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The 2023 FIRST® Championship presented by BAE Systems will bring together over 600 teams.This page is intended to be an overview of information on FIRST Championship specific to the FIRST Robotics Competition program. Teams can also reference the FIRST Robotics Competition Event Guide for additional details.
FIRST Robotics Competition Volunteers can also reference the Volunteer Event Guide for general volunteer information as well as the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship Volunteer webpage for volunteer information specific to the FIRST Robotics Competition Program.
Preparing for FIRST Championship
Details on how teams earn eligibility to attend the FIRST Championship are posted on the Championship Eligibility Criteria webpage.
Teams should also check out the FIRST Championship Website for information that is applicable to all programs and attendees and the FIRST Championship Event Guide for information that is applicable to all attendees such as information about badging, Conferences, Innovation Faire, and more! Please note that masks are optional at the event and we appreciate you respecting each other's decisions.
Badging and Hotel Options
The hotel program is open, teams can check out the FIRST Championship Event Guide webpage for details on how to reserve rooms. Volunteers will receive information once they are assigned to a role.
Do I still have to register to attend if I am not using the FIRST Championship Hotel Accommodations?
Yes, all attendees have to use the badging system to register for the event. All attendees are required to have a badge while on site. Please complete this prior to arriving to expedite badging on site.
Do I have to stay at a hotel that is part of the FIRST Championship Hotel Accommodations?
No, the hotel program is provided as an option for attendees.
When will I receive information on registering for FIRST Championship?
Teams will receive information on registering after qualifying for FIRST Championship.
Robot Shipping & Packing
Teams attending the 2023 FIRST Championship can choose to either ship their robot using the FedEx voucher or hand-carry to the event.
Teams that qualify and are secured (paid the event registration fee) for FIRST Championship will get an email asking them if they want to hand-carry to FIRST Championship or ship it via FedEx. Teams must select one or the other, as there will be no ‘default’ option. For more information, check out the Robot Transportation webpage.
Please see the 2023 FIRST Championship Packing document for helpful tips as your team prepares for FIRST Championship.
On-Site FIRST Robotics Competition Championship Specifics
Agenda & Floor Plan
- Teams can reference the FIRST Robotics Competition Public Schedule and schedules will also be available on the FIRST Championship website and in the Championship App.
- Please see the images below for the layout of the FIRST Robotics Competition area on the 1st floor of the George R. Brown Convention Center. (click images to enlarge)
Championship Divisions
Division Assignments are available on this frc-events page. Click the divisions below to see Pit Maps with team assignments.
Archimedes
Curie
Daly
Galileo
Hopper
Johnson
Milstein
Newton
Judging & Awards
FIRST Robotics Competition celebrates the excitement of competition both on and off the field. Through our awards, we celebrate the FIRST Core Values which makes us so much #morethanrobots.
Pit Judging
Judges will come around in the pit to interview teams for the Judged Awards just like they do at local District or Regional Competitions. Judges may Interview and observe teams in the Pit, on the playing field, and other areas of the event. Visit the FIRST Robotics Competition Awards page for a full description of the awards. To be eligible for any award, teams will be required to follow FIRST Core Values, demonstrate Gracious Professionalism®, and implement and follow appropriate safety practices.
Award Ceremonies
This year, awards for each field will be presented in between the playoff matches. The entire team will be invited to the field to receive an award and take a team picture if they like (team must take the photo themselves).
The FIRST Impact Award Finalists & Woodie Flowers Award winner will be announced Saturday Morning prior to Alliance Selection.
FIRST Impact Awards Interviews
The FIRST Impact Award interview schedule will be posted in each Pit Admin on Wednesday, April 19. FIRST Impact Award Interviews will be on Thursday, April 20 and Friday, April 21.
There are four FIRST Impact Award Interview rooms on site, Rooms 380 A – D, located on the 3rd floor of the building. Swapping interview times is not encouraged, but if you must change your time, switch with a team (once you have their consent) that is assigned to the same interview room as you and notify Pit Admin. Pit Admin must approve the change and they will work with the judges to keep them apprised of changes.
Teams can reference the Hall of Fame webpage to see what other teams who have won the Championship FIRST Impact Award have accomplished.
Logistics
Load In
All teams must follow the Load-In process as outlined in the Team Load-In Instructions in order to bring materials into the Pits from their vehicles.
Early Load In
- Please note that during the Early Load-In timeframe for teams that shipped their robot, they can bring in one tote (approximately Kit of Parts size), with the preference that it is hand carried. The tote must fit through a standard doorway. The tote should include all hand tools needed to open the team’s crate(s) and can included a corded or cordless power drill.
- Early Load-In teams should expect that all items will be searched upon entry into the front doors of the venue and should have the tote ready to be inspected (i.e. don’t have it zip-tied shut). Teams should not have items on the prohibited items list (per the Event Rules E109) in the tote. All other items must be brought in through the loading dock through the standard Load-In process.
- All Early Load-In teams must check in at the early check-in desk (click image to enlarge) in the lobby to obtain wristbands to enter the pits.
- Teams who need to print name badges at the Team Check In desk or need to send members to the loading dock from the lobby may also check in at the early check-in desk to obtain a different colored wristband to allow them access. These teams will not be allowed in the pits until 10am.
Load Out
A mentor on your team MUST visit the ship desk prior to visiting load out, regardless of if your team hand-carried or shipped your robot to Championship. The ship desk will provide you with a load out ticket that must be brought to the team load out desk at the back of Hall A & E. When your team is completely packed and ready to load out, bring your packed equipment to the load out staging area and send one person to the load out desk at the back of Hall A & E. Load out staff will assign a vehicle release code to your team, which the driver can then use to gain entrance to the load out dock. Vehicles should not queue until they receive this code.
Teams will receive additional load-out instructions in their team packet upon check-in but can also reference the Team Load-Out Instructions.
Meals & Breaks
Each division is assigned a 1 hour 30-minute break for lunch on Thursday and Friday. Teams should listen carefully to announcements on each Division Field, as some matches are replayed during the Lunch Break. Please see the below schedule for Thursday & Friday by field.On Saturday, April 22, all Division Fields will break from the end of the Division Field Playoffs until 1:30 PM.
There are concessions located within the convention center, with many food options around the George R. Brown Convention Center as well. Local food trucks will be around Discovery Green. View a list of nearby restaurants.
Teams can use the pre-order form to pre-order lunches for your team.
|
Divisions |
Day |
Lunch Break Time |
|
Archimedes & Hopper |
Thursday, April 20 |
11:00 AM to 12:30 PM |
|
Friday, April 21 |
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM |
|
|
Curie & Milstein |
Thursday, April 20 |
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM |
|
Friday, April 21 |
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM |
|
|
Daly & Johnson |
Thursday, April 20 |
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM |
|
Friday, April 21 |
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM |
|
|
Galileo & Newton |
Thursday, April 20 |
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM |
|
Friday, April 21 |
11:00 AM to 12:30 PM |
Parking
Parking is available around the George R. Brown Convention Center, see Downtown Houston Parking webpage for more information.
Practice Fields
There will be 2 complete Competition Fields in each Pit area, as well as several carpeted areas of Practice Field elements. The Practice Fields are open Wednesday afternoon - Friday evening. The Practice Fields will not be available on Saturday. Please reference the FIRST Robotics Competition Public Schedule for planned hours of operation as well as the Championship Practice Field Overview that is provided in team's registration packets.
We recognize that teams shipping their robot are at a disadvantage as they cannot work on their robot after it ships. To help level the playing field, teams that ship their robot receive early access to the pits on Wednesday and a Wednesday priority pass at FIRST Championship that provides the following:
- exclusive access to the ‘playground’ (non-official/wooden) practice fields before they officially open
- a fast pass that allows the teams to skip the line one time on the official practice fields on Wednesday only
Queuing
Teams are responsible for knowing their match times and are expected to queue 30 minutes prior to their matches without the help of an announcer. Teams need a minimum of 10 minutes to travel from their pit space to the playing fields. Please leave extra time to get back and forth between the pits and playing fields.
For qualification matches, FIRST will make every effort to keep close to the published schedules. Keep close watch of the pit display for any moment-to-moment changes. There will be no audio queuing.
Robot Services
- Control System Advisors (CSAs) - Teams can request general help from Control Systems Advisors for troubleshooting software or electrical issues by stopping by the NI booth in the Robot Service Center or submitting a request online at www.ni.com/frcsupport.
- Machine Shop - There is a machine shop, sponsored by NASA, located in each Pit area in the back of Halls A & E near the Spare Parts Tables.
- Spare Parts - There is a spare parts table in the back of both Hall A & E and parts are available on a limited basis.
- Robot Service Center - located in the back of Halls B, C, & D and is an opportunity for teams to seek and get support from Suppliers during the competition (e.g. technical help, spare parts, or assistance with repairs).
Einstein Tournament
The 8 Division winning alliances are known as Division Champions. These teams compete in the Einstein Tournament. The tournament will be a Double Elimination Tournament as described in Section 11.9.4 of the Game Manual. The Galileo field will become the Mass Field and the Johnson Field will become the Energy Field for the Einstein Tournament.
- Reserved Seating - When the Division alliance winners & FIRST Impact Award Finalists are announced, each team receives 40 wristbands to designate special seating for the Einstein Tournament. Teams obtain the wristbands from the field Volunteer Coordinator. Please arrive at reserved seats no later than 1:30 PM.
- Note: any open areas in the bleachers after 1:30 PM become open to the public for seating.
- Zebra MotionWorks - As announced in this Blog Post, RFID motion tags from Zebra MotionWorks will be available to teams to use during the Einstein tournament. If you want to get an idea for the size of the tags, check out the CAD files (AssemblyFile (STP), PartFile (STP), STLFormat).
Accessibility
- ADA Seating - ADA accessible seating is available for all fields. There will be space for the person in need plus some of their team. Some of the team may need to sit in the reserved bleachers behind the reserved area depending on the size of the team. If a student is the one in need, we ask that at least 1 adult sits in the reserved area. Please see a volunteer for directions to seating.
- Gender Neutral Bathrooms - Gender neutral bathrooms will be available as shown in the layout above as well as layouts on the FIRST Championship website.
- Prayer Rooms - There will be two prayer rooms available for anyone wishing to observe religious practice onsite during event hours. Prayer rooms are located on the 2nd level of the Marriott Marquis Houston in Montgomery rooms A&B. The Marriott Marquis Houston is attached to the George R. Brown Convention Center and can be accessed from the level 2 sky bridge located north of Mezzanine A.
- Quiet Room - A Quiet Room will be available for those participants who need a quiet space to de-stress and take a break from the business of the competition. The room is located on the 3rd floor in 382C and hours are posted in the the FIRST Robotics Competition Public Schedule.
- If you would like to donate items (things like playing cards, board games, stress balls, puzzles) for the room, please bring to Room 382C