The FIRST Robotics Competition is an exciting, multinational competition that teams professionals and young people to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way. The program is a life-changing, career-molding experience—and a lot of fun. In 2004 the competition will reach more than 20,000 students on over 900 teams in 27 competitions. Our teams come from Canada, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Great Britain, and almost every U.S. state. The competitions are high-tech spectator sporting events, the result of lots of focused brainstorming, real-world teamwork, dedicated mentoring, project timelines, and deadlines.

     Colleges, universities, corporations, businesses, and individuals provide scholarships to our participants. Involved engineers experience again many of the reasons they chose engineering as a profession, and the companies they work for contribute to the community while they prepare and create their future workforce. The competition shows students that the technological fields hold many opportunities and that the basic concepts of science, math, engineering, and invention are exciting and interesting. ( Taken from www.usfirst.org/robotics/ )

The 2005 FIRST Robotics Competition Game Manual

• Section 0 - Introduction
  This section provides a high-level overview of the 2005 game.
• Section 1 - Communication
  This section provides teams with necessary information for contacting FIRST staff, using the FIRST logo, and other information.
• Section 2 - Team Organization
  This section provides teams with some suggestions for organizing a team.
• Section 3 - The Arena Updated Links, Added Links
  This section describes the 2005 arena, field elements, and game elements in detail. There are several pertinent drawings listed in this section.
• Section 4 - The Game
  This section describes the 2005 game in detail.
• Section 5 - The Robot (includes the Kit of Parts) Updated Links, Added Drawing
  This section describes the 2005 Kit of Parts and discusses all rules associated with building a 2005 compliant robot. There are several other documents that support the building of a robot:
  1. Many documents hosted at www.innovationfirst.com
  2. The 2005 Robot Power Distribution drawing
  3. 2005 Pneumatics Manual
  4. Guidelines, Tips, and Good Practices
  5. Specification sheets
  6. Kit of Parts photo album...
• Section 6 - Robot Transportation
  This section provides very important information regarding crate specs, battery shipping requirements, general shipping, the FedEx shipping donation, and the drayage companies.
• Section 7 - At the Event
  This section provides a general summary regarding a FIRST credo, mascots/uniforms, recommended items and equipment that teams should consider bringing with them, pit rules, event
• Section 8 - The Tournament
  This section describes how the tournament is played.
• Section 9 - The Awards
  This section describes the awards and their submission criteria.