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Hello FIRST Tech Challenge Teams! We hope you�ve had a great season of recovering relics, and hope you are just as excited as we are to move into the new ROVER RUCKUS Presented by Qualcomm season! We know you�re wondering what the next year will bring, and we have some important updates to share with you to help prepare you for the 2018-2019 season. Technology Phase Out FIRST Tech Challenge technology has come a long way over the past 3 seasons. After the introduction of the REV Expansion Hub for the 2017-2018 season, we�ve seen positive results not only in tech reliability, but also ease of use for our teams. With these strides in technology, comes the phase out of previously supported legacy modules. The following modules will no longer be supported moving into the 2018-2019 season:           Legacy HiTechnic DC Motor Controller           Legacy HiTechnic Servo Controller           Legacy MATRIX DC ...

Have you slept since Kickoff, FTC community ? Or have you been lying awake replaying the Kickoff video and mentally designing a robot to compete in the game? It�s going to be a season of challenges, but we know that you are ready and able! Each Kickoff, we are so excited to share the new Game Challenge with you, and this year there were over 15,000 people at more than 70 Kickoff events around the world learning about the new game at 12 noon on Saturday � really exciting! Truly, the important question is, what do you think of FIRST RES-Q sm ?   So far the word on the street is that this is an awesome game with lots of opportunities to explore on the field and in designing your robot. Of course, huge thanks to the Game Design committee for all the work they put into creating this game over the past two years, and remember everything you need to know about the game is on the FTC Game Page. As always, we had a lot of fun with game hints this summer, and now we get to reveal them to y...

The FIRST Tech Challenge annual Game Kickoff is Saturday, September 12th at 12 noon ET this year and we hope that you will be celebrating at a Kickoff event or party in your area (and if not, join one online - more info as we get closer to the date). In case you are a newcomer to FTC, welcome! Here's a little background information. Each year,  FIRST  Tech Challenge releases a new game that presents teams with fresh engineering and design challenges.  We keep the game secret until our Kickoff in September.  The Kickoff happens online, with the release of the game animation and season materials, and also at a growing number of live  Kickoff events in your regions . We are really excited to reveal this year's game at Kickoff, which is three months away still, but a lot of other exciting stuff is happening between now and then: Intelitek has released the first New Technology Training Resource , with Part II coming out later this summer, and Part III coming out e...

Did you have a great Kickoff? Did you take pictures? We always want to see know what you are doing, so share your stories and photos with stories@usfirst.org .  We are so excited to finally share FIRST Tech Challenge CASCADE EFFECT sm with you all and to see what creations you will build to tackle this challenge. Don't forget to check out all of the information, tools, and tips on the FTC Team Reouscres web page. Now, how about a huge round of applause to the Game Design committee for all the work they put into creating this game, and if you haven�t heard all about it, head on over to the FTC Game Page to learn more. So far the word on the street is that this is going to be an exciting and challenging season. Is your Team rip-roaring and ready to go build a cool robot? We had a lot of fun with game hints this summer, and now we get to review them for you. The kickstand aspect of the center game element was on our minds a lot, as you can tell from the following: Only 13 days unt...

We are so excited to share the new FIRST Tech Challenge Game with you all this coming Saturday, September 6th, that we can hardly stand it! We hope the fun of dissecting all of the blog, Twitter , and Facebook posts for Game hints has kept you busy enough that the last few weeks of waiting have flown right by. There are any number of ways that you can celebrate the FTC Kickoff this Saturday. Attend a Kickoff event in your area and you will get to meet other Teams and FTC fans and get a feel for the energy of an FTC event. If you can't make it to an event, watch the live stream of the Massachusetts Kickoff available on the FTC Game Page on Saturday. Or you can always hold a Kickoff party just for your Team, screening the FTC Game Video at 12 noon EST on Saturday. Definitely make sure your Team is registered for this season. Then be sure to review all the FTC Game Materials carefully as you begin work on your Robot, as well as look through the new resources available today (mor...

FIRST Tech Challenge is excited to partner with AndyMark on Field and Game Elements for the 2014-2015 Season.  That means you no longer have to build a practice field, but can purchase one from AndyMark and have it shipped to you after Kickoff (no Team pre-orders!). They will offer teams a full or half field option and each kit comes with the Field Setup elements and Game Elements. Don't worry, you can still build a field if you want to! But what will they be? Each year, the Game Design Committee drums up a new element that presents a variety of manipulation challenges for teams to overcome. They've chosen wiffle balls, rings, two varieties of racquet balls, hockey pucks and batons, to name a few.  Since elements are different from year to year, teams must redesign their robots each season to accommodate the new item and the scoring objectives. What do you think this year's element will be?  Leave your guesses below and go to a kickoff event , or go to www.usfirst.org/...