Minnesota Splash 2010

Fourth Annual Minnesota Splash Attracts FRC Teams from Upper Midwest

By MN Regional Web Staff

Despite snows that kept many outstate FIRST teams from traveling, Minnesota Splash kept almost to schedule and forged ahead. Hosted by Edina Robotics FIRST Team 1816-The Green Machine, and the Minnesota FIRST Regional Planning Committee, FRC team members, mentors, and leaders were engaged through the morning of December 4 with a variety of FIRST-related seminars and presentations.

More than 30 seminars covered everything one needs to know about FRC robotics: From putting together an effective team organization, to how to best prepare for robot inspection at the competitions, and details about  the intricacies of the robot control system and programming. Seminars this year offer both rookie and veteran presentations, including separate sections on electrical wiring, pneumatics, and programming.

2010 Minnesota Splash presentations and seminars are posted by permission of the presenters. Not all presentations are available.

 

Seminars

Opening Presentation - Mark Lawrence, Team 1816, and Joe Passofaro, Team 2169
Sustainability is the most important issue facing FIRST teams in Minnesota. The seminar will address team funding, finding and retaining mentors, finding and retaining team leaders, recruiting students, and an outline of available resources. This seminar will also cover new FRC rules regarding shipping and Bag and Tag.
Presentation (.ppt)

Rookie Team Essentials - Team 2169
If you are just starting a team or want to move up to the next level, this seminar is for you. It covers everything from team organization to effective robot design. You will learn how to effectively plan for the build season and navigate the competition like a pro. An absolutely essential seminar for all rookie or 2nd year teams.
Presentation (.pptx)

Rookie Survival Guide -  Team 2169
Six weeks goes by in a flash. What your team need to do from inventorying the Kit of Parts to scouting at the regional competitions. Find out how to survive -- and thrive-- during your first season as an FRC team.
Presentation (.pptx)

LabVIEW Programming - Jed Retherford, National Instruments
Two LabVIEW presentations are offered.

LabVIEW I - The Basics

LabVIEW has been the most popular programming choice for Minnesota FRC teams the last two years, with over 80% of teams choosing to program their robots with LabVIEW. This first session on LabVIEW is appropriate for anyone interested in programming for the first time, and also anyone who has some minimal familiarity with LabVIEW. We will get everyone familiar with the LabVIEW Environment, and get you some additional resources for learning more about LabVIEW.

LabVIEW II - Practical Development

This second LabVIEW session will build on the material covered in the first session, and is also appropriate for anyone who already has a basic familiarity with LabVIEW. We will talk about the LabVIEW FRC framework, and cover the concepts necessary for modifying and customizing the FRC project.

Presentation (.pptx) | Sample LabVIEW Program

Rookie Programming: Libraries and Robot C - Steve Waldo, Team 1816
C++ is a high level programming language supported by FIRST that many teams prefer for its performance and extensibility. This seminar will demonstrate the process of creating a default robot project in C++, provide an overview of C++ and the robotics libraries, review the changes to this year's libraries, and show how to make some of the most typical changes to the default robot project.
Presentation (.ppt)

Veteran Programming: Vision System and Sensors - Max Veit, GO FIRST
This presentation will cover three areas of advanced robot programming: managing code versions using the Mercurial SCM system, creating simple and effective autonomous programs with sensor input, and using / customizing the LabVIEW Dashboard to display useful information about your robot. We will cover version control using the C++ and Java programming languages and the other two topics using the C++, Java, and LabVIEW languages. We will assume attendees have basic knowledge of robot programming including modifying a code template and building / downloading code to the cRIO controller.
Presentation (PDF) | Presentation Notes (PDF)

FRC Beta Software/Hardware - Minnesota FRC Beta Test Teams (1816, 2169, 2177, 2846)
C++ Changes (.ppt) | LabVIEW Changes (.ppt)

Drivetrain - Members of Team 2169
If your robot doesn't move, you know you're in trouble. This informative seminar will cover drivetrains from the most basic to the advanced. Team members will be able to see and touch three different drivetrain options, and will learn about the tips and tricks of good drive train design.
Presentation (.ppt)

Manipulator - John Titus, Team 2169
It happens every competition: Robots need to lift, store, move, position, and release various objects. Learn the tips and tricks of good manipulator design from this inventor and engineer.
Presentation (.pps)

Rookie Pneumatics - Jon Meyer, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota
How rookie teams can get up and running with pneumatics, FIRST-style.
Presentation (.ppt)

Veteran Pneumatics- David Cook, GO FIRST
This presentation covers advanced topics related to pneumatics in FIRST robots, including the physics of fluid power systems, optimization of pneumatic circuits for best performance, advanced applications of pneumatic actuators, and how to wire and program pneumatic components.
Presentation (.ppt)

Chairman's Award - Joe Passofaro and Team 2169
The Chairman's Award is FIRST's most prestigious honor. It goes to the team that "best represents a model for other teams to emulate, and which embodies the goals and purpose of FIRST." Presented in a fun and entertaining format, learn what your team needs to know to produce and present a "FIRST class" Chairman's presentation.
Presentation (.pptx)

Marketing Communications - Gene Jasper, Team 2498
The Marketing Communications presentation will review basic marketing strategies and communication methods for FRC teams. Renee Becker from GO FIRST will review basic marketing strategies, specifically looking at audience and branding aspects with examples from other successful teams. Ze Thao and Lamar Roberts from Team 2500 Herobotics will review the marketing side of their team and the documents they use to market their team. Miel Jasper from Team 2498 Bearbotics will show the team newsletter that allows them to communicate within the team, with their sponsors, and with other teams in FIRST.
Presentation (.ppt)

Other FIRST Awards, Scholarships, Alumni Organizations - Renee Becker, GO FIRST
GO FIRST members will review the many different awards FRC teams can win at regional events, other then the Chairman's Award, and the extensive resources that are available to FIRST teams. Alumni of FIRST will also give examples of the various scholarship opportunities that are open to FIRST students, and talk about how to remain involved with FIRST as an alumni.
Presentation (.ppt)

Rookie Electrical and Wiring- Jon Stratis, Team 2177
This presentation is aimed at new teams and new students interested in the electrical subsystem of the robot.  Details of all the electrical components used on the robot will be presented, along with the correct way to wire them together.  At the end of the presentation, every student will be able to wire together a working robot.
Presentation (.ppt)

Veteran Electrical and Wiring- Jon Stratis, Team 2177
This presentation is aimed at returning team members who are already familiar with the electrical subsystem of the robot and how to hook everything up. Concepts designed to make the robot simpler, more efficient, and easy to work on will be presented. Wire routing techniques will take center stage to help teams avoid the typical rats nest of tangled wires. Common problems and troubleshooting techniques will finish this presentation.
Presentation (.ppt)

Virtual Prototyping with CAD - Kevin Tanner and Todd Kraft, PTC
When the FRC challenge is announced, it is imperative to the success of your FRC team that you hit the ground running with a tool that can help you conceptualize your designs quickly. To leverage that speed and develop many design options. To refine the best ideas quickly.  And to start the build cycle smartly and efficiently. Creo Elements/Pro (formerly named Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire) from PTC is provided free to every FRC team and is the premier industry solution for this very challenge. Come learn how to get started.
Presentation (PDF)

Staying Out of Trouble with the Robot Inspectors - Jeff Pahl, Lead Robot Inspector
A discussion of some of the most common problems teams have with passing inspection the first time, along with ways to avoid them, and other helpful tips.  Presented by an eight-year team mentor and Lead Robot
Inspector. Bag and Tag covered as well.
Bag and Tag Presentation (.ppt) | Inspection Presentation (PDF)

Game Strategy - Danny Blau, GO FIRST
Come learn the theory behind modern scouting systems, the differences in various systems, and the benefits to teams these systems can provide. Methods of constructing an Excel database to store and tabulate gathered data will be outlined and discussed. One aspect of this presentation will be the introduction of the 1st Scouting Alliance, its methods and philosophies.

Scouting Strategy: From Kickoff to Einstein - Danny Blau, GO FIRST
Executing a proper game plan strategy on the field begins during week one when designing the robot. Having a strategic plan from the beginning is key to success on the field. In this seminar, we will review the Post Kick-off Collaborative Strategic Design Meeting (PoKo Meeting). New this year, this meeting will give teams the ability to come together to brainstorm about the game, strategies, and components to be prototyped and used for the 2011 game.

Team Spirit - Stephanie Hornung, GO FIRST
Contrary to popular belief, in FIRST, attitude is everything. In fact, the successful teams are always the ones that aren't afraid to show how awesome they are. Team spirit is more than just yelling during competitions. A team that has fun together will build a better robot together, and your team's image may be the reason you're remembered when it's time to pick alliance partners. This seminar will cover steps to build team spirit and a solid team identity before kickoff, during build, after build, at competitions, and post-season.
Presentation (.pptx)

Fundraising - Michael Woolsey, Emily Benson, Team 1816
We will present a step-by-step walk-through of our fundraising process. We will cover how to find a sponsor, how to establish an ongoing relationship, how to properly thank sponsors and everything in between. Questions are encouraged throughout this presentation.
Presentation (.ppt)

Mentor Forum Q&A - Mark Lawrence, Team 1816, and Ken Rosen, assistant director, Minnesota FIRST
This is an open forum for mentors to ask questions about anything that is on their minds. We will address questions on funding, mentoring, general team activities, the upcoming season, and more.