FIRST Robotics Competition | FIRST Tech Challenge | FIRST Lego League

FIRST Robotics Competition

Registration for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) occurs in September through November. Teams register through FIRST's Team Information Management System (TIMS) at https://my.usfirst.org/frc/tims/. As the flagship FIRST program, the FIRST Robotics Competition is also the most expensive. The registration fee for FRC is $6000 USD, which includes both registration for one regional event and a "kit of parts" valued at over $25,000. The kit of parts includes the robot control system, motors, pneumatics, and several pieces of software. Teams may also register for more regional events for an additional registration fee of $4000 USD. For instance, Canadian teams may choose to attend both the Waterloo Regional and the Greater Toronto Regional. There are no restrictions on which regionals you may register for. If your team can find sufficient sponsorship, attending a second regional is an excellent way to get more practice and tweak your robot, and is a second chance to qualify for the Championship event held in Atlanta.

Note: Any TDSB teams should contact us before registering.

FIRST Tech Challenge

Teams should register at https://my.usfirst.org/ftc/tims. Team members should get together and practice programming, building, and team skills before the Challenge is revealed. After the Kickoff, the team will plan mission strategy and refine robot building and programming, as well as prepare their Engineering Notebook - a log of the robot building process that is judged for awards purposes. It is suggested that a team consist of a maximum of 10 students and a minimum of 1 adult team coach. The small-team concept works well with this age group and encourages a closely knit team.

FIRST Lego League

To register an FIRST Lego League (FLL) team, either visit the webpage for your Provincial FLL or go directly to http://www.register4fll.com. You will require a contact name and address, and you will be asked to create a password for each team that you register. Each year that you register, your team will be assigned a new FLL team number. Teams register online on the FLL web site during the months of May through September.

It is suggested that teams consist of no more than 10 team members and at least one adult coach. Mentors from local FRC high schools are often eager and willing to support the progress of FLL teams. FLL reveals the Challenge in mid-September and the tournaments where teams can display their solutions to the challenge occur in November through January. For more information, visit the FLL Canada web site to find the FLL web site for your province.