When a vendor proposes a potential new part to FIRST Tech Challenge, the staff work hard to balance multiple factors evaluating the legality of the part. These factors include things like usability over multiple seasons, complexity of game rules, availability of the part, cost, volunteer impact, etc.
We also consider if the proposed product is already available to teams from approved vendors. Here are some of the questions we ask and things that we consider:
- What is the product?
- What does the product do?
- Are there game rules that prohibit the product from being used on a robot?
- Is the product safe?
- Does the product violate our one degree of freedom rule?
- It is the intent of FIRSTto encourage teams to design their own mechanisms rather than buying pre-designed and pre-manufactured solutionsto achieve the game challenge
- Will this product give a team an unfair advantage?
- Is this product, or a similar product, currently available through an approved vendor.
- We will not consider additional motors, batteries, or alternative control systems.
- How will the product benefit teams with different resource and experience levels?
- How will the introduction of a new part affect the volunteer experience, for example, a robot inspectors’ ability to be successful in their volunteer role?
- Would this product be available to all teams?
- (This question speaks directly to the output volume and ability of the vendor to accept and fulfill orders from around the world.)
- It is important to consider that shipments to many locations outside of the United States include increased shipping fees, taxes and require additional effort on the part of the shipper.
- How is Quality Control measured in pre and post product production?
- What is the product warranty?
- What is the cost of the product to teams?
- Does the vendor have a business plan?
- Does the vendor have a plan for selling this product externally to FIRST Tech Challenge?
- What other products does this vendor provide?
- Can the vendor ship a sample product to FIRST HQ to be tested with existing components?
We ask these questions to ensure all teams would have access to the product, the product is high quality, the product contributes to the game in a positive way, and the product is safe for our teams and our volunteers.
Vendors and potential vendors who would like a new product to be considered for future seasons should contact FIRST, by email with answers to the above questions. FIRST must receive the request for consideration no later than July 31st of the season before launch. This means a product consideration request for the 2024-2025 FIRST Tech Challenge season would need to be received no later than July 31st of 2023. After FIRST Tech Challenge has received and reviewed the request, a vendor may be asked to provide a prototype or post-production sample of the product no later than September 30th. This will give our engineering staff, our content creators, and our Game Design Committee the opportunity to consider the product for allowance in future seasons.
Inquiries about this process can be sent to ftcteams@firstinspires.org. Please use the subject “New Product for Consideration”. Game rule inquiries regarding potential products should not be discussed via this email address.