2020 Kickoff: The 2020 FIRST® Robotics Competition Kickoff is this Saturday, January 4, 2020! We have some important details concerning the INFINITE RECHARGESM Kickoff and Season to share with you:
- Friday, January 3: Tune in to our FIRSTtv at 6:30 p.m. ET for a behind-the-scenes look at Founder Dean Kamen’s house and exclusive interviews with Dean at DEKA Research & Development to learn about the IBOT, the Dialysis Machine, the Luke Arm, and more!
- Saturday, January 4 at 10 a.m. ET: Tune into FIRSTtv
at 10:00 a.m. for the pre-show with DeejayKnight as we get the
celebration started. At 10:30 a.m. ET, Kickoff begins with a special
welcome message and interview with Dean, a visit from your favorite
droid, and the unveiling of INFINITE RECHARGE. If your team is unable to
attend a local Kickoff, host your own party by watching FIRSTtv. Please visit the Kickoff Broadcast
page before Saturday to troubleshoot any issues and make sure you will
have access to the live stream. Here is the Kickoff broadcast schedule:
- 10 a.m. ET: Pre-show
- 10:30 a.m. ET: Main Show
- 11:15 a.m. ET (approximately): Q&A We
answer your questions about the field live through the Twitch chat.
Important note: we will not answer ‘rules’ questions about the game.
Please read the Game & Season Manual carefully then submit any
remaining questions about rules you have to the Q&A when it opens Wednesday, January 8 (details to be posted shortly after Kickoff).
- 12:00 p.m. ET (approximately): Broadcast ends.
- Sunday, January 5 at 1 p.m. ET: More in-depth look into the Kit of Parts with Engineer Ted Hood and host DeejayKnight! This show is also on FIRSTtv.
For more information please check out the FIRST Robotics Competition blog.
- The 2020 Kit of Parts dimensions are now available on the Kit of Parts page, as referenced in this blog post.
- **TIME SENSITIVE** Don’t forget to take inventory of your Kickoff Kit! After
receiving your Kickoff Kit, please check all items to determine if
parts are missing or damaged. If so, you can let us know by noon ET on Friday, January 10,
and we’ll ship replacements. This is a time-limited, one-time-only
opportunity. Details on how to complete the missing parts process are here.
- The encrypted Game Manual as well as other important documents for the season have been posted on the Game and Season page.
The Encryption code will be available on Saturday, January 4 at the end
of the Kickoff broadcast. You may want to download those documents now so you will be ready when the time comes! See this blog post for more details.
Team Support Available on Kickoff Day: Team Support will be available on Saturday, January 4 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. For assistance, please call 1-800-871-8326.
Reminder! Mark your Calendars: FIRST® Choice Round 2 opens this Saturday, January 4 at noon ET, and closes Thursday, January 9 at noon ET. For more information please visit this page.
Deadline coming soon! 2020 Apple Engineering Technology Summer Camp: Please complete your initial application online here by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, January 6, 2020.
- There are limited nominations available, and not all applicants will receive the opportunity
- Decisions are not subject to further review, nor will late applications be accepted
- FIRST will review all applications and select nominees to receive the full Apple application in early January
- All applicants will be informed of their status via email by January 15, 2020
Don’t forget about Awards during the build season! Be sure to check the Awards page for submission details and deadlines. Keep up to date with all important season deadlines by visiting the Season Calendar throughout the year.
