Presented By

In CENTERSTAGE presented by RTX teams are raising the curtain on how design, creativity, and precision play a role in creating all new experiences. FIRST Tech Challenge teams (up to 15 team members, grades 7-12) are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format in this district qualifier.

For Teams

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab Kossiakoff Center

Parking

Please park onsite in the APL Staff and Education Center Parking. See map for more details.

Concessions:

Concessions will be available at this event. No pre-order lunch available.

All food and drink to be stored and eaten in the designated areas.

Outside food is allowed and encouraged.

Coaches

Be sure to bring a paper copy of your roster to your event to turn into pit admin. Paper rosters can be printed from your Dashboard at FIRST Inspires. Your roster should have a green checkmark next to every team member AND coach/mentor.

This indicates that all people associated with the team have signed a Consent and Release form. You may not compete without Consent and Release forms on file. FIRST Inspires does not want to manage paper and encourages teams to use these resources to register their children and sign the Consent and Release.

Competing Teams

Team Number	displayTeamNumber	nameFull	Team Name	schoolName	City	State	country	website	rookieYear	robotName	districtCode	homeCMP
607	607	Inovex Information Systems&Family/Community	Dragon Slayers		Ellicot City	MD	USA		2,007
4234	4,234	TechBrick Education/DoD STEM & Family/Community	Engineered Chaos		Aberdeen Proving Ground	MD	USA	http://www.techbrick.com	2,010
9530	9,530	The Gunston School	Honey Nut Gearios		Centreville	MD	USA		2,014
10216	10,216	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Society of Women Engineers & Family/Community	SpiderByte		Laurel	MD	USA	https://swespiderbyte.wixsite.com/website	2,015
11500	11,500	CDIGITAL MARKETS, LLC & St Mark School	Too Many Wires		Catonsville	MD	USA		2,016
12718	12,718	St Andrew's Middle Upper Sch	Lions		Potomac	MD	USA		2,017
13463	13,463	MSDE-Robotics Program (Maryland State Department of Education)&Wilde Lake High School	Wildecats		Columbia	MD	USA	https://wildelakerobotics.weebly.com/	2,017
14315	14,315	Home School	mobiUs		Washington	DC	USA		2,017
14691	14,691	Nova Labs/Leidos&Family/Community	Mechanical Mafia		Fairfax	VA	USA		2,018
17219	17,219	Family/Community	SpiderBits		Laurel	MD	USA	https://swespiderbyte.wixsite.com/website	2,019
17394	17,394	Howard High School	Howard Robotics		Ellicott City	MD	USA		2,019
18230	18,230	District of Columbia Intl Sch	luminUs		Washington	DC	USA		2,020
18602	18,602	Family/Community	Reboot		Brookeville	MD	USA		2,020
18697	18,697	Family/Community	Monke Bang Rock		Herndon	VA	USA	https://www.monkebangrock.com	2,020
19434	19,434	Hughes Network Systems/GoBilda/Rockville Robotics Inc&Family/Community	Redstone.exe		Germantown	MD	USA		2,021
19642	19,642	Indian Creek School&maserdc.org	Eagles		Crownsville	MD	USA	https://www.maserdc.org	2,021
19818	19,818	Family/Community	Jade Innovations		Boyds	MD	USA		2,021
21310	21,310	District of Columbia Intl Sch	nexUs		Washington	DC	USA		2,022
21828	21,828	Deal Middle School	Deal Dynamos		Washington	DC	USA		2,022
22554	22,554	Roland Park Country School	Bionic Bears		Baltimore	MD	USA		2,022
22777	22,777	Gar-Field High School	GFHS Redwolves		Woodbridge	VA	USA		2,022
23840	23,840	Family/Community	Howard Dynamics		Clarksville	MD	USA		2,023
24028	24,028	Family/Community	Predator-7.exe		Potomac	MD	USA		2,023
24158	24,158	Boy Scouts of America	Green Gang		Rockville	MD	USA	http://post1010.org/index.html	2,023
24179	24,179	Family/Community	Tech Tigers		Fairfax	VA	USA		2,023
24220	24,220	Family/Community	Ingenuity		Ellicott City	MD	USA		2,023
24420	24,420	Southern Senior High School	Cyber Dogs		Harwood	MD	USA		2,023
24579	24,579	Gonzaga College High School	Gonzaga Eagles Robotics		Washington	DC	USA	https://www.gonzaga.org	2,023
Team Number	displayTeamNumber	nameFull	Team Name	schoolName	City	State	country	website	rookieYear	robotName	districtCode	homeCMP

Judging

Team judging begins at 8:00 a.m. Please be prompt. Each Team will have a ten to fifteen minute “fact-finding” interview with a panel of two or three judges. At the start of the interview, Teams will have a maximum of 5 minutes to present to the judges. After the Team’s five-minute presentation, the judges will have the opportunity to ask questions about the Team, the Robot, and outreach efforts.

Engineering Portfolios
Teams should submit an Engineering Portfolio (not an Engineering Notebook). This is outlined in the Game Manual.
The Engineering Portfolio should be on paper (not electronic) and should be given to the Judges during the judging interview.

Control Award Submissions
Control Award Submissions, which are optional, should be on paper (not electronic) and should be given to the Judges during the judging interview.

Official Q&A Forum
If you have not already, make sure you check out and review the questions and answers on the FIRST Tech Challenge Official Q&A Forum. More questions and answers are added weekly!

Judging Schedule

Schedule:

	Panel 1	Panel 2	Panel 3	Panel 4	Panel 5	Panel 6
1/27/2024, 08:00 AM – 08:20 AM	14691 Mechanical Mafia	19434 Redstone.exe	19642 Eagles	4234 Engineered Chaos	12718 Lions	24179 Tech Tigers
1/27/2024, 08:20 AM – 08:40 AM	24158 Green Gang	13463 Wildecats	14315 mobiUs	18697 Monke Bang Rock	24420 Cyber Dogs	24579 Gonzaga Eagles Robotics
1/27/2024, 08:40 AM – 09:00 AM	24220 Ingenuity	607 Dragon Slayers	24028 Predator-7.exe	10216 SpiderByte	9530 Honey Nut Gearios	11500 Too Many Wires
1/27/2024, 09:00 AM – 09:20 AM	23840 Howard Dynamics	21310 nexUs	17219 SpiderBits	19818 Jade Innovations	22554 Bionic Bears	17394 Howard Robotics
1/27/2024, 09:20 AM – 09:40 AM	22777 GFHS Redwolves	18602 Reboot	18230 luminUs	21828 Deal Dynamos	—	—

Event Schedule
7:30 AM	Team Check-in, Pits Open
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM	Inspections, Judge Interviews, Practice
10:10 AM	Driver’s Meeting
10:30 AM	Opening Ceremony
10:45 AM – 12:30 PM	Qualification Matches
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM	Lunch Break
1:00 PM – 2:45 PM	Qualification Matches Continues
3:00 PM	Alliance Selection
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM	Elimination and Final Rounds
5:15 PM	Closing Ceremony
6:30 PM	Pits Close

Last updated December 13, 2023

Pit Size

Each team will have a 2’x 6’ table and the space immediately in front of that table. There is not a guaranteed minimum pit size, as we must keep the aisles clear for the judges and transporting equipment and robots.

Match Schedule

To be announced on-site.

Health & Safety

Appropriate safety attire, including safety glasses, ling hair tied back and closed-toe shoes, are required while in the pits.

Safety glasses must be worn at all times in the pit area. Teams are responsible for providing their team members AND guests with safety glasses.

We encourage all visitors wear a masks in the pits and in the stands. Please stay home if you are experiencing symptoms of illness, especially shortness of breath, fever, cough, or congestion.

Remember to also clean up after your teams and only go into areas that are permitted while at the venue.

Advancement

Three teams will advance from this qualifier to the FIRST Chesapeake District FTC Championship.

Order of Advancement

Inspire Award Winner
Winning Alliance Captain
Inspire Award 2nd place

***Advancement is based on rules in Game Manual 1.

Inclement Weather Policy for FIRST Chesapeake Events

Any changes to our event schedule will be determined by the policy of the event venue or hosting school district. Because of this, we recommend that all traveling teams make hotel reservations that are refundable.

In case of inclement weather the day of a FIRST Chesapeake event, click to call (804.404.3134) after 5am for updates.

For Volunteers

Empower the next generation of changemakers and innovators.

FIRST^® volunteers are part of a global robotics community preparing young people for the future. Even if you only have a few hours to give, your contribution can make a difference. Working side by side with FIRST participants, volunteers play an important role in shaping young minds and inspiring students to achieve.

Volunteer roles range from safety attendants and field reset to judges, emcees, and referees. Volunteering at an event is a great way to share technical or professional knowledge, but you do not need special skills or expertise to volunteer.

For Attendees

All FIRST Chesapeake competitions, qualifiers, and championships are free and open to the public.

If you would like to, you can RSVP below.

As we work as a community to prepare young people for a STEM future, FIRST aims to ensure its programs have a lasting, positive impact on all participants.

Join us in our mission to empower the young minds of DC, MD, and VA. Together, we can spark innovation, foster diversity, and make the impossible possible. Your support is not just a donation; it’s an investment in the future.