2024, September

A global robotics community, FIRST^® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), is committed to sparking a passion for innovation in young minds. Through engaging, mentor-guided programs, students dive into engineering, programming, and robotics challenges, while developing critical technical skills, confidence, self-esteem, and communication abilities—empowering them to become the next generation of leaders and innovators. These programs provide a creative, inclusive learning environment that goes beyond robotics, helping students build a brighter future. FIRST offers hands-on learning opportunities for all ages and experience levels through FIRST^® LEGO League (FLL), FIRST^® Tech Challenge (FTC), and FIRST^® Robotics Competition (FRC).

 

The 2024-2025 FIRST^® season, FIRST^® DIVE℠ presented by Qualcomm, takes teams on an underwater journey to explore life beneath the ocean’s surface. Teams will use their STEM and collaboration skills to uncover how we can build stronger communities and innovate for healthier oceans.

About FIRST^® Tech Challenge

FTC brings together students and mentors to design, code, build, and compete with robots in thrilling challenges. Geared towards students with some robotics experience, FTC bridges the gap between beginners and the more advanced FRC program. But FIRST Tech Challenge is more than just about building robots, it equips young people with the skills and confidence to tackle real-world problems and become global citizens. Gracious Professionalism^® is a core value of the FIRST ethos. Guided by the FIRST Core Values of Coopertition^®, discovery, innovation, inclusion, and fun, FTC fosters a sense of purpose and resilience, inspiring students to create a better future.

INTO THE DEEP: 2024-2025 Season

Get ready to dive into the ocean's depths with the 2024-2025 FIRST Tech Challenge season, INTO THE DEEP^℠ presented by RTX! This year’s game offers many opportunities for teams to display their skills and creativity. Imagine your robot exploring uncharted waters, uncovering hidden wonders, and taking on daring new challenges! With more scoring zones, a heart-pounding two-level climb, and an action-packed split game field, the possibilities are endless. Can your team rise to the occasion and conquer the depths? It's time to strategize, build, and compete in one of the most exciting FTC seasons yet!

 

 

What’s New in INTO THE DEEP?

While the INTO THE DEEP game shares some similarities with last year's FIRST Tech Challenge CENTERSTAGE game, several exciting new features set it apart:

1.  More Scoring Zones: This year, additional scoring zones give teams more opportunities to earn points and strategize.
2. Two Scoring Stations in Teleop: Each alliance now has two scoring stations during teleoperated play, doubling the opportunities to score compared to last year's single station.
3. Two-Level Climb Challenge: Robots must climb two levels this year! First, they must reach and hang from the first rung before progressing to the second.
4.  Split Game Field: The field is divided into two sections, ensuring each alliance has exclusive access to their side, allowing smoother gameplay.

How Studica Robotics Can Help

Having the right tools and components becomes critical to staying ahead of the competition. Studica Robotics is a comprehensive robotics building platform with everything you need to build, learn, and compete. To tackle any challenge INTO THE DEEP that comes your way, we have the products you'll need for your robot.

• Slides: Take your robot's performance to the next level with Studica’s powerful linear slides and pulley systems. Built for speed and precision, these components make scooping up samples a breeze. Explore our wide range of slides, pulleys, belts, and gears to find the perfect fit for your design!

SLIDES

PULLEYS

BELTS

GEARS

• Servo Motors:
  • Our lightweight, stackable slides, combined with the flexibility of the Multi-Mode Smart Servo, ring serious power without the bulk—perfect for keeping your robot fast and nimble! The servo can function as a continuous rotation or standard servo, making it perfect for active intakes or gripping mechanisms.
  • The Multi-Mode Smart Servo 200 – FAST rotates at 200RPM which can be useful for instances such as an inactive intake.
• Power Block: The Servo Power Block ensures your servos run at peak performance by supplying 6V, enhancing the efficiency of any mechanism.

MULTI-MODE SMART SERVO

MULTI-MODE SMART SERVO 200 - FAST

SERVO POWER BLOCK

• Structure: Crafted from 3mm thick, 6061-T6 aluminum, our structure components are anodized, deburred, and polished for maximum durability and safety. Despite being lightweight, they’re incredibly strong and built to last. With a wide range of options—from U-Channels to various brackets and beams—our versatile hole pattern allows for endless customization.
• Intake Wheels: For reliable intakes, our Flex (Compliant) Wheels offer excellent grip, especially when picking up specimens available in 35A, 40A, 50A, and 60A.
• Chassis Kit: The FTC Drive Base Kit, featuring a robust Mecanum drivebase, remains a top choice for navigating the competition field with ease.

STRUCTURE

FLEX WHEELS

FTC DRIVE BASE KIT

The 2024-2025 FIRST Tech Challenge season, INTO THE DEEP,  takes robotics teams on an exciting underwater adventure. This season's game introduces new challenges, such as more scoring zones, a two-level climb, and a split game field, giving teams plenty of opportunities to score big. Teams will need to strategize around collecting game pieces, placing them in baskets, specimen scoring, and the endgame climb. Studica Robotics offers a wide range of tools and resources, including linear slides, servo motors, and our chassis kit, to help teams build versatile robots capable of tackling these underwater challenges. As your team prepares to dive INTO THE DEEP, make sure you’re equipped with the tools to succeed. Check out Studica Robotics today, and get ready to take on the depths of competition!

In the deep-diving world of FTC robotics, precision is everything. One of the key techniques that can give your team the edge is odometry—a method that uses data from motion sensors to track your robot’s position with pinpoint accuracy. This method is beneficial for autonomous mobile robots in circumstances where executing complex tasks requires the robot's precise positioning. Implementing odometry in robotics competitions, such as the FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC), significantly enhances the performance and reliability of your robot during autonomous operations. Odometry will help your robot navigate when it travels INTO THE DEEP^SM this season!

Navigating FTC with Odometry

Odometry helps robots navigate the FTC game field, particularly during the autonomous period, by estimating their position relative to their starting point. This positioning makes it easier to execute tasks on the game field. There are several methods for using odometry in FTC, each has pros and cons. Let's explore the two most common methods:

Drive Encoder Localization

The Drive Encoder Localization method is a straightforward approach. By attaching encoders to the robot's drive motors, teams can estimate their robot's position by monitoring the rotation of motor shafts.

Advantages:

• Cost-effective.
• Easy to set up.
• No extra hardware required.

Considerations:

• Not fully reliable.
• Factors like wheel slippage, especially with Mecanum wheels, can lead to inaccuracies due to drifting or inconsistent traction.

Odometry Pods/Dead Wheels

Mecanum drivebases, popular in FTC, often struggle with traction on the game field particularly at high speeds. This can cause robots to drift, leading to inaccuracies in positioning. Even minor collisions or bumps during a match can increase these errors, which can accumulate and negatively affect performance. Odometry Pods utilize small, unpowered wheels connected to external encoders, reducing the risk of slippage inaccuracies, and providing more reliable tracking.

Odometry pods with dead wheels can better track a robot's movement because they are designed to maintain constant contact with the ground, ensuring more accurate positioning throughout the match. Typically, 2-3 small omni wheels are used. In a two-wheel system, one wheel tracks movement in the x-direction and the other in the y-direction. A three-wheel system has two wheels parallel to each other and one perpendicular. While two-wheel systems are cheaper, they tend to drift more than three-wheel systems.

Advantages:

• More precise.
• Greater accuracy over short distances.

Considerations:

• Additional costs involved.
• Requires extra components.
• It is more complex to design.
• The wheels must stay in constant contact with the ground for accurate tracking.

Odometry Pod Assembly

Dillan from Rust Belt Robotics generously shared his design for an odometry pod he created integrating the Cypher MAX Encoder and the 38mm Omni Wheel into a single, compact casing. The wheel shaft passes through the Cypher MAX, which counts the rotations to determine the distance traveled from the robot’s starting position. The pod is designed to fit seamlessly into a robot's drivebase without occupying excessive space, ensuring the omni wheel remains in constant contact with the field surface for accurate data collection.

Odometry Solutions from Studica Robotics

To implement precise odometry, Studica Robotics offers cutting-edge odometry tools like the Cypher MAX Through Bore Encoder, which delivers accuracy for your FTC robot. This powerful sensor combines absolute and incremental encoder technologies into one convenient solution. With 2048 counts per revolution, it provides precise relative and absolute position data. The Cypher MAX operates smoothly at either 3.3V or 5V, making it adaptable to various power setups. You can easily convert a 3/8-inch Hex to a 6mm D-Shaft bore, 5mm Hex, or 7 mm Hex, providing you with flexibility for your application needs. It is a versatile advanced sensor for enhanced localization and control.

Designed for odometry systems and to complement the Cypher MAX, Studica Robotics offers the 38mm Omni Wheel.  This small, yet powerful wheel, when paired with the Cypher MAX, creates a robust solution for tracking and control during autonomous periods. This Omni wheel fits the need for a small and compact dead wheel for tracking. Combined with the Cypher MAX, the 38mm Omni-wheel creates a robust odometry solution for tracking and control during autonomous periods.  

Odometry enables robots to accurately track their position while diving INTO THE DEEP, or navigating the game field, during autonomous periods. Methods like Drive Encoder Localization and Odometry Pods, allow teams to enhance their robots’ navigation and task execution. Each approach has advantages and considerations, but the goal remains improving a robot's ability to understand and respond to its environment. Consider both options when designing your robot to determine the solution that best meets your needs. Odometry tools, such as those offered by Studica Robotics, make it easier for FTC teams to achieve the best performance possible for their autonomous strategies. At Studica Robotics, we're here to provide the advanced tools you need to build accurate and reliable odometry systems.