#whyrobots

Just finished going through the manual. Everything seems to suggest that this year is going to be drastically different than the previous years. This could be good, could be bad - but it will definitely be fun, informative, inspirational, and an experience beyond all others.

“Java – The approved programming language for the Robot Controller. ”

Woah! It’s a good reason our programmer have been training in Java all summer so far!

FTC has finally decided to reject the Samantha Module and has adapted! Now, we never really had much love for the Samantha Module (We disconnected 14 times in a row last year) but this is shocking - FTC has gotten rid of the NXT! 

“ A FIRST Tech Challenge Robot is controlled by a new, Android based platform powered by Snapdragon processors. Teams will use two (2) Android devices to control their Robot and compete in a “Sports Start” model of competition. The Android based platform replaces the LEGO NXT, Samantha unit, and the Field Control System that were used in previous seasons. Instead, one Android device will be mounted directly onto the Robot and act as a Robot Controller. The other Android device will be connected to a pair of gamepads and will act as the Driver Station. There are two (2) allowed Android devices that Teams will use to control their Robot: - ZTE Speed. - Motorola Moto G (2nd Generation). No other Android devices are allowed. For more information, tutorials, and to access our Android Technology forum, please visit: http://www.usfirst.org/Roboticsprograms/ftc/technology ”

Every time is a good time for robotics!