Section
10
GET PUBLISHED
Table of Contents
Content of the Book
How it all Works
Submission Requirements
Electronic Submission Requirements
Submission Questionnaire
FAQs
Grant of Rights
İFIRST 2006
FIRST Robotics Competition Manual: Section 10- Publishing, Rev A
Page 1 of 1
ROBOTSGet Published!Behind the DesignAbout the PublisherRockport Publishers will be publishing a book featuring30 award-winning robots from the 2006 FRC competi-tion that demonstrate engineering and design excellence.Each of the robots featured will be documented over several pages outlining the design and the designprocesses used through information and process imagesthat the FRC teams supply. This book, the only one of itskind, will offer technology enthusiasts, including FRCmembers interested in learning how creative processesare applied to develop sophisticated robots, with an inti-mate understanding of what it took to design and buildthese winning robots. The book will be published andavailable through major bookstore chains such asAmazon, Borders, and B&N, as well as around the globeand possibly in multiple languages, in the fall of 2007.
Rockport Publishers specializes in books for design pro-
fessionals--their publishing program includes product
design, graphic design, interior design, and architecture.
Their worldwide book distribution offers designers the
opportunity to show their work in an international forum.
Please visit their website at www.rockpub.com.
The Content of the Book
How It all Works Submission Requirements
The book will feature approximately 30 robot designs
If you are submitting for more than one award, please
that demonstrate exceptional performance in the
provide a separate and complete package for each, clearly
following award categories at the regional events and
labeled with the team number and the award you are sub-
championships. Only winners of at least one of these
mitting for. You must provide the following materials in
awards at the regional or championship level will be
order to be eligible for consideration:
eligible for consideration.
·
A fully filled out questionnaire submitted as a
·
Delphi Driving Tomorrow's Technology Award
Microsoft Word document
·
General Motors Industrial Design Award
·
A minimum of 15 images submitted according
·
Motorola Quality Award
to the Electronic Submission Guidelines attached
·
RadioShack Innovation in Control Award
·
A signed Grant of Rights form
·
Xerox Creativity Award
A series of questions have been prepared for each award
and teams must answer these questions thoroughly and
completely. They must also provide an in-depth narrative
of the design and development process as one part of
their submitted material. Teams must also include a mini-
The book will be written based on information provided
mum of 15 high-quality graphic images (see Electronic
by teams participating in the 2006 competition. Only
Submission Guidelines) that illustrate the evolution of their
FRC 2006 teams who have won one of the above
robot design from inception to its final creation. These
mentioned awards are invited to submit documentation
graphic images must include a final image (or two) of the
of their design efforts for consideration as a featured
finished robot shot clearly against a white background or
profile/case-study that will be included in the book. The
wall, as well as the following:
submitted information will form the raw material the
book is created from so please provide visuals of all
·
Original hand-sketches of robot
kinds and from all points during the development
·
Photographs of robot concepts, development,
process. This is extremely important because if you
or prototypes
do not submit enough written information or visuals,
·
CAD models of robot
you will not be eligible for consideration.
·
Detail photographs of the robot's important
features
Teams that want to be considered for inclusion in this
·
Photographs of the robot during the building
book must document their design process and submit
process
that documentation to FIRST no later than exactly one
month from the day the award was won. FIRST will forward
The submitted graphics are as important as the submit-
your submission to the book judges. The judges will select
ted text to tell the story of how your team progressed
designs to be included in the book from those submitted
from idea to reality so a good variety of types of images
by teams winning one of the above awards. Winning an
from sketches to completion will communicate this best.
award is not a guarantee to be published, BUT the quality
Be sure to read the Electronic Submissions Guidelines very
of your submitted material will be a very important factor
carefully so you are sure you are supplying the correct
in determining which robots will be chosen for inclusion.
content.
Electronic Submis
Guidelines: sion
Size and format: Labeling Submission:
Files may be provided on either a MAC or PC formatted
media: (be sure to copy MAC files to MAC formatted
Please label each disk with the following information:
disks...MAC files copied onto PC formatted disks may be
corrupted). Files must be sent on one of the following
·
FIRST Robot Book
media: ZIP (100MB), CD-ROM, or DVD.
·
Team Number
·
Award submission is for
Submit 2 copies of your files (keep the original) with the
·
Contact Name
following specifications:
·
Contact Phone Number
Include the following items with the disk:
·
350 dpi resolution or (72 DPI for screen grabs
·
Disk directory printout listing contents of the
only)
disk
·
Minimum size 4" x 5" (larger dimensions
·
8" x 10" color or black and white print out
preferred)
(hi resolution on photo paper) of each image
·
.TIFF or .EPS files only RGB color or CYMK color
labeled with
·
Illustrator files need to be EPS and all fonts
1.
Team number
need to be converted to outline (vector)
2. File name(s)
3. Award submission is for
Do NOT send JPG, Quark Express files, Quick Time, PDF,
4. File Format (.TIFF, .EPS)
PSD, GIF, or Pagemaker files, they will not be accepted.
5. File size in megabytes (Mb)
The only accepted files are TIFF or EPS
6. Image size (inches or metric)
The information you provide will be used in a credit to
7.
DPI (resolution)
accompany your submission and in the directory should
·
Completed "Grant of Rights" form
it be selected, so write legibly, be as complete as possi-
(included in following pages)
ble, and double check all spelling. Incomplete or illegible
·
Completed "Submission Questionnaire" (inclu-
forms will be disqualified.
ded in following pages) in a Word .doc format
Note to teams: You can convert Autodesk Inventor files
to .TIFF files by saving them as .bmp files, opening them
in Paint, and resaving as .TIFF.
Packaging/Shipping
Package all media well for shipping. We recommend a
padded envelope and do not use paper clips, binder clips,
or staples near any photographs as they will damage the
images.
Send the complete submission package to:
FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robot Book Opportunity
200 Bedford Street
Manchester, NH 03102
You must include your team number on the package as
part of the return address.
Deadline to submit materials: Must be postmarked no
later than exactly one month from the day the award
was won.
Take the time to double check that you have put every-
thing in the package, that all the forms are completed, all
criteria is met and the disk can be read before you mail it
to FIRST. Incomplete packages will not be forwarded to
the author.
Upon publication, teams whose work is selected for the
book will be notified and will receive a 50% discount on
purchasing unlimited copies of the book.
Submission Questionaire
General Robot Description Question:
Award: General Motors Industrial Design The fthe FAwarTollosubmittd: Delphi "Driving Technology" wing team quesIRST Book of Robot Designed as a Word document.
The "General Robot Description Question" must be completed for every aw omorr
. Ques
ar
ow'stions will aid in the creation of tions must be d submission.
Please describe in-depth the design, development process,
This award celebrates an elegant and
and any challenges you faced along the way. Provide
advantageous machine feature, which includes any
step-by-step images to illustrate the important moments.
aspect of engineering elegance including, but not limited
to: design, wiring methods, material selection, program-
This
ming techniques, and unique machine attributes. The
award celebrates form and function in an efficiently
criteria for this award is based on the team's ability to
designed machine that effectively achieves the estab-
verbally describe in a concise manner, as well as demon-
lished challenge.
strate, this chosen machine feature.
Questions:
Questions:
1. Describe your team's strategy for playing the 2006
1. What was the machine feature that won this award?
FRC game.
2. How does the feature contribute to the robot's per-
2. What was the most important feature or function to
formance?
execute your game strategy? Describe its function
3. Describe the design process of that feature, from ini-
and the problems solved while creating and con-
tial ideas to concepts to prototypes to final design.
structing this feature.
4. What design alternatives were suggested for this ma-
3. Please provide specific examples of overcoming the
chine feature before the chosen design was selected?
design challenges created by limits of time and
5. What engineering analysis was done before the
resources.
device was constructed?
4. What assembly and integration problems were
6. Was any software used as a design tool? Please
solved while building the robot?
describe how that software benefited the design
5. What was the most difficult portion of the design
process.
process (idea generation, selection of alternatives,
7. What challenges were overcome in getting the feature
analysis, fabrication, testing, integration) and why?
functioning on the robot?
Please walk us through the design that produced your
8. When was the first functioning prototype of this fea-
machine.
ture ready for testing, and how was that testing
6. What features had to be sacrificed in order to achieve
accomplished?
the present machine?
9. Was the feature modified during testing to improve
7. Did practices reveal any unexpected features of the
performance?
machine (positive or negative)?
10. How did team members guide the design and devel-
8. Is this machine modeled on any real world systems, or
opment of this feature?
can the design be applied to any real world system?
If so, please explain the relationship between the
machine and other existing systems.
Award: Motorola Quality Award: Xerox Creativity
This award celebrates
This award celebrates
machine robustness in concept and fabrication.
creative design, use of a component, or a creative or
unique strategy of play.
Questions:
Questions:
1. What makes this machine robust?
2. Provide some examples of how the machine's robust-
1. What are the creative attributes of your design?
ness contributes to the machine's performance.
2. Creativity can either be instantaneous (i.e. the Eureka
3. What factors established the need for a robust
moment) or the result of a systematic process to gen-
design?
erate ideas (such as brainstorming, using analogies,
4. What was the most important component in the Kit
applying checklists, word associations, manipulating
of Parts in the area of machine robustness?
an existing solution). Please describe the process
5. How did experimentation and testing assist in creat-
which produced the creative aspect of your design.
ing a high quality robot?
3. What design ideas or robot functions were thought of
6. What research was conducted to aid the design
but not implemented on the final robot, and why?
process?
4. For the existing design, how many different alterna-
7. What were the goals and objectives of this design and
tives were considered and why was the existing sys-
how did these goals result in producing the high quali-
tem selected?
ty finished product?
5. Moving from an idea to reality is often difficult. How
8. Describe the creative process (from brainstorming to
has the design changed from its original concept to
the final build).
the constructed device?
9. Where did your design inspiration come from?
6. How did the FIRST robot rules or FIRST game rules
10. Before products are developed, a series of design
affect your creative process?
reviews are often conducted, such as Concept Review
7. What design tools were used to first describe the
and Selection, Preliminary Design Review, Design
idea, refine the design, and construct the device?
Safety Review, Prototype Review, Customer Testing
(Note these tools may range from a sketch, to a CAD
Review, Detailed Design Review, Quality Review).
model, to engineering calculations).
Though your team may not have established a formal
8. Did the schedule impact your creative process? Did
review process, can you describe how the design was
the time constraint force an alternative solution? Did
reviewed and improved over the six week time period?
the small amount of time for the entire process (from
inception, to concept, to prototype, to testing, to
refinement, to final design) dampen creativity?
Award: Radio Shack Leadership in Control
This award celebrates an innovative control system or
application of control components to provide unique
machine functions.
Questions:
1. What is the innovative control or application of con-
trol components on your robot?
2. What can the robot do in autonomous mode, and
how does it accomplish those tasks?
3. Control requires an integration of the hardware and
software on a robot. Can you describe how the soft-
ware was integrated with the robot mechanisms and
sensors?
4. How did the design of the control system morph
while the robot was developed and what aspects of
the robot design influence the control system the
most?"
5. How did the control system improve human-machine
interaction? (For example, many teams program in
dead bands for motors, change the slope of the input
to output relationships for joysticks and motors, or use
other means to improve the human's ability to control
the robot).
6. What sensors were used in the control system and
how were these sensors used?
7. Was the control system "bench tested" before being
implemented on the robot, and what was discovered
from those original tests? How was the control
system tested?
8. Control is based on feedback. What forms of feed-
back to the human and the robot are achieved in your
design and how is the feedback measured?
9. How does the control function contribute to the
robot's performance?
10. Was the machine designed with control in mind, or
was the control system built to accommodate the
mechanical design?
11. What surprises were discovered during the develop-
ment of the control system?
F.A.Q.'s
Q. Who owns the design?
Q. When will we know if our team has been selected to
A. The team will continue to own the design. By signing
be published?
the "Grant of Rights" form, the team is giving permis-
A. Teams will know if their submission was chosen upon
sion for Rockport Publishers to publish the design
publication, currently scheduled for September 2007.
(read the Grant of Rights form for specific rights
being granted).
Q. We created all of our CAD drawings using Autodesk
Inventor. How do we convert these files to .EPS or
Q. Will someone be able to patent our design from the
.TIFF files?
book?
A. You can convert Autodesk Inventor files to .TIFF files
A. The book will contain a copyright statement indicating
by saving them as .bmp files, opening them in Paint,
that all of the photos and drawings are property of the
and resaving as .TIFF. You cannot convert them to .EPS.
team who submitted them.
Q. How do I submit a Word.doc when the submission
Q. Will teams get any payment for being published?
questionnaire is in a .pdf format?
A. No.
A. Acrobat Reader has a Select Text tool. Use it to high-
light the Submission Questionnaire portion of the .pdf
Q. What happens if the disk is corrupted, can we
file and copy to Clipboard (PC users, right mouse
resubmit?
click). Open a new Word document and paste the
A. We encourage all teams to double check the package
copied text. This will allow you to answer the ques-
before they submit. Due to the planned timing of get-
tions using Word and without retyping.
ting this book written and published, any problems
with the submission package will decrease the odds
that a team will be considered as a robot design case
study for this book.
Q. Will someone contact our team to ask us questions
about our design?
A. The "Submission Questionnaire" is designed to give
the author all the information needed to publish the
book. Be sure to complete it fully. Teams may wish to
emphasize one award over others in their submitted
material.
Grant of Rights: Art Log Number[to be filled in by author]
The undersigned hereby grants to Rockport Publishers
Please fill out and submit a seperate Grant of Right for
the right to reproduce in any size the work identified
each award you are submitting for.
below in its forthcoming book tentatively titled First
Fill this out so it reads exactly how you would like your
Robots: Behind the Design in all editions, revisions and
information listed in the directory of the book. If you
the reprintings of the Book, and promotional and instruc-
DO NOT want your address listed, please let us know.
tional materials thereto; in all known or hereafter invent-
ed media which makes the Book available in visual form
for reading, and as a contribution to other collective
Award:
works in all such media. The undersigned hereby con-
firms that (1) any and all information attached hereto is
Team Name and Number:
correct, (2) the undersigned is either the sole owner of all
Address:
rights to the work (and to any and all photographs, sam-
ples, and transparencies of the work being submitted) or
has been authorized by the owner(s) of such rights to
grant the rights herein granted and (3) the publication of
Phone Number:
the work will not violate the rights of any third party. The
Fax Number:
undersigned agrees that (1) the undersigned will not
e-mail:
receive any direct financial compensation from Rockport
List all mentors and members of team:
for granting these rights herein, but has and will receive
as good and valuable consideration for granting these
rights the promotional value of having the work included
in the Book, (2) materials submitted will not be returned,
(3) the undersigned shall not hold Rockport Publishers
responsible for the safekeeping of any materials in
Rockport's possession, and (4) Rockport Publishers is
under no obligation to include the above-mentioned work
in the Book or to publish the Book itself. We also agree
that Rockport Publishers is entitled to rely for permission
on a facsimile of this original.
Contributors will not receive complimentary copies as a
result of their work being included in the book unless this
is pre-approved by the publisher in writing.
(Print) Name:
Signature
Date