[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] >> Please welcome FIRST chairman, John ABLEY. >> Welcome to FIRST-kickoff 2006. 38 sites from Anchorage, Alaska to Israel, to Brazil. Welcome all. 227 rookie teams, 907 veteran teams, a new record. This year FIRST participation has added through new regional, in Boston, Milwaukee and Tel Aviv, Israel. 33 regionals as well as the championship in Atlanta. There continues to be a growing interest in what we do at FIRST outside the United States including 53 teams in Canada, 26 in Israel, five in Brazil and, of course, the United Kingdom and one from Ecuador and one from Mexico. We welcome all of you. We're grateful to NASA for making this broadcast in the many places around the world and we welcome you. We can never thank enough the 2,200 sponsors who make FIRST possible as well as the suppliers whose names you have just been seeing. Thank you also to the team leaders and the volunteers, 45,000 of you, who make FIRST what it is. As well as to the board members who are attending events here as well as around the country this morning. And this afternoon. In Anchorage, I might remind you, it is 6:00 in the morning. And in another part of the world it is 5:00 in the afternoon. Well timed. The first robotics competition as we know is not just about robots or machines, it is people. It's about learning to work together with others towards a shared goal. That's the only way to be successful in this world. It's about teamwork. It's about finding and using each individual's unique talent to make the project team more successful. It's about what makes the world work. In keeping with those values, FIRST's highest award, as you may remember is not about machine, either. It is about people. The ultimate first prize, the Chairman's Award, goes to the team that best exemplifies that partnership. In facts, teams that have won the Chairman's Award are our role models for transforming culture. That's what FIRST is all about. Into one that honors science and technology, working together and creating value. 14 teams have earned the right to be inducted into the FIRST hall of fame. The hall of fame teams remain active in our cause and serve as examples for the rest of us to follow. The team that wins the Chairman's Award is now also given a rare opportunity to work with Hollywood producer Paul Lasaruz. They are given a video camera and they make a wonderful record of the accomplishment. Last year's winner was team 67, general motors Milford proving ground in Huron valley schools. We look forward to seeing their video at this year's championship in Atlanta. The winner in 2004 was team 254, the famous cheesy poofs. Here is their story. >> Now remember. >> Wait a minute. What does this have to do with the Chairman's Award? >> Well. >> This year's chairman's award winner is team 254 the cheesy poofs. NASA Ames. >> Sportsmanship, gracious professionalism, team spirit. The Chairman's Award is all about helping others. >> You can win a competition, congratulations, you have a trophy. If you win and don't make any friends there, there is something wrong. >> One of the good things about our team, two other regionals not only to fix their own broken parts but to help everybody in the competition. >> What we do every year is pick certain teams at regionals to hand out award based on excellence, team spirit, other stuff. >> The Chairman's Award is about building a team with corporate sponsors, parents, teachers, engineers and students. >> FIRST represents a team effort. I think it goes way beyond just the robot. >> I think the parents are key to having a good program. >> Cheesy poofs rock. >> They share what they know. >> I hope to help younger people and passing on the knowledge. That's what it's about. >> There is a big league organization, we've helped volunteer with the state championships for the last three years. >> Chairman's Award teams spread the word. >> You're able to spread the message of FIRST to people and you're able to make FIRST grow. >> I have been so impressed with the program in terms of the depth of the things the kids can get involved with. Like website, newsletter, computer involvement. The animation and video stuff. It brings so many kids into the team that may not touch the robot. >> If your team is doing well and helping other new teams and do well, if you're helping to get the whole community involved and getting a little sleep you're eligible to win a Chairman's Award. >> Technology, outreach. >> Commitment. >> All nighters. >> Chessy poofs. >> Team spirit. >> Sharing what you know. >> Sportsmanship. >> Helping others. >> Highest honor. >> I love cheesy poofs, you love cheesy poofs and we love cheesy poofs we be lame. [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] >> Please welcome FIRST president! [APPLAUSE] >> Well, good morning everyone. It's a real honor for me to join you at my first FIRST kickoff. I'm looking forward to an exciting competition season and congratulating our winners at the Atlanta championship in a few months. Back in high school I got hooked and science and technology and studied engineering in college and since then I've had fun working with new products and the people that invent them like cell phones, Internet services and other types of software and now working with John, dean, Woodie and the many volunteers who make first a terrific program and knowing what you're about to do is an awesome experience for me. I just want to do what I can to make this just the best experience, the best thing about your high school career. Now, before you see this year's challenge, I want to let you know about some of the other things that are going on at FIRST. Also thank those of you who have helped out. I would like to take a couple of minutes to congratulate the FIRST Lego league for a great season. We had many people participating in the 2005 challenge where they were designing and program robots to explore and protect our oceans. Here is a quick video look at this year's challenge. >> We would like to stay abreast of new technology. The junior FIRST Lego leg teams will explore nanotechnology. Many teams are mentoring the teams and taking on the challenge of running the qualifying events. Your efforts make a tremendous difference and we thank you from FIRST. In addition they make great FRC teammates in the future with their software skills an experience. Keep an eye on them. From all of the FLL teams and staff I want to wish all the FRC teams success in the 2006 competition. In the past year we're going with the FIRST exec. Vex kits are available in radio shack stores around the country. We're conducting a half dozen tournaments around the country. The leading teams will be invited to participate in the championship in Atlanta. I want to thank those FRC teams mentoring vex teams in your area. A great way to groom new team members and enabling more students to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology and engineering. Now I want to speak specifically to the team leaders and mentors. Now, we at FIRST know how much work and time and effort is involved in the supporting of a FIRST team. There is a lot more to it than just building a robot. This is a complex exercise in project management, creativity and perseverance and we thank you all for taking part in changing the lives of the kids involved and indeed making this next generation stronger and more able to take advantage of the opportunities and deal with the challenges ahead. It just wouldn't happen without you. So team members, please join me in a round of applause for all of our mentors and the team leaders. [APPLAUSE] >> Now, after the FIRST robotics competition we want you to go on to study science and engineering in college and help out with one important item. Money. And your parents would really appreciate this. Because by participating in the FIRST robotics competition you're eligible to apply for scholarships offered by more than 70 colleges and universities, professional associations and corporations. Because these institutions recognize the value of the FIRST robotics competition program and they're really impressed with both your technical knowledge and the life skills you develop by participating in FIRST. Close to $8 million of color ships are offered from schools by Drexel, University of California Davis, polytech institute. I.T.T. institute. Arizona State University, Florida technological university, Boston University and many others. There are scholarships for engineering, computer science, automotive technologies and other majors. Some scholarships offer academic achievements and some are just for participating on a FIRST team. There are many scholarship opportunities for you to look into. For more information on them please go to the FIRST website. Now to wrap up, I have two important announcements. First, in your kit of parts, you will find a digital camera and software which was donated to all teams by one of our newest sponsors, Google. Because we would like you to create a photo essay of your first experience and we're excited about this new opportunity for you. You can then post it on gog will. I want to encourage you design, build and compete with your robots in a fun and safe manner. You're about to create big, fast moving machines and we at FIRST take safety seriously. I'm pleased to announce that underwriters laboratories, the ultimate brand name in product safety, in association with Bruce power, is providing a complete safety program for FIRST including regional safety experts, training for safety advisors and safety supplies. So please, learn from your safety advisors and your fellow team members and along those lines we ask teams to submit a computer-based animation video to help us highlight one aspect of safety. This year's winner is team 342, the burning magnetos. Good luck and have a great season. >> There is a right way and a wrong way to lift a robot. This is the wrong way. If you see someone lifting a robot improperly, stop them and offer to help. And always bend at the knees. This team is obviously in a hurry and they are showing little regard for their fellow competitors. Make sure you have a sturdy transport cart, the robot is secure and your path is clear. In other words, care enough to act. [APPLAUSE] Here is Steve Davis. >> Good morning, good morning. Good morning. So, Paul said all the things I wished I could say. John said all the things I wished I could say and in a few minutes Woodie and Dave will explain the game and the spirit and the other stuff. I don't have anything to say this morning. But I do want to remind people of something really important. Yes, we're out of control and it's great. We're growing at a phenomenal rate. You heard about all the new programs from Paul. But one of the risks of the fact that FIRST has become so competitive like any other sport and so much fun like every other sport people might forget there is a difference. It is not an accident we were built on the sports model. It's an important difference. To the returning veterans I would like to remind you why 15 years ago we started this thing and to the rookies, maybe for the first time I want you to really remember, as you go through this very anxiety-ridden season, what is really important here. Unlike in most sports where the means and the end are the same, I bounced the ball, I got the points or I didn't, the purpose of FIRST is to bring whole new opportunities and ideas and concepts to kids that might not ever really think about them. FIRST was built on a simple premise 15 years ago. We get in any culture what we celebrate. Most of the rest of the cultures around the world these days are celebrating knowledge and learning. They've seen what we have in this country because for hundreds of years we've led the world in science and technology and learning. The result of all that success in this country has made us so wealthy we get to spend our time on sports and entertainment. Kids spend a lot of time on sports and entertainment. They forget that is the result of our wealth, not the cause of it. And they take for granted the stuff around us that has really created our quality of life and our standard of living. We take for granted the science and technology. If you believe that a society will get what it celebrates and we need more capability to stay in the leading edge to make the future better than the past, if you believe that therefore kids have to really learn to celebrate the important and right things, there has to be room for science and technology in their consciousness, in is sea of noise of, Frankly, a lot of distractions. So 15 years ago we said, let's create an institution that will do for science and technology and engineering what the NBA and the NFL and the entertainment communities have done so well to celebrate those things. Think about it. We're surrounded by sports heroes and entertainment figures. Where do kids in this country see scientists and engineers and inventors and thinkers and problem solvers as heroes, as celebrities? Where do they see that these are young, exciting people and have the same passion as Shaquille O'Neal does. Their women and minorities that are every bit a part of this world as others. It's rare. And so 15 years ago we said let's steal from the playbook of sports. Let's make science and engineering and technology every bit as appealing and accessible and fun as any other sport. Because the only sport in which humans really play in the unlimited class is thinking. I mean, you think we're big on the football field? Put an elephant out there. You think we're fast? Put a gazelle out there. The only sport that humans do real well is creating and thinking. That's what it's all about. But in a media-driven culture how do you get that to kids? Well, again, stealing from the world of sports and entertainment, you want kids to do those things, you show them the best of the best. You show them the incredible superstars in the world of entertainment and singing and dancing. You show them the world's best athletes in the NBA, NFL and Olympics. In order for FIRST to work we had to find the superstars of science and technology. They're out there. They've created the life we take for granted. But we had to collect them and figure out how to put them in front of kids in an interactive way that is friendly and appealing and accessible, like sports. And we did it. And it is growing. But it is important, then, to remember that the superstars in those other fields are paid to be there, to be stars, because it's how they make a living. The mentors that are working with the students here, they have a day job. They keep the lights on. They keep the hospitals running. They're curing the diseases and making the air breathable and making the water drinkable. These people, these mentors, these superstars of science and technology are donating time and effort and energy to give kids an opportunity to see what is really possible. They are the role models that, hopefully, are going to give kids an opportunity to make intelligence decisions with their lives. Maybe they'll become intelligent designers and becoming an intelligent designer would be a pretty interesting thing. It's not just fun. We hope over the next couple of months you have as much fun as you could have in any sport you'll ever do. But the other part of FIRST that's missing from most other things that are this much fun is that if you all do it right, the students that participate in this might make career decisions that literally will change their lives as a result of this. And it will change our lives. It will change our culture. It will change our future. It will give us the right kinds of things to celebrate. So we're now up to 1,100 some odd teams. It took us 15 years to get here. If we can keep doing this right, I think all kids in this country and around the world should have the opportunity to see what is really possible for people that focus on solving real problems and achieving really important goals in a fun, productive, nurturing environment. If we do it right we'll keep attracting more of these incredible superstars from industry and universities and elsewhere to make it work. And we'll be able to do more with the students and we'll keep on this incredible growth trend with this incredibly important organization. I know you want to get onto the game and I know Woodie is going to give you some really good insights about how to do it and Dave is going to show you some really cool technology that we put into the kits this year. But I am really asking everybody to -- every day take a deep breath and remember that as much fun as we're having, this is some really important stuff. And I just hope that the students realize what an unbelievable opportunity you all have to take these people whose day job is to create the quality of life that we all take for granted, and have them give you a window into what your futures might be if you use your time wisely and you work hard on things that matter. And as I said last night, you know, why do we really do this? Why do I try to convince so many people from business and industry and government to help us? Because I'm selfish. Because I want to get old and keep seeing the world be a better and better place. And I don't think that happens for free. I'm selfish because I get up every morning and see the same news as everybody else and it is generally pretty crummy news these days. There are tsunamis, hurricanes, bird flu and terrorists. All sorts of problems. But then you look at this world full of people overworked and underloved trying to keep everything together and these incredibly busy people somehow have time to donate, to give opportunities to kids to see what life can be like for people that think, that have the tools of science and engineering and the disciplines. And I think that one of the bright spots in my life and in the life of a lot of people that participate in FIRST is that it brings the best out in everybody that touches it. And it gives us hope for the future. That we really can, through science and technology, solve the problems we know about today, prepare for the ones that will come tomorrow, and have better lives and better futures. So to everybody that participates A, I thank you and B, please help spread the word to the rest of the country and the world. We need more people on the positive side of the issues of this world being net producers of solutions and focused on the things that really matter. And we'll keep doing it in a fun way because that's the whole purpose of FIRST. Good luck this year and have a great season. [APPLAUSE] >> Please welcome FIRST game design mentor and NASA's program executive for solar system exploration! >> Thank you. Thank you all. Appreciate it. I'm going to turn things around a little bit here and mess things up. Who would like to see the kickoff animation that explains is game? Are you guys ready to see that? You really want to see it? Here it is. Now you've seen it. Best part of that is, I just got team 341 twice with the same gag. Want to talk a little bit about some of the things that you're going to see in the kit. Some of the new technology and talking about new software capabilities in particular. Historically for the last now 15 years we've always given you too much stuff on the hardware side. That was by design. We wanted you to have to make choices to understand what resource budgeting is really all about. We gave you too many motors. If you stuck them all drove them at full speed you would drain your battery too fast. You had to budget your power, weight and volume. We're now doing the same thing to you in terms of software. We've stuffed so much stuff into the kit in terms of software capabilities. If you try to use it all I'll tell you right now as good as the innovation FIRST controller is you'll turn it into a little pile of slag on the floor and it won't work anymore. So understand why we're doing what we're doing to you. Again, we want you to think about how to budget resources. How to make use of the tools we're giving you. Towards that end I'm going to run quickly through a couple of the things ulg owe find in the kit and just a few of the features that you'll have available to you. The first one, you already know that national instruments has donated a copy of lab view to every team that's out there. The full set of lab view software. Use it to understand how your sensors, how your motors and systems respond. The software gives you the ability to basically track and log the performance characteristics of the tools that you're putting on your robot in terms of hardware and understand if they're responding the way you want them to when you give them a certain set of commands. It is not something that you'll call the flight version of the robot. It's a tool to use when you're pro owe typing but it gives you an inside understanding of how your system is working, whether you want it to work the way you intend. There is a certain subsett of you, 36 teams made proposals on things you wanted to do that received a data converter that allows you to actually get hardware connections between the robot elements and control system. We'll give those 36 teams a special peels of homework right now. One of the things we didn't include in the kit completely were all the performance specs on all the motors in the kit. Those 36 teams, because they got the additional piece of hardware, have the capability to analyze and fully characterize every single one of the motors in the kit, provide full speed torque curves and they have homework to go in, analyze the motors. Characterize them and understand them and publicize that data to the other 1,100 teams to let them know what is going on. You have to start worrying about that. In addition the innovation of FIRST controller is fundamentally the same controller we've had in the past couple of years but it has been upgraded. You have the capability to have twice as much memory and four times the code space to work with for your controller this year. We know from our experience last year that a couple of teams were writing software overrunning the memory capabilities and we've given you more. It will give you more capability. If you stuff in everything, you still will overrun even that additional capability. Run with that and use it. In conjunction with the other system we've worked with microchip and providing copies of MP lab and the microchip compiler to all the teams. You're familiar with the environment if you worked with it last year. We got feedback from several teams that we don't have any experienced C programs can we get up to speed and be competitive with some of the well-supported teams that have a lot of programmers working with us? We scratched our heads and formed a link with Intel tech corporation providing every one of the teams with a copy of a software designed for the FRC controller. It allows you to use a graphical interface to drag blocks of code around to very quickly build fairly complex sets of code. During one of the workshops yesterday they were able to build an entire operating sensor system with seven lines of code. It's that easy and that effective and it is very, very fast for you to prototype code. A lot of the experienced teams with programmers will find that using this to do quick prototyping and turn around prototyping early in the development cycle will be useful and later on you may convert and go straight hacking. Look at the tool, take a whack at it. There is one feature every team will use. The equivalent to a dashboard. Every team said I want to be able to move one joint of my robot during testing. Can I drive one motor easily without having to set up my entire control system? We have a pre-built dashboard to do that. You take a pot, move it on the screen and drive one motor or output and play with individual outputs. It's a neat capability and I think every team will use it whether you use it for anything else or not. In addition to that for the teams that are going to be more intensely involved with the program. I'll outline a suite of the capabilities. In terms of additional software we give every team out there whether you're using MP labor the other thing you'll interface with a camera. A surprise to no one involved last year. What I have is a little demonstration unit here. It is just an innovation of FIRST mini controller connected to a little pan tilt unit. Where will you get a pan tilt unit? Have to worry about that. Look very carefully at the contents of your kit. Basically it's pre-programmed and set with people wrote donated to every one of the teams and made available that is designed to look at an illuminated green target. Very simply what I want to do here is just turn it on and it begins to scan and locks onto the illuminated green target that it's looking for. As I move around, it tracks that target and continues to keep it centered in the field of view of the camera as I move around. If I lose it. I'll turn it off right now. If I lose it it will scan, reacquire and bring it back again. You saw that capability a lot last year with other targets. It provides a lot of information being fed back to the operating system and you guys. It's providing information on where the target is relative to the camera coordinates. How far away is it? What is the angle of the camera to the target? That may be interesting information for you to know. Don't know why. [LAUGHTER] >> The other thing I will also highlight is the fact it's an illuminated target. A lot of experience last year in terms of understanding how these cameras respond and the fact that flat, non-illuminated reflective targets can get lost in background clutter and view. An illuminated target gives you a known, quantified system to look for in terms of the camera response. It can be relatively easy to find and keep tracking and keep a lock on as the robot is moving around the field. Should make things easier. You'll have to worry about where to get the targets? The kit of parts is getting more interesting. Let me turn it over to Blair. We'll see you again in a couple of minutes. [APPLAUSE] >> And now please welcome FIRST national advisor and M.I.T. professor Woody Flowers. >> Good morning. I'm pumped. I hope you all are, too. I get to start by making a nice announcement that there will, this year, be a book published about your robots. The title will be "FIRST rob other, behind the design" published by rock port publishers who specialize in books for design professionals. They do classy stuff. They'll public a book about your work and sold at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and all the major distribution places and it will feature designs by teams who have won one of the five engineering or technical awards at either the regionals or the national. If you win one of those, you have 30 days to submit the materials that support your design process and your design. And based on that material, rockport publishers will select a book full of wonderful stuff and put out the book. If you think you might win one of those engineering awards, please start early and document carefully both the process and your final design so they'll have some great stuff to work with. A bit earlier you heard some comments about safety. General safety. This year there are some specific safety issues. Let's listen to some comments by our long-term supporters from the U.S. Coast Guard academy. >> Hi, I'm captain Vince. >> I'm Roger. Safety is an important part of robot design. We'll look at a machine that can throw soft balls and look at it through the eyes of safety. This machine has a single motor directly connected to a disk. The loading mechanism is a tube in a compliant space that gives a bit as the ball passes between it and the spinning disk. >> Safety is a design requirement. A safe system is one that was designed safelyly from the start. Robot safely should be addressed during the design process. A design safety review should be done in the early design cycle. When working around a machine, use caution, have a healthy regard for the forces and think. >> Always wear eye protection when working on and around machines. No part of your body should ever come in contact with a machine. >> Machine entanglement is a risk that always must be avoided. Never work around a machine with uncontrolled hair, jewelry, loose fitting clothing and never while wearing a tie. You might have thought these open collar shirts are fashion statements. They're showing a safe regard for machinery. It prevents the transmission of harmful forms of energy. Energy transfer is controlled by the motor speed and the fixed disanswer. The loading mechanism prevents hands from coming in contact with the spinning disk. >> Safe systems incorporate things such as overload protection. Weak links, sheer pins that fail to protect the rest of the machinery such as a fuse. Machines must be designed with guards. These shields must be affixed to the machine and strong must have to withstand impact. Guards provide protection from outside elements. >> If the guard needs to be removed for maintenance or testing the system should not be operated. Shields and guards should not be removed when machinery is in operation. >> It acts as a guard to prevent the operator's hands from contacting the disk. The safety of this design could be improved by adding a shield all the way around the spinning disk to prevent objects from interacting with the disk. Pinch points exist between sliding and rotating components, gears, belts or chains. Shields must be used at all pinch points on the machine. >> Only personnel that are properly trained should operate machinery whether that be softball throwers or robots. >> The operating procedures should be written down, reviewed and followed. A few more comments on safety. Whenever a component is removed more maintenance make sure the machine is locked out and tagged out to prevent using the machine in an unsafe condition. On your robot pull the power fuse alerting others the system should not be operated. A safety shutdown switch should be installed in reach of the operator. Power cord important the controller and a circuit breaker can serve as safety shut downs. >> Your work area should be equipped with a first aid station and a list of medical facility that can be contacted for help. Safety is the first component. The machines are powerful and the emphasis on safety will benefit all. Good luck and be safe. [APPLAUSE] >> OK. I trust you're all anxious about the game being unveiled. If it's any consoleation, the game design committee is sweating bullets today. I've been doing this since about 1970 and it is always really hard and really scary. And in this case, it's because there are 40,000 very smart people about to look at what we've done and if we have done a good job, the process could be very important to you. It's important because you could learn some very important stuff. You have to learn that you can learn the hard stuff. You have to have faith in your ability to be creative. You have to know that you can work in complex, interpersonal situations. And you have to experience the pride of knowing that you've done a good job on a tough problem. And none of those things come cheaply. So that's why we've tried to give you a problem too big, a time too short, a budget too small and a team too large. The reason we do that is that's the way things happen. That's a very realistic set of constraints. That's the way we make progress. The other thing is that that's such tight constraints that real problems bubble up. And inevitably you'll get to learn a lot about yourself in the process. That's important because it is absolutely clear that the economy is global. In particular, the students among -- that are listening today, your colleagues, as well as your competitors, are going to come from places you've probably never heard of. Folks like us in the developed world have had our hour in the Sun. There is now a whole bunch of people who want to get in and they're working really hard. Oddly enough, compared to the average in the United States, they have an advantage because many of them are operating in a culture where they can be proud of working hard and learning a lot. They don't feel socially obligated to spend all their resources on looking just right. They don't feel socially obligated to be bad or act tough. And they admire their sports heroes and their movie stars, but their role models are people who are educated and successful. Most importantly, though, they are deserving, they're smart, they're hard working, they will work like crazy, and by the time you guys get into the workplace, they probably will outnumber you by a large margin. So let me repeat. You must know, if you want to be in the game, that you can learn the hard stuff, that you can be creative, that you can work with people and you've got to know how it feels to be proud of having done a really good job. FIRST is an amazing opportunity. It's a cure. I think our culture is addicted to a bunch of really strange things that are out of proportion. Much of our entertainment creates victims. Most of the time getting rid of an addiction is really hard and painful. FIRST makes it easy. FIRST is probably the best tasting medicine you'll ever encounter. Now, I think our culture is stumbling drunk on celebrity. FIRST is about being stumbling tired you're working on something you really love. FIRST is about nerd pride but it is about nuevo nerd pride. You understand about yourself and you understand how you fit in society. If you're surrounded by peers who think that's not cool, believe me, that is their problem. And by the time they figure out it's their problem, it may be too late for them. This learning that I'm talking about, I really believe comes from deep immersion. So please get your head around as many parts of the competition as you possibly can. And actually celebrate the fact that this is not a multiple choice quiz or a true/false quiz. This is about tough tradeoffs. Complicated problems, learning how to deal with them will be good for you. Learn about yourself. Be a little selfish. You're navigating your own path through life. High school kids ask me about advice for going to college and I give them advice that sometimes is a little shocking. I say go find a really hard course and try to take it from the worst professor on campus, a real jerk. And then ace the course. Because if you do that, you know that you're in control and you can learn what you need no matter who is dishing it out. Also during the competition focus on the really positive stuff. There are lots of different models for the way the teams operate. Some people worry about whether there is an extreme of all students building a robot or a lot of involvement by the mentors. In the middle is where most teams are. Let other teams do it the way they choose. Focus on doing the best job you can with your group. So let me close by saying that we want you to have a meaningful life. And it seems pretty clear that that's going to be associated with being a good world citizen. That probably is going to come from getting some satisfaction in life. And you're going to get an opportunity to get some satisfaction because you're effective. I think the FIRST competition is a great way to get a boost up that series. So I think you will enjoy it. By the way, about one of those hints. A game piece obsessed with a shovel show. Delphi official thread number 14. Got it. David Spade stared in a show entitled "Just Shoot Me." I wonder what that means? Let's meet the guys take proudly offer you a couple of months of sleepless nights. The 2006 game design committee. >> Please welcome the FIRST robotics game design committee Vinnie Hollywood. Head of the engineering department at the United States Coast Guard. FIRST robotics competition director, Bill, the monster, Miller. [APPLAUSE] Up next FIRST senior director of programs, Steve, the commander, Chism. From the west coast, FIRST regional director Jason no longer on the market Lorella. All the way from Texas from innovation FIRST, Tony two ton Norman. And the FIRST engineering manager Walt, the fly boy, Porter. Let's also welcome to the committee Dean, Dave and Woody. [APPLAUSE] >> And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2006 FIRST robotics competition game, aim high. And 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Go! [APPLAUSE] >> OK, guys. We know that it looks good. Let's see how it plays. >> Welcome to the 2006 FIRST robotic competition and this years's game aim high. It's three goal openings are. Above the center goal is an illuminated target used by the automated vision system to determine range and location of the goals. A platform in front of each station wall used at the end of the match by robots and they claim upon it to score bonus points. The objective is simple. Shoot, push or roll balls through any of the goals. At the end of the match you have robots on your ramp. That starts with a ten second period which robots will attempt to score. You can just preprogram instructions. They can start with ten balls. Robots can use the on-board vision system. Whichever scores highest earns a 10-point bonus and their goal is turned off the next period of the game. At the end of the period the players take over the controls for the remainder of the game. In this case the blue alliance robots, the red alliance robots tend the goal. Robots can restock their supply of balls by picking them up from the field surface or receiving them directly from human players. At all times during this period one robot from the defending alliance cannot cross the midfield line and must remain at the end of the field. The next period of the game the offense of the line goes on defense and vice versa. Every robot will have to have both offensive and defensive capabilities and have to be able to -- [inaudible] During the final period of the game both goals are turned back on and both alliances can score. During the last 40-second period teams will need to keep a careful eye on the clock. You want to score as many goals as possible but get all three robots up on the platform. [Inaudible] each alliance hits one point and three points for every ball in -- red has all three robots on a platform for a 25-point bonus. Good luck and we'll see you at the competition. >> Great job, Dave. When do you sleep? >> I don't. I just gave it up. >> This is certainly one of our best games or at least in the top 15. So that blue team they almost had it. Maybe if they were a little better in the autonomous. >> I they if they tried harder they would have had it. >> We have a regulation-sized field here. Let's see what we can do. How is the red alliance doing? >> We have a good-looking alliance on red. It can see. It's a shooter. That one is looking strong. Here we have one that looks like it might shoot short range and look, it's a harvester. Maybe this machine came from the corn belt. Looking good. And we've also got a deep threat. A robot that can shoot long. Way out. Made it. So red is looking good. What have you got on blue, Dave? >> OK, over on the blue alliance we have a super shooter. She can shoot on the fly while she's moving. In addition we have a little blue soccer kicking bulldozer robot designed to focus on the corner goals. The one-point goals over here. Our third team member on the alliance is a defensive robot that has shooting skills that are being developed a little bit. >> We have a real field here, let's get started. Woody, would you do the honors? Three, two, one, go. >> Look, the red one is going the wrong way. It's on defense. >> The blue super shooter would have made another three points. It looks like the autonomous made a difference. >> Receives a 10-point bonus. Here they go. Red alliance backing up on the defense. >> Blue goes on the offense now. >> Red alliance is back five. She can't be on the defensive end. She's loading up for the next period. >> This game is subtle. >> Look at the little blue bulldozer backing up points in the corner. After this period red alliance. Her comes the little red machine to block. >> Look at the other two blue robots. Those defensive moves really work the field. >> It takes teamwork to score all the three-pointers. >> Can't be everywhere. We switch. Here we go. >> Here comes the red alliance. Look, blue is using a zone defense. Who is playing backup? >> It's their defense specialist. That's an interesting choice. >> The third blue machine is pretty well loaded by now. >> She crosses the center field line. There is a flag thrown by the referee. >> He spotted the empty goal and he's headed for it now. >> There is a lot going on here. >> She is probably getting ready for the final series with five seconds. >> Three, two, one. >> Three on three now. That's going to change the strategies on both sides. Let's see what they're going to do. >> Balls are flying everywhere now. There is no reason to hold onto them anymore. >> 30 seconds remaining. Human players trying to beat the robots. Scoring high, nicely done. Red alliance matching him. 20 seconds remaining. >> They're breaking away and running to their own platforms. >> The red super shooters, I wonder if they'll make it. >> Looks like the blue machine will need a bump. >> Nice play. Now five seconds. Blue alliance am there with three, two, one. >> That was close. Will she get ramp points for that? >> Her wheels are off the carpet. She doesn't need to be up on the platform. >> Here comes the ref. >> Blue alliance three robots on the platform, 25 points. Red alliance, two robots on the platform 10 points. Height violation 5 point penalty. The final score red 58 and blue takes the match with 63 points. Congratulations, great job. Dave, what do you think was critical in this match? >> I think situational awareness. Understanding what is going the field. Look at the red alliance. They found an undefended goal and were able to take advantage of it. >> Teamwork is more critical than ever. Defense and offense and the diversity of machines. Some of these machine that chose not to shoot were as critical to these matches as all the others. >> Let's see what the audience thinks. >> I'm here with a rookie. This is Reggie from Nashville. His eyes are as big as saucers and his mouth is on the floor. Reggie, what do you think of this year's game? >> Overwhelming. >> Does anyone else think so? [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] >> We know you're excited to start building your robots but first, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for that fast, funny and informative FIRST game show, FIRST Track the game that points you in the right direction to the manual every time. Let's meet our contestants. Our first contestant is NASA's own Dave the spaceman LEVRY. Our next contestant is the guru of first. The professor, Woody Flowers. The man with all the answers and started it all. FIRST founder, Dean. How about a warm welcome for our fabulous FIRST track host Paul. >> OK, contestants. Are you ready? >> We're ready. >> Let's start with the first question. Why is scoring during the autonomous period so important? >> The team that gets the most points during autonomous period gets a 10-point bonus. They go on defense in the second period, on offense in the third period just before the final period. >> Yes, that's correct, nice job. We're off to a good start today. OK, contestants, question number two. Do you have to have an advanced degree to figure out scoring this year? >> Yes, a degree in quaunt um mechanics will be helpful for this year's game. >> No. It's simple this year. One point for the corner goals. Three points for the upper goals. Ten points if you win the autonomous period. And then at the end of the match, for robots in your goal area, you get five points if there is one, you get ten points if there is two. If there is three or more you get 25 points. >> Very good. Thank you, Dean. Here is a highly technical question. Are bumpers required? >> I'm still living off the last one. They are if you're driving with lead foot over here. >> No, we didn't need them on the Mars rovers. We don't need them on your robots, either. >> No. Bumpers are not required but if you put bumpers all the way around, you have a much more robust robot and you are 15 pounds heavier and have a traction advantage. >> Thank you. When is the ship deadline for robots? >> I don't know, whenever the teams are ready. >> I knew that was was wrong. Tuesday the 21st of February at midnight. >> Yes, that will be here before you know it. Thank you, Dave. All right. Onto our next question. Can humans outscore robots? >> Not on any of my planets. >> No, machines are just so much more efficient. >> Humans can score in the lower goalsing in the corner goals but a human scoring in the center goal is a five-point penalty. >> Thank you, Dean. All right now, gentlemen. How big can a robot's shooting mechanism be. >> The solar system is the limit. >> Height is completely overrated. >> Shooting mechanism of the robot can never exceed the 28 by 38 by 60 inch limit. During competition the robot can expand to 5 by 5 but never be more than 60 inches tall. >> Thank you for clarifying that. All right. Onto our next question. What is a back bot. >> A robot that gives you a massage? >> A robot that only drives backwards. >> Gary. >> I'm reading this one. During periods two and three, the offense and defense, only two of your robots on any alliance can be on the defensive end of the field. Only one robot on that alliance can be on offense. >> He cheated. He had notes. >> That's right, thank you. What is the best way to get your team's robot to appear in the upcoming FIRST book of robots? >> A series of non-sequential 20s under my door. It will work, trust me. >> Program your robot to actually author the book. >> First you must win one of the five engineering and technical awards at a regional event or the championship and then you have to follow the instructions in section 10. >> That's it. Thank you. Now the last question everyone has been waiting for. What is the password for the encrypted P.D.F. file of the manual? >> You simply get it by googling kickoff manual password. >> The green hills of Montana. >> Open Sesame. >> Gentlemen, the correct answer is on your screen and shown again in a minute at the end of the program. Well, thank you, guys for your valiant efforts. Really the winner is any team that reads the manual and follows the procedures. See you out there. Have a great season. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> I don't know, Dean, I'm not sure these are the best seats in the house. >> I didn't say they were the best seats. I said they're the most exciting. >> Are you sure this was a good idea? >> You think they'll be able to solve this problem this year? >> Did we give them enough time? >> Dave, we never give them enough time but they always come through. >> Oh, oh, oh. Hey, it looks to me like they really got this problem nailed this year. >> They always do. Good luck, everybody. We'll see you.