From 396b68a461088d800a9dc6284c7b202093ba09ae Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 18:51:20 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 01/13] Link supervisors to the kit --- robots_101/team_supervisor.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md index 88c939e7..98fd6893 100644 --- a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md +++ b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ You’ll be our point of contact with the team. If you have any questions during We aim to host our Kickstart event and Tech Days in multiple locations to make it more convenient for you to travel. However, you will still need to arrange to travel to these places. This is especially important to book for the competition, as you will likely need to arrange to stay overnight near the venue. -Our kit includes a battery and a few boards to get your robot started. However, your team will need additional components and materials from which to build their robot. For the chassis, your team has several options. Teams often use cardboard, MDF, Aluminium, and/or Acrylic. In terms of electronic components, teams often make use of: +Our [kit]({{ site.baseurl }}/kit/) includes a battery and a few boards to get your robot started. However, your team will need additional components and materials from which to build their robot. For the chassis, your team has several options. Teams often use cardboard, MDF, Aluminium, and/or Acrylic. In terms of electronic components, teams often make use of: - At least two 12V motors (our kit supports four) - A few servo motors - A few microswitches for detecting if you bump into something From 3103227899334ec6d5ab2db22bcafe61afa08c0e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 18:59:58 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 02/13] Introduce headings to break up the supervisor docs This was originally a blog post and still flows well, however I'm about to add yet more content here so having some sections will hopefully keep it approachable. --- robots_101/team_supervisor.md | 6 ++++++ 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+) diff --git a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md index 98fd6893..10d61b9f 100644 --- a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md +++ b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md @@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ title: Robots 101 - So you're running a team Here’s a little bit of info on what to expect from Student Robotics, and your responsibilities as a team supervisor. +## Your role + As a team supervisor, your role is to guide the competitors through the journey of building a robot. You’ll be there to point them in the right direction when they get stuck and resolve any issues they run into. We encourage team supervisors to limit their involvement with the robot design/building process so that the finished contraptions are 100% student-built which competitors find very rewarding. You’ll be our point of contact with the team. If you have any questions during the year, just email <{{ site.emails.teams }}>. We’ll also be sending you emails every month or so with important information such as: @@ -17,6 +19,8 @@ You’ll be our point of contact with the team. If you have any questions during We aim to host our Kickstart event and Tech Days in multiple locations to make it more convenient for you to travel. However, you will still need to arrange to travel to these places. This is especially important to book for the competition, as you will likely need to arrange to stay overnight near the venue. +## Materials + Our [kit]({{ site.baseurl }}/kit/) includes a battery and a few boards to get your robot started. However, your team will need additional components and materials from which to build their robot. For the chassis, your team has several options. Teams often use cardboard, MDF, Aluminium, and/or Acrylic. In terms of electronic components, teams often make use of: - At least two 12V motors (our kit supports four) - A few servo motors @@ -33,6 +37,8 @@ Popular suppliers of these components are: - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.co.uk/) - [eBay](https://www.ebay.co.uk/) +## Support + To allow you and your team to ask us questions directly, as well as share what they’re working on with other teams, we provide a [Discord]({{ site.baseurl }}/tutorials/discord) server. You will receive a unique link to share with your team so that you can all join with your own Discord accounts. Each team gets a private text channel for direct support from us which can be used to discuss your robot without worrying about giving other teams your strategy. We also have a team-supervisor only channel for any questions you may have. There are also some text channels where teams can communicate with each other (and us!) for more general topics. If you’d like a voice channel for your team, email us or ask in `#team-supervisor`! If you’d like additional support throughout the year, we have dedicated mentors who can regularly join your team meetings either in-person or remotely. Your mentor will help guide your team towards good solutions for their robot, provide assistance where they might need it as well as help them understand the kit, the rules and the competition as a whole. We *strongly* encourage new teams to sign up for mentoring. If this sounds like something you’d like, look out for our email shortly after Kickstart. From eba711307752d88e925421f587b3654bb89da490 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 19:17:48 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 03/13] Emphasize up fron that supervisors don't need technical backgrounds I'm planning to link to this page from the signup form, so having this clear from the start feels important. --- robots_101/team_supervisor.md | 4 +++- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md index 10d61b9f..15388088 100644 --- a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md +++ b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md @@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ Here’s a little bit of info on what to expect from Student Robotics, and your ## Your role -As a team supervisor, your role is to guide the competitors through the journey of building a robot. You’ll be there to point them in the right direction when they get stuck and resolve any issues they run into. We encourage team supervisors to limit their involvement with the robot design/building process so that the finished contraptions are 100% student-built which competitors find very rewarding. +As a team supervisor, your role is to guide the competitors through the journey of building a robot. You’ll be there to point them in the right direction when they get stuck and resolve any issues they run into. +You don't need to have any technical skills though -- our volunteer mentors can provide that [support](#support) either in person or remotely. +We encourage team supervisors to limit their involvement with the robot design/building process so that the finished contraptions are 100% student-built which competitors find very rewarding. You’ll be our point of contact with the team. If you have any questions during the year, just email <{{ site.emails.teams }}>. We’ll also be sending you emails every month or so with important information such as: - Details of [Tech Days]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/tech_days) where we provide a space for teams to come together and get direct help from our dedicated volunteers From 94624966160703b65e09a5e28bce002c42c11baa Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 19:36:00 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 04/13] Add information about the team and time commitment Not sure about the secion heading here -- better ideas welcome. --- robots_101/team_supervisor.md | 9 +++++++++ 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+) diff --git a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md index 15388088..32e9b45a 100644 --- a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md +++ b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md @@ -21,6 +21,15 @@ You’ll be our point of contact with the team. If you have any questions during We aim to host our Kickstart event and Tech Days in multiple locations to make it more convenient for you to travel. However, you will still need to arrange to travel to these places. This is especially important to book for the competition, as you will likely need to arrange to stay overnight near the venue. +## The team + +Teams usually consist of 4-8 competitors aged 16-19 and are often attending a school or college. +However, the team doesn't necessarily need to represent a school -- any group of 16-19 year-olds, with a responsible adult, can enter. + +Most teams work on their robot for at least two hours a week, with some teams spending four hours or more. +How this time is scheduled varies between teams -- some have more than one meeting a week, others have less frequent but longer sessions. +To get the most out of the time, ensure sessions are long enough to make useful progress after allowing for setting up beforehand and tidying away afterwards. + ## Materials Our [kit]({{ site.baseurl }}/kit/) includes a battery and a few boards to get your robot started. However, your team will need additional components and materials from which to build their robot. For the chassis, your team has several options. Teams often use cardboard, MDF, Aluminium, and/or Acrylic. In terms of electronic components, teams often make use of: From eed5e3abc37c3e16f5b812e7c75ab1e2c5a8c887 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 20:18:28 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 05/13] Mention the need for a portable computer Not sure how we hadn't already mentioned this... --- robots_101/team_supervisor.md | 5 +++++ 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+) diff --git a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md index 32e9b45a..f369ecbb 100644 --- a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md +++ b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md @@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ Popular suppliers of these components are: - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.co.uk/) - [eBay](https://www.ebay.co.uk/) +Your team will also need access to a computer to write the code for their robot. +Ideally this would be one that can be brought to events so that improvements can be made to the robot at any time. + +Being able to install software onto the computer will also be important to make use of the [simulator]({{ site.baseurl }}/simulator/) and a suitable [code editor]({{ site.baseurl }}/tutorials/editors/). + ## Support To allow you and your team to ask us questions directly, as well as share what they’re working on with other teams, we provide a [Discord]({{ site.baseurl }}/tutorials/discord) server. You will receive a unique link to share with your team so that you can all join with your own Discord accounts. Each team gets a private text channel for direct support from us which can be used to discuss your robot without worrying about giving other teams your strategy. We also have a team-supervisor only channel for any questions you may have. There are also some text channels where teams can communicate with each other (and us!) for more general topics. If you’d like a voice channel for your team, email us or ask in `#team-supervisor`! From 4791e8a0614f82b5ecb53ef99a3c1145f4033718 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 20:18:45 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 06/13] Add general information about the competition programme structure This information is already in various places around the site, thuogh I'm not aware of anywhere that it's all collected together like this. Ideally I'd also like to have a separate page just about the competition event, but that can wait for another time. --- _data/sidebar_tree.yaml | 2 + robots_101/index.md | 4 +- robots_101/programme_structure.md | 82 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ robots_101/team_supervisor.md | 2 +- 4 files changed, 88 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) create mode 100644 robots_101/programme_structure.md diff --git a/_data/sidebar_tree.yaml b/_data/sidebar_tree.yaml index 2a88a6f7..67614bea 100644 --- a/_data/sidebar_tree.yaml +++ b/_data/sidebar_tree.yaml @@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ tree: - url: /robots_101/ title: Robots 101 tree: + - url: /robots_101/programme_structure + title: Programme Structure - url: /robots_101/post_kickstart title: After Kickstart - url: /robots_101/design diff --git a/robots_101/index.md b/robots_101/index.md index 1fc70abc..7eaa94d0 100644 --- a/robots_101/index.md +++ b/robots_101/index.md @@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ title: Robots 101 Robots 101 is a series aimed at helping teams new to Student Robotics get started. -There are 6 articles in this series: +There are 7 articles in this series: + +- [Programme Structure]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/programme_structure): What happens during the course of the year - [Post-Kickstart]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/post_kickstart): You've attended our Kickstart event and are now ready to build your robot - [Design]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/design): How to approach the design of your robot - [Code]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/code): Things to consider when writing code for your robot diff --git a/robots_101/programme_structure.md b/robots_101/programme_structure.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..3600276c --- /dev/null +++ b/robots_101/programme_structure.md @@ -0,0 +1,82 @@ +--- +layout: page +title: Robots 101 - Programme Structure +--- + +# Robots 101 - Programme Structure + +Student Robotics is an annual robotics competition for people aged 16-19. +But what actually happens during the course of the competition year? + +## Registration + +Registration for the competition usually open in late summer. Teams usually +consist of 4-8 competitors attending a school or college, though other groups +are also free to enter. Your team must have a responsible adult who will oversee +the team -- a role we call the [team supervisor][team-supervisor]. + + + +## Kickstart + +Kickstart is the event which kicks off a competition year. The structure of the +competition and the game rules are announced and any questions you have will be +answered. + +Typically this is a one day in-person event in October (usually a Saturday). +Throughout the day there are Blueshirts (our awesome volunteers!) around in +person, ready to answer any questions and to help you through the +[microgames][microgames]. The microgames help you become familiar with the +[kit][kit] which is loaned to all teams and should kickstart some ideas for your +robot’s design. + +## Mentoring + +Shortly after Kickstart we aim to pair up teams with a volunteer mentor who can +guide the team and help them with any technical questions. Where possible the +mentor will join the team's meetings in person, though we also offer remote +mentors if that is not possible. + +All teams also have access to our [Discord][discord] server where they can chat +with all our volunteers (as well as other teams) at any time. + +## Your time + +Most teams work on their robot for at least two hours a week, with some teams +spending four hours or more. How this time is scheduled varies between teams -- +some have more than one meeting a week, others have less frequent but longer +sessions. + +To get the most out of the time, ensure sessions are long enough to make useful +progress after allowing for setting up beforehand and tidying away afterwards. + +## Tech Days + +Throughout the year [Tech Days][tech-days] provide opportunities to spend a +whole day (usually a Saturday) working on your robot, with lots of help +available. They’re also an opportunity to see how other teams are doing or get +more direct help with your robot. + +We provide a space for you to work in, with power and internet access, as well +as volunteers able to help with the kits and hands-on guidance with your robot. + +## Competition + +The Competition event is a two day event in spring. You'll put your robot to the +test in a weekend of tinkering and matches. + +You'll have a team pit for you to work in, with power and internet access, and +throughout the weekend there are volunteers around to help with the kits and +hands-on guidance with your robot. We also provide a test arena which you can +use to check the improvements you're making to your robot. + +Typically there are blocks of league matches on the Saturday and on Sunday +morning, with time to improve your robot between appearances. On Sunday +afternoon you'll advance into the knockout stages, and can go on to win prizes. + + +[team-supervisor]: {{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/team_supervisor +[microgames]: {{ site.baseurl }}/competitor_resources/microgames +[kit]: {{ site.baseurl }}/kit/ +[discord]: {{ site.baseurl }}/tutorials/discord +[tech-days]: {{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/tech_days diff --git a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md index f369ecbb..7f9341c1 100644 --- a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md +++ b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ We encourage team supervisors to limit their involvement with the robot design/b You’ll be our point of contact with the team. If you have any questions during the year, just email <{{ site.emails.teams }}>. We’ll also be sending you emails every month or so with important information such as: - Details of [Tech Days]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/tech_days) where we provide a space for teams to come together and get direct help from our dedicated volunteers - Software updates for our kit -- Information about the competition event (usually in late March or April) +- Information about the [competition event]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/programme_structure#competition) (usually in late March or April) We aim to host our Kickstart event and Tech Days in multiple locations to make it more convenient for you to travel. However, you will still need to arrange to travel to these places. This is especially important to book for the competition, as you will likely need to arrange to stay overnight near the venue. From f1d104d835f1641ecf077df1305251a18bc28f7c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 20:33:26 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 07/13] More robots-101 internal links for supervisors --- robots_101/team_supervisor.md | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md index 7f9341c1..ed47001f 100644 --- a/robots_101/team_supervisor.md +++ b/robots_101/team_supervisor.md @@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ Here’s a little bit of info on what to expect from Student Robotics, and your As a team supervisor, your role is to guide the competitors through the journey of building a robot. You’ll be there to point them in the right direction when they get stuck and resolve any issues they run into. You don't need to have any technical skills though -- our volunteer mentors can provide that [support](#support) either in person or remotely. -We encourage team supervisors to limit their involvement with the robot design/building process so that the finished contraptions are 100% student-built which competitors find very rewarding. +We encourage team supervisors to limit their involvement with the [robot design]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/design)/building process so that the finished contraptions are 100% student-built which competitors find very rewarding. You’ll be our point of contact with the team. If you have any questions during the year, just email <{{ site.emails.teams }}>. We’ll also be sending you emails every month or so with important information such as: - Details of [Tech Days]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/tech_days) where we provide a space for teams to come together and get direct help from our dedicated volunteers @@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ Popular suppliers of these components are: - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.co.uk/) - [eBay](https://www.ebay.co.uk/) -Your team will also need access to a computer to write the code for their robot. +Your team will also need access to a computer to write the [code]({{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/code) for their robot. Ideally this would be one that can be brought to events so that improvements can be made to the robot at any time. Being able to install software onto the computer will also be important to make use of the [simulator]({{ site.baseurl }}/simulator/) and a suitable [code editor]({{ site.baseurl }}/tutorials/editors/). From c00e6d90994a8694d1edc18e6e2f8c2ba5718bdc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 20:37:03 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 08/13] More (still generic) detail on the signup process --- robots_101/programme_structure.md | 9 ++++++++- 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/robots_101/programme_structure.md b/robots_101/programme_structure.md index 3600276c..73491fb5 100644 --- a/robots_101/programme_structure.md +++ b/robots_101/programme_structure.md @@ -13,7 +13,12 @@ But what actually happens during the course of the competition year? Registration for the competition usually open in late summer. Teams usually consist of 4-8 competitors attending a school or college, though other groups are also free to enter. Your team must have a responsible adult who will oversee -the team -- a role we call the [team supervisor][team-supervisor]. +the team (a role we call the [team supervisor][team-supervisor]) and they must +be the person to [sign up][sign-up]. + +While places are free (thanks to our [sponsors][sponsors]), they are limited. +You will be notified whether or not your team has received a place shortly +before the start of the competition year. @@ -76,6 +81,8 @@ afternoon you'll advance into the knockout stages, and can go on to win prizes. [team-supervisor]: {{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/team_supervisor +[sign-up]: https://studentrobotics.org/compete/#signup +[sponsors]: https://studentrobotics.org/sponsor/ [microgames]: {{ site.baseurl }}/competitor_resources/microgames [kit]: {{ site.baseurl }}/kit/ [discord]: {{ site.baseurl }}/tutorials/discord From 91744e28f5a955415aa02d2f99bbfa1c60c7d610 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 20:40:47 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 09/13] Also link to the rules Mostly so that there's a route to the rules archive. --- robots_101/programme_structure.md | 5 +++-- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/robots_101/programme_structure.md b/robots_101/programme_structure.md index 73491fb5..a38a6d22 100644 --- a/robots_101/programme_structure.md +++ b/robots_101/programme_structure.md @@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ before the start of the competition year. ## Kickstart Kickstart is the event which kicks off a competition year. The structure of the -competition and the game rules are announced and any questions you have will be -answered. +competition and the [game rules][rules] are announced and any questions you have +will be answered. Typically this is a one day in-person event in October (usually a Saturday). Throughout the day there are Blueshirts (our awesome volunteers!) around in @@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ afternoon you'll advance into the knockout stages, and can go on to win prizes. [team-supervisor]: {{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/team_supervisor [sign-up]: https://studentrobotics.org/compete/#signup [sponsors]: https://studentrobotics.org/sponsor/ +[rules]: {{ site.baseurl }}/rules/ [microgames]: {{ site.baseurl }}/competitor_resources/microgames [kit]: {{ site.baseurl }}/kit/ [discord]: {{ site.baseurl }}/tutorials/discord From d3e77b613d59c2c353ddfc826f99fbe110b82ea1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 21:30:06 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 10/13] Fix grammar Co-authored-by: Anton Nikitin --- robots_101/programme_structure.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/robots_101/programme_structure.md b/robots_101/programme_structure.md index a38a6d22..b10f5f89 100644 --- a/robots_101/programme_structure.md +++ b/robots_101/programme_structure.md @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ But what actually happens during the course of the competition year? ## Registration -Registration for the competition usually open in late summer. Teams usually +Registration for the competition usually opens in late summer. Teams usually consist of 4-8 competitors attending a school or college, though other groups are also free to enter. Your team must have a responsible adult who will oversee the team (a role we call the [team supervisor][team-supervisor]) and they must From 30a041a422681ec2d40c523744cf7ce7360c6e95 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 22:17:27 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 11/13] Add the Virtual Competition to the Programme Structure --- robots_101/programme_structure.md | 10 ++++++++++ 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+) diff --git a/robots_101/programme_structure.md b/robots_101/programme_structure.md index b10f5f89..1566db09 100644 --- a/robots_101/programme_structure.md +++ b/robots_101/programme_structure.md @@ -65,6 +65,14 @@ more direct help with your robot. We provide a space for you to work in, with power and internet access, as well as volunteers able to help with the kits and hands-on guidance with your robot. +## Virtual Competition + +The Virtual Competition is often the first change you'll have to test your +strategies against other teams. You'll submit your robot code for running +against other teams in the [simulator][simulator]. The matches are livestreamed +on our [YouTube Channel][youtube] and you'll get a copy of your robot's logs +afterwards so you can continue to improve it. + ## Competition The Competition event is a two day event in spring. You'll put your robot to the @@ -88,3 +96,5 @@ afternoon you'll advance into the knockout stages, and can go on to win prizes. [kit]: {{ site.baseurl }}/kit/ [discord]: {{ site.baseurl }}/tutorials/discord [tech-days]: {{ site.baseurl }}/robots_101/tech_days +[simulator]: {{ site.baseurl }}/simulator/ +[youtube]: https://www.youtube.com/@studentrobotics From 9f6b5898af8736056a794d74663d4ca091132782 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 22:18:20 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 12/13] Reword the summary of the competition This fits better after the Virtual Competition section has been added. --- robots_101/programme_structure.md | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/robots_101/programme_structure.md b/robots_101/programme_structure.md index 1566db09..da9efab6 100644 --- a/robots_101/programme_structure.md +++ b/robots_101/programme_structure.md @@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ afterwards so you can continue to improve it. ## Competition -The Competition event is a two day event in spring. You'll put your robot to the -test in a weekend of tinkering and matches. +The Competition event is a two day event in spring. It's the ultimate test for +your robot in a weekend of tinkering and matches. You'll have a team pit for you to work in, with power and internet access, and throughout the weekend there are volunteers around to help with the kits and From f650c87d2379e664c1bda4b0a3c755d5d81c7b22 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Law Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2024 21:01:10 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 13/13] Aspirationally aim to opening registration in early September every year Co-authored-by: James Seden Smith --- robots_101/programme_structure.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/robots_101/programme_structure.md b/robots_101/programme_structure.md index da9efab6..9fbf50b6 100644 --- a/robots_101/programme_structure.md +++ b/robots_101/programme_structure.md @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ But what actually happens during the course of the competition year? ## Registration -Registration for the competition usually opens in late summer. Teams usually +Registration for the competition usually opens in early September. Teams usually consist of 4-8 competitors attending a school or college, though other groups are also free to enter. Your team must have a responsible adult who will oversee the team (a role we call the [team supervisor][team-supervisor]) and they must