: Teams should review the Engineering Notebook section of this manual for a complete description and format specifications. 13.7 Control Award (Optional Pilot) The Control Award celebrates a Team that uses sensors and software to enhance the Robot’s functionality in the Field. This award is given to the Team that demonstrates innovative thinking in the control system to solve Game Challenges such as Autonomous operation, enhancing mechanical systems with intelligent control, or using sensors to achieve better results on the Field. The control component should work consistently on the Field. The Team’s Engineering Notebook should contain details about the implementation of the software, sensors, and mechanical control. Please check with your local Affiliate Partner to find out if this Award will be offered in your region. Guidelines for the Control Award: Team demonstrates respect and Gracious Professionalism™ to all Team must submit an Engineering Notebook with an Engineering Section. Control components must be documented in the Engineering Notebook. Control components must enhance the functionality of the Robot on the Field. Control components must work reliably Advanced software techniques and algorithms are encouraged. Prototyped sensors and custom hardware are encouraged. 13.8 Promote Award (Optional) This judged award is optional and may not be given at all Tournaments. Please contact your Tournament organizer to determine of it will be given at an Event you attend. The Promote Award is given Tea that is most successful in creating a compelling video message for the public designed to change our culture and celebrate science, technology, engineering and math. Guidelines for the Promote Award: Team must present a thoughtful and high-quality video which appeals to the general public. Strong production value is important, but the message and impact of the video are of greater weight for the Judges. Creativity in interpreting the annually assigned theme is desired. Submissions for this award will be considered for the Inspire Award but are not required. Team must have rights to any music used in the video. Winning videos will be submitted to FIRST and used to promote the higher values of the FTC. Teams may win the Promote Award only once at a Championship Level Event and only once at a Qualifying Level Event. Team must submit a one-minute long public service announcement (PSA) video one full week prior to the event to be eligible for this award. Additional submissions are welcome but will not be eligible for Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 17 awards. The submission process for this award may vary by tournament. Please check with your tournament’s organizer for details. PSA Subject for 2013-2014 Season Create a one-minute PSA video that begins with the following sentence: “Leadership is” 13.9 Compass Award (Optional) An FTC Team is about more than building Robots, and competing in Tournaments, it is a journey to a destination through trial and error, success and failure, with the challenging new technology and obstacles to navigate where no road maps are provided. How does a Team find their way? The Compass Award recognizes an adult Coach or Mentor who has provided outstanding guidance and support for a Team throughout the year. The winner of the Compass Award will be determined from candidates nominated by FTC Team members, via a 40-60 second video submission, highlighting how their Mentor has helped them become a champion Team. We want to hear what sets the Mentor apart. Guidelines for the Compass Award Only one video submission per Team will be considered. Teams may submit new or updated videos at each tournament. The video must be submitted at least one week prior to tournament day. Instructions for submitting videos may vary from tournament to tournament. Please check with your tournament’s organizer for details. Videos must not be longer than 60 seconds (including introduction and credits if you choose to use them). Videos must be submitted in AVI, WMV or MOV format. Remember that the winning video may be shown on a large screen during the awards ceremony. Use the best resolution you have available for your final version. Team must have rights to any music used on the video. Team must submit an Engineering Notebook. 13.9 Judges Award During the course of the Competition, the Judging panel may encounter a Team whose unique efforts, performance or dynamics merit recognition, yet doesn’t fit into any of the existing Award categories. To recognize these unique Teams, FIRST offers a customizable Judges Award. The Judging panel may select a Team to be honored, as well as the name of the Judges Award. 11. Performance Awards Winning Alliance Award This Award will be given to the winning Alliance represented in the final Match. 18 | Finalist Award This Award will be given to the finalist Alliance represented in the final Match. Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 19 12. Appendix A – Resources and Certifications Training video – https://usfirst.box.com/s/m2ppgdj8z9zysovb4hdy Certification Test – Certification is not required for this role Game Forum Q&A - http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/forum.php Volunteer Forum - The Volunteer Forum allows you to ask other Volunteers questions or share tips and best practices. In order to access the Volunteer Forum, you must register through the Game forum page. Please see Appendix B for instructions. Game Manuals – Part 1 and 2 - http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/game Monthly Discussion Calls- We do not currently have a scheduled monthly discussion call for this role. If you would like to have a call set up to talk with other Volunteers about tips and best practices, please post your interest to the Volunteer Forum. FIRST Headquarters Support Phone support is provided throughout the Event season Friday through Sunday. If you are Volunteering at an Event and need immediate assistance, please use the following number: Phone: 603-206-2412 Email: [email protected] Gracious Professionalism Video - https://usfirst.box.com/s/hupdkypes5ph379a99be 20 | 13. Appendix B - FTC Volunteer Forum Registration Instructions FTC Staff manually moderates the forums in order to weed out spam bots. We use various sections of the registration information (Location, Role, and Team Number) to help us decide that you aren’t a bot spamming our account. We do this daily, so you will get a quick response once you submit your registration. Here’s how you successfully register without being mistaken for a spam bot: Go to the forum: Ftcforum.usfirst.org/forum.php You can get there by clicking on FTC at the usfirst.org website, hovering over “team resources” (in the left column), and selecting “forum”. Click the Forum Link. You will then see the following page, in which you should click “Register” at the upper right-hand corner of the page. On the registration page fill out your full name, email address, and create a password. You will also be asked a question. The question field is one of the tools we use to weed out spammers, but if you do not know the answer, click your browser’s refresh button and fill in the fields again and a new random question should appear. The following fields must be entered as stated in this manual in order to be granted access to the forum: In the Location field, type the city and state that you will be volunteering in, ie: Manchester, NH In the Team Role field, type the position you will hold at that event, ie: Field Tech Advisor In the Team Number field, type Event Volunteer (the field will only permit Event Vo, but that works) The last fields are optional, however you must check the box that says “I have read, and agree to abide by the FTC Forum rules.” Once all of these steps have been completed, click “Complete Registration”. You will then receive an email from FTC Forums to complete the registration. Click the link in the email, and follow the instructions. This will activate your account, however you will still need to be granted access which is done manually. Within one business day, you’ll receive an email from our forum welcoming you officially. Now you will be able to post in the various forums, and you will see the Volunteer forums. Use the Ask the Game Design Committee threads to post questions you would like the game design committee or FTC staff to answer. Use the Best Practices threads to talk to other volunteers about your questions and experiences. Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 21 14. Appendix C - Award Ceremony Scripts Judges (Optional at the Affiliate Partner’s and Judges’ discretion) The Judges Award is given at the discretion of the Judges to a Team they have encountered whose unique efforts, performance or dynamics merit recognition, yet the Team does not fit into any of the existing Award categories. Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The [Award Named by Judges] Award is presented to [insert winning Team number, Team name, Team location] Compass (Optional at the Affiliate Partner’s discretion) The Compass Award recognizes an adult Coach or Mentor who provided outstanding guidance and support for an FTC Team throughout the year. The winner of the Compass Award is determined from candidates nominated by FTC Team members via a 40-60 second video submission highlighting how their Mentor has helped them become an outstanding Team. The three finalists for the Compass Award are [insert Mentor name, Team numbers, Team names, Team city, and state or province here] Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The Compass Award is presented to [insert winning Mentor name, Team number, Team name, Team location] Promote (Optional at the Affiliate Partner’s discretion) The Promote Award is given to the Team that is most successful in creating a compelling message for the public designed to change our culture and celebrate science, technology, engineering, and math. The FTC Public Service Announcement Video was evaluated by the Judges to determine the winner of this Award. Teams must present a thoughtful and high-quality video which appeals to the general public. The three finalists for the Promote Award are [insert Team numbers, Team names, Team city, and state or province here] Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The Promote Award is presented to [insert winning Team number, Team name, Team location] 22 | Motivate Award This Judged Award celebrates the Team that exemplifies the essence of the FIRST Tech Challenge Competition through Team spirit and enthusiasm. This Team shows their spirit through costumes and fun outfits, a Team cheer or outstanding spirit, or through their collective efforts to make FIRST known throughout their school or community. The three finalists for the Motivate Award are: [insert Team numbers, Team names, Team city, and state or province here] Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The Motivate Award is presented to [insert winning Team number, Team name, Team location] Connect Award The Connect Award is presented to the Team that the Judges feel most connected with their local community and the engineering community. The best Team is more than the 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. In addition, the Team that wins this Award is aggressively seeking engineers and exploring the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science, and technology. The three finalists for the Connect Award are: [insert Team numbers, Team names, Team city, and state or province here] Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The Connect Award is presented to [insert winning Team number, Team name, Team location] Rockwell Collins Innovate Award The Rockwell Collins Innovate 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 the Judges feel has the most Innovative and Creative Robot design solution to the FIRST Tech Challenge to any or all specific Field Elements or components. Elements of this Award include elegant design, robustness, and ‘out of the box’ thinking with regard to design. This Award may address the design of the whole Robot or some sub-assembly component attached to the Robot. The creative component needs to work consistently, but a Robot does not have to work all of the time during Matches to be considered for this Award. The Team’s Engineering Notebook showed the Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 23 design of the component(s) and the Team’s Robot, and described succinctly how the Team arrived at that solution. The three finalists for the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award are: [insert Team numbers, Team names, Team city, and state or province here] Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The Rockwell Collins Innovate Award is presented to [insert winning Team number, Team name, Team location] PTC Design Award The intent of the PTC Design Award is to expand the challenge, inspiring Teams to incorporate industrial design into their Robots. These elements can be shown in the simplicity of the design as it applies to the tasks, the look and feel of the Robot, and how the design allows us to think of Robots in new ways. The Design aspect must serve a function, but they should also differentiate the Robot in a unique fashion, not an easy task with a limited set of parts and Game challenge. The three finalists for the PTC Design Award are: [insert Team numbers, Team names, Team city, and state or province here] Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The PTC Design Award is presented to [insert winning Team number, Team name, Team location] Think Award The Think Award is given to the Team that the Judges feel best understood the role of the Engineering Notebook in the design process. The Engineering Notebook is the key reference for Judges to help them identify the most deserving Team. This Team’s Engineering Notebook focused on the design and build stages of the Team’s Robot. The three finalists for the Think Award are [insert Team numbers, Team names, Team city, and state or province here] Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The Think Award is presented to [insert winning Team number, Team name, Team location] 24 | Control Award The Control Award celebrates a Team that uses sensors and software to enhance the Robot’s functionality in the Field. This award is given to the Team that demonstrates innovative thinking in the control system to solve Game Challenges such as Autonomous operation, enhancing mechanical systems with intelligent control, or using sensors to achieve better results on the Field. The three finalists for the Control Award are: [insert Team numbers, Team names, Team city, and state or province here] Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The Control Award is presented to [insert winning Team number, Team name, Team location] Inspire Award The Inspire Award is given to the Team that the Judges felt truly embodied the ‘challenge’ of the FTC program. This Team serves as an inspiration to what this program and the young minds involved, can accomplish. The Team that receives this Award has performed well in all Judging categories and was chosen by the Judges as a model FIRST Tech Challenge Team. The Judges used Match performance, observations made during interviews and in the Pit area, the Team’s Engineering Notebook, and performance on the Playing Field in determining the winner. The third place Inspire Award Team is: [insert Team number, Team names, Team city, and state or province here] The second place Inspire Award Team is: [insert Team number, Team names Team city and state or province here] Here is what the Judges have to say about the winner of this Award [INSERT JUDGES’ COMMENTS HERE] The Inspire Award is presented to [insert winning Team number, Team name, Team location] Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 25 15. Appendix D - Judges Notes Sheet Please use this optional tool to help keep track of your impressions of the Teams you interview. The Judges’ Note Sheet is intended to help Judges organize information they hear about each Team when used in conjunction with the Judging Guidelines. This is not intended as a discrete scoring sheet. 26 | 16. Appendix E – Judge Summary Sheet Team Number: Team Name Needs Improvement Fair Good Excellent Think Award-Engineering Notebook is required Notebook is well organized and follows the proper format Notebook describes the physical construction of the Robot Notebook describes Team strategy, objectives, and reasoning behind the design Content reflects the creative design process: identifying the problem, research, brainstorming, choosing the best solution, developing and prototyping Rockwell Collins Innovative Award-Engineering Notebook Required A robust, well-engineered Robot that demonstrates the execution of a planned design that shows creativity and “out of the box” thinking. Robot has a competitive drive system tailored to support the strengths of the Team’s Game strategy. Robot has an exceptional manipulator for Game objects that performs consistently and effectively. Team has a well-planned strategy for maximizing their ability to play the Game that takes scoring systems, Alliance interaction, changes and Events during a Match into consideration. PTC Design Award – Engineering Notebook is Required Robot differentiates itself from others. Team utilizes PTC Software to prototype or assist with Robot design. Design element is both aesthetic and functional. Incorporates industrial design elements into the solution. Well considered basis for the design (i.e. inspiration, function, etc). Connect Award Demonstrates awareness of community and desire to have a positive impact on society. Provides clear examples of outreach in their community. Reached out to those with careers in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics to learn more about professional Fields. Demonstrates cooperation with other Teams during the build season as well as during the Competition. Shows strong communication skills in articulating how, as individuals and as a Team, they have grown and interacted with others during the season. Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 27 Has a business plan or other way of determining their fundraising needs and a plan to achieve their fundraising goal (if fundraising is allowed by Team’s organization). Motivate Award Shows Spirit and enthusiasm for the FTC program, engineering and community outreach, etc. Shows their spirit through costumes and fun outfits, a Team cheer or outstanding spirit. Makes a collective effort to make FIRST known throughout their school or community. Functions well as a Team Inspire Award – This is the top Award for the Competition – Engineering Notebook is Required Demonstrates Gracious Professionalism, exemplary communication skills, and Teamwork, within the Team as well as with their Alliances. Has an impressive design that is well executed and consistently performs well during Matches. Exemplifies the spirit of discovery and the process of using science and engineering to create elegant solutions to an open-ended problem. Has a Team direction with defined goals both on and off the Playing Field, and has enacted and executed plans to fulfill those goals. Works beyond their Robot to help spread awareness of the Team within the community. Engineering Notebook is submitted, and impresses the Judges. Additional notes on Team: Additional notes on Robot: 28 | Promote Award (Optional at Partner’s Discretion) Needs Improvement Fair Good Excellent Needs Improvement Fair Good Excellent Video has a compelling message for the public designed to celebrate science, technology, engineering and math Thoughtful, high quality video appeals to the general public String Production Value Annual Theme interpreted creatively Video Notes: Compass Award (Optional) Mentor Name: Team Number: Team articulates value of their relationship with Mentor with Mentor showing clear examples Thoughtful, high quality video Mentor provides outstanding guidance and support for Team members Video Notes: Control Award (Optional Pilot) Notebook with Engineering section submitted which outlines Control Components used on the Robot Control components enhance the functionality of the Robot on the Field Control components work reliably Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013 | 29 17. Appendix F - FTC Award Record Sheet FTC Award Record Sheet** Event Name Date Location Judge Advisor Team# Team# Team# Winner Finalist Finalist Winner 2 Place 3 Place Winner Name and Team # Finalist Name and Team # Finalist Name and Team # Captain 1 Picked Promote Award (If given) Motivate Connect PTC Design Rockwell Collins Innovate Think nd rd Inspire Judges Award (write title) Judges Award (write title) Compass Award (If given) st nd 2 Picked Winning Alliance Finalist Alliance If Two Divisions Winning Alliance Finalist Alliance **Please ensure this form is given to the scorekeeper and to the Affiliate Partner or Tournament Director to email to [email protected] within one week. Teams eligible for advancement will not advance until this information is reported. 30 | 18. Appendix G – Sample List for Deliberation Rockwell Collins Innovate Award PTC Design Award Connect Award Motivate Award Think Award Control Award (Optional Pilot) Promote Award (Optional) Compass Award (Optional) Judges Award Elements of this award include elegant design, robustness, and ‘out of the box’ thinking related to design Design Elements are aesthetic and functional. Team incorporates industrial design elements into the Robot. Team is connected with their local community, promotes FIRST, FTC and the Team itself. Exemplifies the essence of the FTC Competition through Team building, Team spirit and enthusiasm. Team best reflects their “journey”. Engineering Notebook is the key reference, describes science and math of the Robot design, Game Strategies, how they worked through problems/redesign. Innovative thinking in the control system to solve Game challenges such as Autonomous Operation. Compelling video message for the public to celebrate science, engineering, and math. Recognizes Coach/Mentor via 40-60 second video submission Customizable, Team that should be recognized, but doesn’t fit into another category. In these fields, the Judges will write the Teams that they feel deserve each Award, and a brief description why they feel that Team deserves the Award. This is a sample of how the Judge Advisor may set up the whiteboard or list when it comes time for the Judges to deliberate. This is an easy way to reference which Awards that all Judges will need to decide on, and gives a brief overview of the criteria for each Award. Important: Note that the Inspire Award is not listed. This is because the Team nominated for this Award should be a strong contender in all of the other categories. The Inspire Award should be the last Award that all of the Judging panels with decide on. Rev. 1.2 – October 15, 2013
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