2020 FTC WI State Championship

 1. The Venue

The State championship will be held in the Kern Center at MSOE (1245 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202). Pits and competition fields will be in the Arena while judging will take place in the Fieldhouse. Please note the Pits and Fieldhouse are on different floors. Access to a large freight elevator is available. Please notify us if your team has any special needs. 

2. Team Drop Off & Check – in When teams arrive, please enter the Kern Center through the front doors located on Broadway. Teams can park in front of the doors to unload. Please be respectful of other teams and move vehicles as soon as they are unloaded. When checking-in, have one adult check your team in. All other team members should proceed to the Arena to prepare your pit. During check-in, you will need turn in the following documents: 

o FIRST Release Forms for all team members/coaches/mentors. Teams are encouraged to bring a print off the team roster from the Team Information Management System (TIMS). This online form only needs to be completed once for all FTC events, but coaches will need to bring a printed roster to every event. 

o Engineering Notebook(s) will be collected at the time of check-in. Teams are required to submit an Engineering Notebook to be eligible for all judging awards. 

o Control Award Content Sheet (optional). If your team would like to be considered for this award, please turn in one copy at the time of check-in and leave an additional copy in your team’s engineering notebook. This sheet will be used by judges to determine the winner of the Control Award. 

3. Parking

There will be plenty of parking available in MSOE’s campus lots. Please see the maps in Appendix A for parking lot locations. On Saturdays street parking is free, but please be aware of the time limits! 

4. Safety

Everyone is required to wear safety glasses in the pit area, around the practice field, and around the competition fields. Teams are required to bring their own safety glasses! Extra safety glasses will be available for individuals that forgot their own pair. Additionally, please make sure you always wear closed-toe shoes. Proper use of safety equipment will be monitored and enforced. Please keep in mind that power tools are not allowed inside the Kern Center. Teams may bring battery powered screwdrivers, as long as they are not used to drill or grind. Soldering or chemical gluing will not be allowed. Please review section 4 of the “Skystone” Game Manual – Part 1 for more information.

5. Schedule of Events

Below is the schedule of events for the championship: 

7:00 – 8:00 AM Team Check-in 

8:00 – 10:15 AM Judging Interviews & Inspections 

10:15 – 10:30 AM Drivers/Coaches Meeting 

10:45 – 11:15 AM Opening Ceremonies 

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Qualification Matches 

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch Break 

1:00 – 4:00 PM Qualification Matches 

4:15 – 4:30 PM Alliance Selection 

4:45 – 5:45 PM Elimination Rounds 

6:00 PM Closing Awards 

6. Teams

There will be 28 teams competing at the FTC Wisconsin State Championship. 

7. Judging Interview Schedule

Below is the schedule of times for judging interviews. We ask that teams arrive ~5 minutes prior to judging time.

For Panicking Coconuts, this is Judging Panel 3 at 8:00 AM.

8. Hardware / Field Inspection Test

There will not be assigned times for inspections. The inspections area will be open from 7:30 AM to 10:15 AM, which is during judging times. The inspection tables will be located on the south end of the competition fields. Your team will first complete the robot inspections and then move on to the field inspections. Your team will have to pass the robot and field inspections before you will be able to compete. These inspections will ensure that all FTC robot rules and regulations are met. Teams are required to complete a self-inspection form prior to formal inspection. 

9. Coaches & Drivers Meeting

This meeting will cover the referee’s expectations of teams during their time on the competition field. This meeting will be held at 10:30 AM at the bleachers near the competition fields in the Arena. This meeting will be mandatory for the drivers and robot coaches. 

10. Pit Space

Each team will have a designated pit area no larger than 10’ X 10’ on the east side of the Kern Center Arena. The pit space will be used for working on the robots, displaying team information, and talking with judges and spectators. Teams are required to keep all equipment within the designated boundaries. Everyone in the pit area MUST wear safety glasses at all times. Pit assignments will be assigned numerically to be easily identified by judges, queuers, and other volunteers. Teams should have a representative in their pit at all times, with the exception of during opening and awards ceremonies. Pits will have an 8-foot table with two chairs and a power drop. 

11. Practice Field

There will be a full practice field provided with all field elements. 

12. Competition Area & Spectators

There will be plenty of bleacher seating in the Arena. There are NO food or drinks allowed in the Arena. Please eat in the lunch area in the fieldhouse or in the main lobby of the Kern Center. The fieldhouse will also be used for judging, so no teams will be allowed in the fieldhouse until judging interviews are completed.

13. Opening / Closing Ceremonies

Opening and closing ceremonies will be held in the Arena near the competition fields. 

14. Host & Key Volunteers

The state championship is being hosted by the MSOE STEM office and the FTC Program Delivery Partner. If you have any questions throughout the day, feel free to talk to any adult wearing a volunteer shirt or a MSOE STEM polo, and we will do our best answer your questions. The list of key volunteers will be released at a later date. 

15. Food Options

There will be concessions available at the Kern Café located in the lobby, right outside the Arena, in the Kern Center. The Kern Café will be open from 8AM to 4 PM. Please note, hot dogs and hamburgers will be available after 10:30. Below is a screenshot of their full menu. 

16. Advancement to World Championship

This year, Wisconsin has three (3) advancement slots to the world championship. Advancement criteria is outlined in section 6.4 of the FTC Game Manual Part – 1. Per the game manual, teams must win one of the following three awards: 1) Inspire 1st Place 2) Winning Alliance Capitan 3) Inspire 2nd Place In the event one team wins 1st or 2nd place inspire and winning alliance Capitan, the winning alliance – 1 st pick will be moving on to the world championship.