The 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff is Saturday, January 4, 2025, and we are happy you are all a part of the event. The Western & Central PA Kickoff at Carnegie Mellon University will be a fun information-packed event that includes the kickoff presentation at FIRST Headquarters, strategy, field building, prototyping, and a kitbot speed build. You may choose one track for your entire team or divide and conquer. Doors open at 10:00 a.m. Teams may also choose to stay warm and cozy at their home base while a driver (and companion?) visits CMU to pick up the Kit of Parts. Just let us know your plans.
Please send us an email to let us know that someone other than a coach or mentor of your team will be picking up your team’s kit of parts. It’s not formal, but we would like to know what’s up.
Please call 610-401-4310 if you know you will have a delay, either now or on-route.
| Location | Carnegie Mellon University Gates Hillman Center, Rashid Auditorium 5000 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 See schedule below for what rooms each track and kit pickup is in.  |
| Parking | Morewood Parking Lot (Free on weekends) 4902 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 East Campus Garage (Pricing) 5040 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213  There will be signs pointing in the right location. |
| Date | January 4, 2025 |
| Schedule | 10:00 Doors Open 10:30 Meet and Greet 11:00 Tips and Tricks-How to Break down the game, presentation by Gabriel Krotkov- Strategy mentor 11:45 Pre-Broadcast Starts 12:00 Kickoff Live Stream 12:30 (approx) Kit of Parts Pickups begin. 1:00 Lunch and Tracks Start – Strategy ( most people) – Game Simulation ( All strategy participants will also do this) – Field Element Building – Kitbot Speed Build 3:30 Human game Simulations Start 5:00 Debrief 5:30 End of Scheduled Activities More detailed schedule with tracks. Fill out this form to join a track. |
| Kit of Parts Pickup | Gates Hillman Center room 4405. Pickup only starts after broadcast. Bring photo ID. Pickup will be from approx 12:30-2:00 in Gates Hillman Center Room 4405. Whoever is picking up your Kit of Parts will need to be able to carry, at minimum, the season specific box, which can be hand carried. At maximum 2 totes, a drive base, and season specific box. Bring a cart or a dolly for kit pickup. If you are the person receiving this email, but are not going to be the person picking up your kit, please send an email ([email protected]) with the name of the person you are sending. You should also fill out the Surrogate pickup form. |
| Live-stream | https://www.youtube.com/firstroboticscompetition |
| WiFi | Select the CMU-GUEST network Enter a Non-CMU email and this access code Accept the terms of use and click “Log-In” Access code: JWD6WF5U |