Year-Round Schedule

January to December
  • Members become (re)familiar with mission of FIRST, FIRST Canada's competition guide for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), plus the mission and and the competitive history of the Pink Titans - team 5719 of the FRC.
  • Learn, practice, and master skills in designing, building, and programming a robot for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).
  • Train in robotics fundamentals, skills in Java-based programming, computer-aided design (CAD) using AutoCAD Fusion; plus tools and instructions like the CNC router machine.
  • Fundraise, seek, and renew sponsorships.
  • ​STEM/Robotics outreach in the greater community of David & Mary Thomson C. I. (DMTCI)

September to December​

​September: ​November:
  • Present at SWATposium Conference (Oakville, ON)
  • Compete at FRC off-season event - STEMley Cup (Hamilton, ON)
  • Host and run FIRST LEGO League - Challenge (FLL-C) practice events
  • Host and run FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Central Scarborough Qualifier
December:
  • Host and run FLL-C David & Mary Thomson Qualifying Tournament
January to August
​
January to March: 
  • First Saturday of January - Game reveal of the FRC
  • Design, build, program, reiteration of FRC robot
March (including March Break):  
  • Ontario District Events x 2.  GTA locations to be determined from the following locations: Centennial College (Scarborough in eastern Toronto), Durham College (Oshawa), Humber College (Etobicoke in western Toronto), Newmarket, Toronto Metropolitan University (downtown Toronto), York University (North York in northern Toronto)
April:
  • Ontario Provincial Championship (The International Centre in Mississauga, ON)
  • FIRST Championship (Houston, TX)
​May:
  • Host and run Scarborough FIRST LEGO League Explore Festival
July:
  • Host FLL-C program in elementary summer school
August: 
  • Host FLL-C summer camp 
  • Compete at FRC off-season event - Robots@CNE (Toronto, ON)​​

Recommended Repositories of General Resources

Many thanks to the girls and Ms. Nadeau of the STEM club for kindly sharing the link to the following website for defining key components in robotics!

Students' Roles and Responsibilities

​​Membership
  • Knowledge and understanding of Mission and Core Values of FIRST
  • Adhere to the FIRST Code of Conduct.
  • Demonstration of good citizenship, good attitude, and respect for teammates, program, and environment
  • Demonstration of helping, work, and commitment to team
  • Sustaining good academics​
​​Captainship / Lead of Sub-team
  • Earned by continued demonstration of leadership characteristics:
    • ​Passion and dedication for program, initiative,  competence in tasks, responsibility, reliability, and integrity
    • Exemplary professionalism, attitude, and citizenship
  • Determined by peers, teachers, and mentors
Helpful links:
     Adults (teachers, industry mentors, parent volunteers) are requested please to help supervise, organize, and mentor students.  Please contact PinkTitansCA [at] gmail [dot] com to ask any questions and inquiry of possibilities.  Please click here for information on mentoring.

Strategy and Scouting

  • Excellent knowledge and understanding of game rules (avail. on Day 1, usually first Sat. of Jan. for FIRST): 
    • Planning of how robot can best play game within team's limitations (e.g. resources, time, experiences, participant numbers).
    • Offer guidance to Design and Build team, ensuring that robot plays game efficiently (maximize accumulation of points) and adheres to all rules.
    • Coach drivers and devise strategies for new alliances during tournament play.
  • Knowledge of abilities of robot (own and robots of other teams at tournament): 
    • Collect performance data of robots of other teams by observing and talking to other teams
    • Collaborate with Driving sub-team:
      • Analyze performance data of all robots, establish order of picking teams in forming alliances for play in play-off rounds
    • Share with scouts (of other teams) attributes of robot in preparation of forming alliances
  • Important note:  ALL members of the team (i.e. not just strategists and scouts) are required to know and understand the rules!​​​
Helpful links:

Design and Build
More recent updates can be found at 
​https://robotics.nasa.gov/nasa-rap-robotics-design-guide/
  • Knowledge and utilization of various tools and shop equipment for building prototypes of robot systems
  • Knowledge, understanding, and application of designs of systems:
    • Simple machines - Wheels & axles, inclined planes, wedges, levers, pulleys, screws
    • Motion (e.g. Pendulums)
    • Physics concepts - Friction, center of gravity, speed, rotational speed, force, torque, power, mechanical advantages
    • Mechanisms:
      • DC motors - Motor loading, current draw, varying power with voltage, calculations (motor limits, arm loads, motor speed from torque loads), multiple motors
      • Arm designs
      • Power transmission - Gear teeth, pitch, gear ratios, gear reductions, driven gears, driving gears, idle gears, compound gears
      • Drivetrain design - Chassis, gear train designs, motors, wheels, turning scrubs (friction & traction)
      • Object manipulators - Plows, scoops, friction grabbers, pinching claws, top-jaw grabbers, roller claws
      • Accumulators - Magazines, conveyor belts, hoppers, accumulator designs, conveyance, 
      • Lifting mechanisms - Degrees of freedom, rotating joints, elevators, linkages, passive assistance
    • Systems integration​
  • Pit Crew:  
    • Maintain robot between matches
    • Keep work area neat and clean, charge batteries
    • Collaborate with safety sub-team
    • In pre-season:  Construct game field elements to test robot for driving practice
Helpful Links:
  • Google drive of collected resources: Robot parts, mechanical principles (incl. gear ratios), manipulators
Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
  • Utilization of SolidWorks AutoComputer-Aided Design (AutoCAD) program:
    • Modeling design systems
    • Determining specifications of robot for efficient building
​Helpful links:

Controllers

​​Electrical
  • Wiring cortex (control centre) to motors, sensors
  • Knowledge, understanding, and installation of components:
    • Sensors - Limit switch, Bumper switch, touch LED, proximity (close) detector, range finder (far), colour, gyro, smart motor
    • Accelerometer, gyroscopes, encoders (rotary, linear), inertial measurement unit
    • Camera
    • Control system - roboRIO
    • Power distribution panel
    • NEO motors
Updated last on Aug. 21, 2023.  Updates at https://file.tavsys.net/control/controls-engineering-in-frc.pdf
​​Programming
  • Knowledge and application of Java computer languages to interface robot with driver
  • Code autonomous and teleoperated programs
  • Work with electrical sub-team - knowledge and understanding of motor and sensor functionalities
Helpful Links:
​Drive Team
  • 1. Chassis driver, 2. Operator, 3. Human player
  • Practice and master driving and controlling components prior to competitions
  • Work well with each other and driving coach
  • Drive and control robot during games
  • Follow instructions of coach (strategist) during games, focusing on driving and controlling, ensuring that strategies benefiting alliances are followed
  • Collaborate with Pit Crew and Scouting subteam.

Safety

  • Educate, encourage, and enforce safety practices and safe behaviours for all participants (team members, members of other teams, and spectators), ensuring individuals not harmed in experiences:
    • Safety training with tools and equipment
    • Working areas at school and Pit Area at tournaments
    • Organize safety documentation
    • Communicate importance of safety to robotics community
Helpful links:

Public Relations

Promotion and Marketing
Develop strategies for promoting recognition of Robotics Club - its accomplishments, goals, and values - in community:
  • Team branding 
  • Club advertisements, signs (posters, banners), team give-aways (buttons, hand-outs)
  • Communicate news and team updates
    • Announcements over school's public address
    • Maintain social media outlets (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube)
    • Contact local media, write articles
Work closely with Management:
  • Photograph and video team's progress
  • Design and implement outreach activities (STEM, social causes) within and outside school community
Presentations:
  • Public speaking to sponsors, judges in Pit Area, children at outreach
  • Written reports to media (print and online) for publishing
Spirit Crew:  
  • At tournament, cheering in stands for all robotics teams and dancing for keeping high team morale
  • Signs (large cut-out numbers of team)
​​Awards
  • Excellent knowledge and understanding of criteria of awards of eligibility
  • Identification of awards for team to focus on achieving
  • Communication of criteria of awards to team members of subgroups
  • Preparation of presentations and documentations for submissions to FIRST
  • Collaborate with Promotions and Marketing to produce handout at Pit Area for judges
  • Collaborate with Management to document progress of team
Helpful links:

Administration

​​Management
  • Construct Gantt Chart, identifying and co-ordinating tasks of subteams needing completion
  • Accumulate and organize resources (e.g. GoogleDrive folders) for members to access and utilize
  • Create and organize documents:  Parental letters, signature forms (e.g. field trips), surveys
  • Co-ordinates between subteams, ensuring that work dependent by other teams is completed timely.
  • Designate (and redesignated if necessary) members to roles, ensuring that human resources are maximized
  • Ensure subteams are made of a mix of members of various skill sets and experiences.
  • Organize mentor-mentee relationships, ensuring that inexperienced members are working with and learning from experienced members
Work closely with Public Relations:
  • Documentation (written, photography) of team's progress and product
Helpful links:
Fundraising and Finances
  • Working with Promotions and Marketing subteam:
    • Write sponsorship letters and assemble packages to potential sponsors
    • Fundraise to finance operations of Robotics Club
  • Record and keep track of expenditures
  • Identifies amounts of funding available to spend in subgroups throughout year
Helpful links: