Hi , 

1. CENTERSTAGE^SM presented by RTX Kickoff This Saturday, September 9, 2023
2. Dean’s List Season Updates
3. Purchasing AndyMark Game Sets and Field Elements
4. FIRST^® Tech Challenge Software Development Kit Update
5. Crowd Sourcing Webcam Calibration Data
6. Tech Tip of the Week
7. Register Your Team Today to Enter the Kickoff Sweepstakes

CENTERSTAGE^SM presented by RTX Kickoff This Saturday, September 9, 2023

Kickoff is this Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. ET. Find a Kickoff event near you or join us on YouTube as we premiere this season’s game, CENTERSTAGE.

Dean’s List Season Updates

Please take a look at the blog posted this week outlining the updated Dean’s List Award criteria and nomination form. Updated nomination guides for both US and International will be published no later than October 16, 2023.

Purchasing AndyMark Game Sets and Field Elements

New This Year! – Starting September 9, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. ET, teams located in the continental United States may purchase their AndyMark Field Sets and Game Elements through the FIRST® Storefront. This is the best option for teams wanting to use grant funding to purchase field and game sets.  

All teams may also purchase their AndyMark Field Sets and Game Elements directly from AndyMark’s website. AndyMark is currently taking field pre-orders. Once the game is revealed on Saturday, September 9, their website will open for regular orders. For more information, please read our blog post.

FIRST^® Tech Challenge Software Development Kit (SDK) Update

The FIRST Tech Challenge Software Development Kit (SDK) version 9.0 is planned be released soon after Kickoff, please remember that this will be the minimum required software version required for the 2023-2024 season. Teams using Android Studio must update their Android Studio Projects to reflect the updates in the FtcRobotController repository, and Blocks or OnBot Java users can simply update their Robot Controller (RC) App using the REV Hardware Client or any of the other methods of updating the RC App.

All teams must update the Driver Station (DS) App to 9.0. The earlier you update the sooner you can ensure you’re ready for competition with as few surprises as possible – and if you get stuck, please use the FIRST Tech Challenge Technical Community forums for help.

Crowd Sourcing Webcam Calibration Data

The FIRST Tech Challenge Tech Team is asking for your help to crowd-source Webcam calibration data for use with AprilTags! Full details can be found on the FTC Community Forum.

Tech Tip of the Week

The FIRST Tech Challenge Tech Tip of the week this week is all about Battery Charging. There are three robot batteries that are legal to use in FIRST Tech Challenge, and they are all 3000mAh NiMH batteries with an attached 20A fuse. However, the manufacturers of the batteries have different battery chargers and different recommended charging settings for the batteries.

When charging the TETRIX MAX 12-Volt battery, on the battery the manufacturer recommends charging at the 0.9A charge rate (the lowest setting on most selectable battery chargers) using the Global NiMH battery pack charger.

The Matrix 12-Volt battery with the same form factor is recommended to be charged with the goBILDA 12V battery charger, which does not have a user-selectable charge rate switch but has a max charge rate of 1.0A.

The REV 12-Volt Slim Battery is recommended to be charged with the REV Battery Charger using the 1.8A charge rate setting. To ensure safety, proper charging, and a long battery life, make sure you’re charging your batteries at the manufacturer’s recommended charge rates!

Register Your Team Today to Enter the Kickoff Sweepstakes

Tell your friends and fellow teams to complete their 2023-2024 FIRST Tech Challenge team season registration before September 14, 2023, for a chance to win the 2023 Kickoff Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes prize package includes one (1) 2023-2024 FIRST Tech Challenge season CENTERSTAGE^SM presented by RTX partial game set and scoring elements, a total approximate retail value of $350.00. The package does not include field perimeter or soft tiles.

If your team has already completed your FIRST Tech Challenge season registration, you are already entered into the sweepstakes.