FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®)

Offsite Resources:

FIRST® Official Sources | FIRST Specific | Region/Team Sites | FRC® CAD Sites | Mechanical | Materiel | Pneumatics | Computers/Programming | Electrical | Robot Specific | Tools | Other Competitions | Miscellaneous | Long Island | Suggested Reading

FIRST® Official Sources:

FIRST - The organization
FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) - The high school-level competition
Locate FRC® Teams & Events
Bill's Blog - Bill Miller FRC Director
Ken's Blog - Ken Johnson FTC® Director
FIRST forums
Season News and Email Blasts
FIRST Facebook
FRC Twitter
Current FRC Game Manual
FRC Student Team Member Information System (STIMS) - Awards submissions and student-only Consent & Release Forms
2010 FRC Paper Consent & Release Forms - for mentors and students who cannot (or don't want to) use the online student system.
FRC Team Information Management System (TIMS) - where team Main Contacts deal with FIRST paperwork, signup for events, etc.
FRC Volunteer Information Management System (VIMS) - how to volunteer to work at events.
FRC Mentor Resources Library
FIRST Workshops and Conference Presentations
FIRST Senior Mentor-hosted calls


FIRST sites -- Site specific Google search engine targeting over 1700 FRC Team, Regional, USFIRST, Chiefdelphi, and related sites
Google returns only one or two hits per site, so after you find the sites that have information, you can get a lot more hits by using regular Google on a particular website, e.g., "site:team358.org publicity"

FIRST Robotics Specific:

Chief Delphi - The premier meeting place for FRC teams, sponsored by Team 47 (now 51). 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.
FIRST wiki - Open content encyclopedia for the FRC.
National Instruments - FIRST community on the 2009+ Control System
FIRST forge - sourceforge project for WPILib, Java, C++, and support application/library code
WPI Thinktank - collection of submitted articles
WPI FIRST - general resources, such as, 3rd party workshops
Innovation First, Inc. Robotics - Former technical arm of the FRC (2000-2008). Contains information on older robot controllers, programming and default code.
Blue Alliance Match Videos - Match movies of selected Regional Competitions & the Championship.
firstcommunity.org - social site to attract FIRST Alumni
Carnegie Mellon University, FTC Robotics Academy -
frclinks - direct shortcuts to FIRST team & event information by Pat Fairbanks

Useful FIRST Region/Team sites:

FIRST Canada - Workshops and mechanism photo galleries
MOE Team 365 - MOE University
Simbotics Team 1114 - workshops
Monta Vista Robotics Team 115 - Trainings
Miss Daisy Team 341 - Team-in-a-Box
Robojackets -
Division by Zero Team 229 - Resources
Robo Raiders Team 75 - 3dsMax animation tutorial

FRC CAD Sites:

FRC Designs - a student site that's collecting FRC robot CADs.
AutoDesk - Creator of Inventor, a 3D CAD program used in the FRC, and the 3DSmax animation software. Student editions of a ton of software are free here.
AutoDesk tutorials - Autodesk Inventor tutorials Team 1323 - CAD files for common FRC parts
FIRST CAD Library - CAD files for common FRC parts
Autodesk Kit of Parts - via your team's FIRSTbase account
Pro Engineer CAD - FRC & FTC Kits of Parts CAD
3D ContentCentral - KOP
Bimba CAD - pneumatic cylinders CAD
VEX CAD - All VEX parts

Mechanical:

AndyMark - designed for FIRST power transmission and drivetrain products
Practical Machinist - forum for machining
Bolt Depot - fasteners, lots of fasteners (bolts, screws, cotter pins, etc.)
221 Robotic Systems - FIRST chassis & drivetrain products
Robot Marketplace - everything you need to build your own robot
McMaster-Carr - Online store for buying gears, sprockets, aluminum stock, or anything else mechanical.
Grainger - Really just about anything from glue to electronics too
GlobalSpec - Engineering search engine
Kerk Motion - Suppliers of the Lead Screws found in the KOP
http://www.brunnerent.com/Tools/Portfolio/frontend/itemlist.asp?type=2&size=0&lngDisplay=2&strMetaTag 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 wheels were in the FIRST kits for years
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.
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
80/20 Extrusion - aluminum structural framing, an alternate system to Bosch
T-slots Extrusion - aluminum structural framing, an alternate system to 80/20
Item Extrusion - Another system to consider
Generic Clamp fittings - Heavy Duty Aluminum Clamp-On Framing Fittings
Cangro Industries - Transmission components, bearings, machining (LI, NJ, NYC, PA)
Applied Industrial Technologies - Drivetrain components to loctite and tools
Omniwheel.com - Omnidirectional wheels
Kornylak - Wheels (omni & mecanum)
Parallax Omni - Omnidirectional wheels
Misumi USA - spur gears, drive shafts, aluminum framing, custom machine parts
Rebel Gears Motorcycle Sprockets - Aluminum sprockets any tooth size 18-76 for #25 & #35 chain
West Coast Products - gears, fasteners, gearboxes, hubs, roller chain

Materiel:

Precision Sheet Metal - aluminum & steel properties, minimum bend radius, etc.
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
K&S Metals - Brass, aluminum, copper tubing
Metalworking Web Sites Index - Several dozen metalworking-related suppliers are listed here
Online metals - Aluminum, brass, stainless steel, bronze, plastic, composites.
Aluminum Discs- Cheaper scrap alluminum discs manufacturing leftovers
Aerospace Composite Products - Fiberglass, Kevlar® and Carbon materials are available in various forms, in large or small quantities.
Laird Plastics - locations cover the US and Canada Port Plastics - including Acetal, Nylon, Fluoropolymers, Factory Mutual Listed materials, Static control materials, Acrylic, Polycarbonate, laminates, Phenolics, ABS Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Styrene and polyurethane.
Interstate Plastics- Like their name says...legal for FTC too
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
Smooth-on- Mold special parts using liquid rubbers & plastics
Engineer's Handbook - reference information for mechanical design, manufacturing and engineering
The EMF Safety Superstore - Magnetic shielding

Pneumatics:

Automation Direct - Valves & fittings
Pneuaire - Valves & fittings
Fittings - purchase fittings (for FRC generally 1/4" tube fittings)
Fastenal - really general purpose, but they have a pneumatics section too
Motion Industries - pneumatics section
Coast Pneumatics
Fluid Power Education Foundation - learn more about pneumatics
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.
Legris - fittings, fittings, fittings
Monnier, Inc. - regulators and stuff
Nason Company - KOP pressure sensor
PIAB Vacuum Products - KOP vaccum pump
Wika Instruments - KOP gauges

Electrical:

Luminary Micro - Jaguar speed controller details
Acroname - Specialty robotics electronics.
All Data Spec Sheets - A compendium of manufacturer's data sheets on electronics of all kinds.
DigiKey - electronic parts and sensors.
Newark - Electronics and sensors supplier (slightly more expensive)
Mouser Electronics, Inc. - electronics and sensors.
Radio Shack - Local supplier of basic electronic parts.
Future Electronics - electronics and sensors.
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
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
Octopart - A search engine for electronic parts if you already know exactly what you want.
Robot Power - Motor control (non-FIRST)
LED calculator-single - for single LEDs | LED calculator-array - for arrays of LEDs

Computers/Programming:

FIRST Forge Ð hosts FIRST community software projects Ð start/share your own project
National Instruments - FIRST community
National Instruments - Getting started with the 2009 control system
WPI FIRST Robotics Resource Center - Collection of FIRST related technical presentations & other information
FRC Java Programming Environment - WPI release of the FRC Java environment and libraries
Wind River - 2009 control system C/C++ environment
Java Tutorials - Beginners introduction to Java programming
C++ Tutorial - Beginners introduction to C++ programming
LabVIEW Tutorial - Beginning and advanced topics in LabVIEW programming
LV Mastery Tip jar - FRC specific step by step video taped lectures
LabVIEWzone - topics in generic LabVIEW programming
LabVIEW Wiki
Kevin Watson - pre-2009 Kickoff code & repository of code examples, detailed documentation and FAQs on older FRC coding topics.
Microchip Technology, Inc. - The maker of the FRC robot controller microprocessor 2004-2008.
AutoDesk - Creator of Inventor, a 3D CAD program used in the FRC, and the 3DSmax animation software.
Introduction to Sensors - Engineer's Handbook
Player Project - Free Software that enables generic research in robot and sensor systems

Robot Specific:

Vex Robotics - erector set style robot kits
Robotikits - kits to affordably introduce students to robotics, science, and solar technology.
FingerTech Robotics - RC hobby robotics parts, including 2" mechanums
Super Droid Robots - Autonomous Robot Sales and Development
Lynxmotion - robot kits and components
the Robot Store - finished robots (Roomba, mowers) to kits
The Robot MarketPlace -
Trossen Robotics - Robot kits and parts
E-Clec-Tech - robotic, physics, and electronic kits and parts
MobileRobots - Research & University Robots, Software & Accessories
RobotShop - personal robots, professional robots, robot toys, robot kits and robot parts
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
Budget Robotics - small hobby robots & animatronics
IEEE Spectrum Automaton Blog
Robot Village - outlet to buy or rent robots
Crust Crawler - Underwater thrusters, robotic arms, walking hex & biped kits
Evolution Robotics - integrated vision and autonomous navigation
Procerus UAVs - Procerus Technologies - Kestrelª Autopilot System for mini and micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Tools:

Grizzly - Industrial 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 in your neighborhood
Home Depot - tools (& material)
Lowes - tools (& material) too
Bosch Tools - power tools
Harbor Freight - still more tools
Mike's Tools - new and refurbished tools
littlemachineshop - source of tooling, parts, and accessories for bench top machinists
Allen Designs LLC - Great measurement tools at a VERY reasonable price: Digital Calipers, Micrometers, Dial Indicators.
welding tips and tricks - practical welding advice

Other Robotics Competitions:

Robot Events Listings
Vex Robotics Competitions - Vex system-based competition
ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge
AUVSI International Competitions
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
Bots IQ - an educational version of Battlebots begun in 2001
DARPA Grand Challenge - 200 miles of desert autonomously, now 60 urban miles
RoboGames - General Robotics games site
CESSNA/ONR Student Design/Build/Fly Competition (an AIAA student activity)
Challenge X
Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
MATE ROV Competition
National Robotics Challenge
North American Solar Challenge
World Solar Challenge
RImagination
SAE Collegiate Design Series
Solar Splash
Urban Search and Rescue Robot Competition
Trinity College Firefighting Robot Competition - annual competition held in CT, find your way through a house maze and extinguish the candle.
SailBot - autonomous sailbot competition at the US Naval Academy
SeaPerch - introduces middle & high school students to areas of engineering targeted by the U.S. government such as Naval Architecture, Marine and Naval Engineering.

Miscellaneous Interest:

Site dedicated to robotic fish
MARS - Multiple Autonomous Robots
Robot Magazine
The Machine Lab - Heavy Duty mobile robot platforms

Long Island:

All LI Teams - Past and Present (most are both)
SBPLI-LI FIRST Regional Team List
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:

Find these at Amazon.com

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.