Offsite Resources:

FIRST Official Sources | FIRST Specific | Mechanical | Materiel | Pneumatics | Computers/Programming | Electrical | Robot Specific | Tools | Related Organizations | Long Island | Suggested Reading

FIRST Official Sources:

FIRST Robotics Competition - The sponsoring organization for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). the FIRST Vex Competition (FVC), and the FIRST Lego League (FLL).
2008 Registered Teams - All registered FRC Teams to-date.
LI Regional 2008 Registered Teams - All teams registered for the 2008 LI Regional at Hofstra, March 27-29.
Any & All 2007/2008 Season Events - FRC, FVC, FLL, Jr. FLL
All 2008 FRC Events
All 2008 FVC Events
All 2008 FLL Events
Media Center - Print resources about the FIRST organization.
FIRST KOP Vendors - 2007 list of contacts

FIRST Robotics Specific:

Chief Delphi - The premier meeting place for FRC teams, sponsored by Team 47. Find out about all things scouting, strategy, mechanical, programming, chit-chat, or just exchange ideas with teammates from all over the country and world.
NEMO - Non-Engineering Mentor Organization (NEMO) is a support group and information exchange for those adult non-engineering mentors who help teams as part of the FIRST robotics programs
NASA Webcast Archive - View previous years' FRC competitions and kickoffs.
Firstwiki - Open content encyclopedia for the FRC.
Innovation First, Inc. Robotics - Technical arm of the FRC. Contains information on robot controller, the robotics kit, programming and default code.
Soap108 - Movies of selected Regional Competitions and the Championship sponsored by Team 108.
Blue Alliance Match Videos - Match movies of selected Regional Competitions & the Championship.

Mechanical:

GlobalSpec - Engineering search engine
Kerk Motion - Suppliers of the Lead Screws found in the KOP
Allen Designs LLC - Great measurement tools at a VERY reasonable price: Digital Calipers, Micrometers, Dial Indicators.
McMaster-Carr - Online store for buying gears, sprockets, aluminum stock, or anything else mechanical.
Small Parts, Inc. - Specializes in small quantities of special parts and hard to find engineering tools and materials.
CIM Motors - Supplier of the Atwood/Chiapua motors used for many years in the FRC Kit of Parts (KoP).
Rush Gears - will rapidly make and overnight ship custom made gears for a price.
W.M. Berg - spur gears, worms and worm gears, belts & chains, sprockets & pulleys, lead screws, shafts, bearings, collars, hubs, couplings
PIC Design - metric gears.
MSC Industrial Supply - lots of parts
Skyway Wheels - these are the standard wheels FIRST distributes
Robot Marketplace - everything you need to build your own robot
AndyMark - for power transmission and drivetrain products
Boston Gear - gears of course
Martin Sprocket & Gear - more gears
Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument (SDP/SI) - drive components, a.k.a. gears. A great source for spur gear stock, small bearings, including flanged bearings, chain, sprockets, and lots of other miscellaneous small stuff
Grob Inc. - Hard to find pulleys and pinion wire as well as custom broaching.
Grainger - Really just about anything from glue to electronics too
Pacific International Bearing, Inc. - These might have a bearing on (for) your problem
Kids Wheels - Gearboxes, wheels, etc. for kids ride-on vehicles
Robot Marketplace - all robotics stuff, all the time
Conveyor Belting - need to pick stuff up and move it around?
Brecoflex - source of Roughtop material used on all those high-traction wheels and tread drive systems
F.N.Sheppard & Co. - specialty belting
Fastenal - more fasteners than your could ever use.
BaneBots - Gearboxes, Misc. robot mechanical & electrical parts.
Bosch Extrusion - aluminum structural framing. an alternate system to 80/20
80/20 Extrusion - aluminum structural framing. an alternate system to Bosch
Cangro Industries - Transmission components, bearings, machining (LI, NJ, NYC, PA)
Applied Industrial Technologies - Drivetrain components to loctite and tools
Omniwheel.com - Omnidirectional wheels
Misumi USA - spur gears, drive shafts, aluminum framing, custom machine parts

Materiel:

Metal Connections, Inc.- GREAT walk-in shop for local LI teams. They have lots of odd-size pieces to pick through and will sell only the amount you need. Sheet & plate, rod & bar, extrusions, tube & pipe, stainless steel, specials
Metalworking Web Sites Index - Several dozen metalworking-related suppliers are listed here
Online metals - Aluminum, brass, stainless steel, bronze, plastic, composites.
Aerospace Composite Products - Fiberglass, Kevlar® and Carbon materials are available in various forms, in large or small quantities.
Port Plastics - including Acetal, Nylon, Fluoropolymers, Factory Mutual Listed materials, Static control materials, Acrylic, Polycarbonate, laminates, Phenolics, ABS Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Styrene and polyurethane.
US Plastic Corp- Like the advice in "The Graduate", get into plastics.
Metals Depot- Aluminum, steel, brass -- Bar, tube, angle, sheet
Yarde Metals Dropzone- Odd sizes of excess metals (aluminum, steel, brass) - like a garage sale just check back often for what you need
3M- If it's made of vinyl or glue

Pneumatics:

Pneumatic FIRST - Guide to using pneumatics on FIRST Robotics Competition robots.
FESTO - Distributer of the nifty light weight solenoid valves in the FRC KoP.
Bimba - Supplier of the actuators used in the FRC.
Thomas - Manufacturer of the compressor distributed with the FRC KoP.
Clippard - Manufacturer of the storage tanks distributed with the FRC KoP.
Parker - supplier of some of the pnuematics used in the KOP
Norgren - supplier of some of the pnuematics used in the KOP
SMC Corporation of America - Need valve assembly instructions? Supplier of the disassembled valves used in the KOP
Freelin-Wade - pneumatic tubing like the coiled stuff in the KOP
HPE Automation - HPE coordinates the donation of approximately $1 Million in pneumatic components to FIRST.
Lord Corporation - vibration & shock mountings
Legris - fittings, fittings, fittings
Monnier, Inc. - regulators and stuff
Nason Company - KOP pressure sensor
PIAB Vacuum Products - KOP vaccum pump
Wika Instruments - KOP gauges
Fluid Power Education Foundation - learn more about pneumatics

Electrical:

All Data Spec Sheets - A compendium of manufacturer's data sheets on electronics of all kinds.
Newark - Electronics and sensors supplier (slightly more expensive)
Future Active - electronics and sensors.
DigiKey - electronic parts and sensors.
Radio Shack - Local supplier of basic electronic parts.
Mouser Electronics, Inc. - electronics and sensors.
Acroname - Specialty robotics electronics.
Grayhill - Supplier of wonderful encoders.
Jameco - Hobby electronics, especially good for FRC robot controller pins and connectors.
Hitec Servos - Supplier of the servos that are in the FRC KoP.
Powerwerx - Supplier of the Anderson quick disconnects in the FRC KoP and a good source for wire and power connectors of every shape and size.
Connector Concepts, Inc. - supplier of the breakers and fuse panels for KOP
Tyco Electronics - supplier of connectors
Banner - supplier of light based sensors, e.g., range or object detection
Terminal Supply Co. - supplier of electrical terminals
Bournes, Inc. - Potentiometers, encoders, etc.
AP Circuits - For custom printed circuit boards
MSC Industrial Supply Co. - Supplier of terminal connectors in the KOP
Battery University - For online practical battery knowledge
Snap Action Fuses - The auto-reset breakers we use on our FIRST robots
MK Battery - The supplier of our FIRST robot 12v batteries (2007)
The Best Guard - Another (2007) 12v battery source
Mercotac - Rotary electrical connectors (replaces slip rings)
Abacom Technologies - RF-to-serial wireless communication & GPS modules
AEI Components - LCDs, handheld monitors, waterproof monitors for that water game...
All Electronics - electronic and electro-mechanical parts and supplies
Electronic Goldmine - Cheap surplus electronic parts
Findchips - Multi-vendor/distributor parts search engine. Type in a part number and get a list of distributor part links
IBVA Technologies - Brainwave detectors just 'cause they're cool. Control your robot with your mind- oh look, a bird
Images SL, Inc. - Science, Robotics, & Electronics
MPJA - Surplus electronics
Scott Edwards Electronics - Robot-sized LCDs
Spark Fun Electronics - Prototyping supplies right up our robotics alley & lots of useful sensors

Computers/Programming:

FIRST C Programming Tutorial - Beginners look at programming the FRC robot controller.
C Tutorial 1 - A basic C programming language introductory tutorial
C Tutorial 2 - Another C programming language introduction
C Tutorial 3 - Yet another C programming language introductory tutorial
C Tutorial 4 - A C programming language tutorial with a Scottish flair
C Tutorial 5 - An animated C programming language tutorial
Kevin Watson - Kickoff code & repository of code examples, detailed documentation and FAQs on FRC coding topics.
Microchip Technology, Inc. - The maker of the FRC robot controller microprocessor.
AutoDesk - Creator of Inventor, a 3D CAD program used in the FRC, and the 3DSmax animation software.

Robot Specific:

Super Droid Robots - Autonomous Robot Sales and Development
Lynxmotion - robot kits and components
robot cafe - Robot specific links of interest
robot news - Robot links of news interest
Ridge Soft - Robotics Hardware, Software and Curriculum for Your Classroom
Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute
IEEE Spectrum Automaton Blog

Tools:

Enco - Clamps, bits, welding, lubricants, etc.
Northern Tool - power tools, generators, compressors, etc.
My Tool Store - all tools
Wiha Quality Tools - all tools
Sears - more tools
Home Depot - tools (& material)
Lowes - tools (& material) too
Bosch Tools - power tools
Harbor Freight - still more tools
Mike's Tools - new and refurbished tools

Other Robotics Competitions:

ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge
AUVSI International Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition
BEST Robotics, Inc. - Robotics organization similar to FIRST, primarily in Texas.
BotBall - Teams of robots play on a 4'x8' field
RoboCup - Uses soccer as the central challenge
DARPA Grand Challenge - 200 miles of desert autonomously, now 60 urban miles
RoboGames - General Robotics games site
Boston University
CESSNA/ONR Student Design/Build/Fly Competition (an AIAA student activity)
Challenge X
The Copernicus Project
Formula Sun Grand Prix
IEEE SoutheasternCon 2006
Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
Lunar Construction Robotics Competition
MATE ROV Competition
National Robotics Challenge
North American Solar Challenge
Solar Decathlon
World Solar Challenge
RImagination
SAE Collegiate Design Series
Solar Splash
SRP Solar Spectacular
Urban Search and Rescue Robot Competition

Long Island:

All LI Teams - Past and Present (most are both)
SBPLI - Sponsor of the FRC Long Island Regional.
Mentoring Partnership of Long Island - works to start and support mentoring programs across Long Island
Hauppauge, NY Info. -- Hauppauge, NY Wikipedia

Suggested Reading:

Robot Builder's Bonanza (Tab Electronics) by Gordon McComb
Building Robot Drive Trains (Robot DNA Series) by Dennis Clark
Constructing Robot Bases (Robot DNA Series) by Gordon McComb
Robot Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices - Illustrated by Paul E. Sandin
robotics DeMYSTiFieD- a Self-Teaching Guide by Edwin Wise
The C Programming Language, Brian Kernighan & Dennis Ritchie
The C Answer Book, Clovis Tondo & Scott Gimpel (a companion to the above book with solutions to the exercises in that book))
Programming Robot Controllers (Robot DNA Series) by Myke Predko
Robot Programming : A Practical Guide to Behavior-Based Robotics by Joe Jones, Daniel Roth
Physical Computing -- Dan O'Sullivan & Tom Igoe, Thomson Course Technology, 2004
Machinery's Handbook -- This is a machining details reference book.