Rock City Robots Team 4849 2013 Business Plan
Table of Contents Rock City Robots Executive Summary 3 Rock City Robots Mission Statement 4 Rock City Robots Current Sponsors and Sponsor 5 Relationships Rock City Robots Team Organizational Chart 6 Rock City Robots Team Member Responsibilities 7-8 Rock City Robot Team Contingency Plans 9 Rock City Robots 2013 FRC Budget 10 Rock City Robots Team History 11 Rock City Robots Team Growth and Future Plans 12 Rock City Robots LEGO Mindstorms NXT 13 Robotics Camp 2
Rock City Robots Executive Summary Rock City Robots Mission Statement: Our goal as a team is the advancement of FIRST robotics programs through our entire Arkansas community while continuing to promote STEM educational experiences for students throughout all of Little Rock and beyond. Year Team Began: 2013 Names of Mentors and Functions They Perform: Tim Burleson: Programming, Mechanical, Electrical and Robot Design Elizabeth Dolman: Compliance Paul Dolman: Compliance Annelle King: Team Organization, Website Design, Business and Marketing, Compliance Timothy King: Game Strategy, Mechanical, and Robot Design Team Members: - Elliott Gilmartin - Grace Dolman - Jackson Lowry - Jana King - Katie King - Keaton Burleson - Matthew King Location of Team and Sponsors: Little Rock, Arkansas - Arkansas FIRST - JCPenney - King s One Stop - SolidWorks What We Do and Services Rendered: - Team Organization and Management - Mentor FLL,FRC, and FRC teams - Promote STEM education statewide and beyond - Provide information to our corporate sponsors, our community, and the FIRST community - Offer LEGO Mindstorms NXT Robotics Camp sessions - Participate in technology and robotics demonstrations in the Central Arkansas area 3
Rock City Robots Mission Statement - To compete in the FIRST robotics program as a well-rounded and competent team that can serve as an example and inspiration to other FIRST teams. - Develop skills in engineering, machining, computer aided drafting, business management, computer programming, advertising and promotion, computer animation, logic, and time management - Learn what careers are actually about and set goals for future education paths - Improve grades and encourage college attendance - Learn to communicate confidently with serious professionals - Work on a team and learn teamwork, leadership, and organizational skills - Give students the opportunity to form peer relationships with top professionals in their field of work - Demonstrate that hard work and achieving excellence are really what fun is all about - Learn to commit to a process and see it through no matter what it takes - Inspire younger students by mentoring FLL and FTC teams - Promote gracious professionalism, high integrity, strong work ethics, and social consciousness as life-long qualities in all areas of life: not only on our robotics team, but also in school work, extracurricular activities, jobs, and hobbies - Spread the message of FIRST 4
Rock City Robots Current Sponsors And Sponsor Relationships Arkansas FIRST sponsored our team by providing us with rookie funds for robot parts. JCPenney is a large chain of stores across the U.S. offering clothes, makeup and household items for the common American. This year they have sponsored us by providing our team the rookie Kit-of-Parts and paying for our team registration. King s One Stop is an old-style gas station just outside the city limits of Little Rock on Highway 10. King s One Stop has been a continual partner throughout our team s complete FIRST experience, from FLL to FRC. SolidWorks is a company that designs 3D CAD software. They generously sponsored our team by providing us with their designing software for us to learn. 5
Rock City Robots Team Organizational Chart Projects Managers BUSINESS SAFETY ROBOT DESIGN PROGRAMMING/ SOFTWARE WEBSITE/ GRAPHIC DESIGN COMPLIANCE PUBLICATIONS ROBOT CONSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY/ VIDEO Competition GAME STRATEGY SCOUTING DRIVE TEAM *A. King, *T. King, J. Lowry, K. King *A. King, E. Gilmartin, M. King, J. King *T. Burleson, *T. King, M. King, E. Gilmartin, K. Burleson, K. King *T. Burleson, G. Dolman, K. Burleson *A. King, K. King *A. King, *E. Dolman, E. Gilmartin, G. Dolman *A. King, J. Lowry, G. Dolman, K. King *T. Burleson, *T. King, K. Burleson, K. King, M. King *A. King, J. Lowry, K. King, K. Burleson *A. King, *T. King, *T. Burleson, *E. Dolman,* P. Dolman, M. King, K. King, J. King, J. Lowry, K. Burleson, G. Dolman, E. Gilmartin G. Dolman, J. Lowry, E. Gilmartin E. Gilmartin, K. Burleson, M. King OUTREACH *A. King, *T. King, *T. Burleson, *E. Dolman,* P. Dolman, M. King, K. King, J. King, J. Lowry, K. Burleson, G. Dolman, E. Gilmartin *Denotes Adult Mentor 6
Rock City Robots Team Member Responsibilities Business: - Develop material to use to present to potential sponsors - Responsible for team management and budgeting - Develop team business plan and organizational chart Safety and Pit Captain: - Promote safety in the work area (clean work space, safety glasses, etc.) - Battery management - Supervise pit activities - Supervise robot maintenance Robot Design: - Drive train development - Mechanical and electrical robot component designs - Gather design drawings - Control system design - Prototype and design strategic components Programming/Software: - Develop drive control system - Autonomous operations - Programming robot options - Investigate programming options - Develop CAD software education options for the team Website/Graphic Design: - Develop and maintain team website - Manage team photographs, videos, blogs, newsletters online - Create team logo Compliance: - Memorize all rules and regulations - Keep detailed records of parts and costs - Determine and support that robot is legal 7
Publications: - Prepare and submit for Chairman s Award - Team newsletters - Submit newspaper articles - Write articles for team website - Write materials for team outreach - Prepare Engineering Notebook Robot Construction: - Part fabrications - Mechanical assembly - Build control system - Electrical wiring - Troubleshooting Photography/Video: - Photograph team activities and robot build sessions - Document team activities with video - Prepare photo/video season summaries to be used during demonstrations and robotics camps Competition: - Identify game strategy - Develop and implement scouting procedures - Provide scouting analysis/alliance selection to drive coach during competition - Select and train drivers and human player - Support and assist other teams during events, both rookies and veteran teams Outreach: - Arrange for opportunities to demonstrate or educate the community about FIRST - Offer education seminars, camps, and demonstrations of various levels of FIRST robotics (FLL, FTC, FRC). - Develop curriculum for seminars and camps 8
Rock City Robots Team Contingency Plans In the unfortunate event of: Loss of Major Sponsor: - Diversify sponsor base and acquire new sponsors - Build up funds in reserve for an entire season - Lower season cost options: Lower costs of tool purchases, seek camp facilities that we can utilize at no cost. Loss of Build and Meet Space: - Option of meeting in the home of another team mentor - Seek out alternative shop locations Weather Related Delays: - Our build site has a generator available in case of power outage - Since we do not meet in a school, we can continue to work when school is cancelled Equipment Or Vehicle Failure While Traveling: - Travel with multiple vehicles - Make sure to have properly operating spare tires, jacks, etc. for vehicles and trailers. To Encourage: Mentor Retention: - Family support and atmosphere - Constant trying to recruit new mentors - Several mentors have begun because they have kids on the team. Student Participation: - Open communication with parents about the merits of FIRST and opportunities it presents for the students - Do school and community demonstrations - Offer robotics camps in the community 9
Rock City Robots 2013 FRC Budget Item Amount Event Registration Razorback Regional Registration fee and Rookie $6,500 Kit-of-Parts TOTAL $6,500 Robot Construction $3,000 TOTAL $3,000 Promotional Materials Printing $50 T-Shirts $500 TOTAL $550 NXT Day-Camp Facilities Rental $250 Printing $100 TOTAL $350 Other Game Court and Elements $50 Misc. Shop Supplies (rookie season) $1,000 Postage $35 Office Supplies $75 TOTAL $1,160 GRAND TOTAL $11,560 Corporate Sponsors 72% Private Donations 28% 10
Rock City Robots Team History The Rock City Robots originally formed in 2008 as a FIRST LEGO League team of homeschooled kids from Little Rock, Arkansas. Consisting of four members, the team attended the Arkansas State FIRST Lego League Tournament in Mountain Home, Arkansas for the first time, and won the Rookie Team of the Year Award. The Rock City Robots returned to FLL for three more seasons, winning the 2009 First Place Innovative Design Award, the 2010 First Place Science Presentation Award, and the 2011 Second Place Inspiration Award along the way. In 2012, the Rock City Robots advanced to compete as a FIRST Tech Challenge team and brought home the 2012 Connect Award trophy. Just a matter of days following the FTC competition, the Rock City Robots accepted an invitation to graduate up to FIRST Robotics Challenge. Currently, we have seven team members ranging from the 6 th grade to the 12 th grade, five adult mentors and four sponsors. From FLL to FRC, we have been actively involved in sharing our knowledge of robotics, FIRST, and are encouraging growth of FIRST teams in our community. We were recognized in 2012 by Arkansas FIRST for our service through many volunteer exhibitions, workshops and day camps. 11
Rock City Robots Team Growth Our founding as a rookie team this year in FRC doesn t leave us with a whole lot of FRC team history, but we have strong roots going back to our history as a FLL team from 2008 to early 2012. We progressed to FTC in 2012 and performed so well that we were invited to move up to the next level in FIRST robotics, FRC. You can read more details in the Team History Section (Page 11). Our Team s Future Plans: We have future plans as an FRC team to compete with a higher knowledge and experience with programming language, mechanical engineering and design, electronics, and part fabrication. We will work to connect better with other FRC teams and grow as Gracious Professionals in both our conduct toward each other and other teams. We plan to host more FLL seminars and hands-on demonstrations in order to expand our base back down to FTC and FLL by creating new teams. By continuing to seek sponsors to help fund our team competition activities, NXT seminars and demonstrations, we hope to reach out to our community, introducing them to the mentoring opportunities available in FIRST so that they can help inspire the next generation of engineering and technology students. 12
Rock City Robots LEGO Mindstorms NXT Robotics Camp This is an example of a camp that we offer as a part of our community service and source of funding. 13