Altium supports the next generation of robot designers

FIRST Robotics Competition: today's challenge for tomorrow's engineers

When thousands of students arrive at Atlanta's Georgia Dome to compete at the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), they will have a new weapon up their sleeve. The electronics the teams use in their robots can now be modified and expanded using a professional electronics design tool; Altium Designer.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. The FRC is an annual event that challenges teams of students to develop a robot in a six-week time frame using a standard kit of parts and a common set of rules.

This is not the first year Altium has sponsored the event. FIRST and Altium have a history of advancing the way the students can modify and enhance their robots.

Last year, for the first time, students could download a professional PCB design tool and develop their own electronic designs. Over 200 teams downloaded Altium Designer to develop hybrid control systems that let team members give physical cues to their robots. The reason for the change was that the competition introduced a new period where robots must remain autonomous. For the first 15 seconds of each game, robots could only be controlled through physical cues from the team rather than via the operator's robot controller. It added a new element to the competition, and a reason to think innovatively, particularly with the electronics used within the robot.

And this year, the rules have changed again. Teams can now download and modify the Altium design files from a creative commons. They can use these designs to explore possibilities and modify the electronic designs in the robot control system to their advantage. This is the first time students have been able make such changes and have access to the source design files.

Students can download designs for the power distribution panel, digital side car, analog and solenoid breakout as well as several sensor carrier boards that have been released under a Creative Commons open source license. As part of the competition rules, teams that use these designs for their own custom hardware are required to publish their modified designs, in turn creating a community of open hardware based around designs made with Altium Designer. It becomes a fantastic opportunity for students to learn from their experience and from each other.

And the reason why students use Altium Designer to modify the controller? Because the electronics included in this year's robot controller were also developed by FIRST using Altium Designer. So, every student who downloads their free version of Altium Designer will be using the same professional tool used by the engineers at FIRST.

"With its generous contribution to the FIRST Robotics Competition at our highest Crown Supplier level, Altium makes it possible for us to turn the FIRST vision of inspiring young people's interest and participation in science and technology into a reality," said Paul R. Gudonis, FIRST President. "Our partnerships with innovative companies such as Altium are a major reason that FIRST continues to thrive."

The FRC Championship will be held April 16-18, 2009 in Atlanta's Georgia Dome, and the 2009 season was formally launched January 3 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

About FIRST

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people.

FIRST is based in Manchester, N.H., and designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering.

With the support of many of the world's most well-known companies, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge for high-school students, FIRST LEGO League for children 9-14 years old, and Junior FIRST LEGO League for 6 to 9 year-olds.

To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.