It's Week 5! Are you controlling your robot or is your robot controlling you?

By now your robot is probably zipping around doing what you designed it to do - or at least trying to do it! Focus on making it work better and correcting design flaws that sometimes surface once fabrication is complete. If you have not chosen your driver(s) and Robocoach yet, now is the time to do it. You want your operators to get as much hands-on practice time as possible. A wonderfully designed robot controlled by a mediocre operator will often lose to a mediocre robot in the hands of a skilled operator!

Contact your team's stakeholders (parents, sponsors, school officials, community representatives) and invite them to see your team at work. Don't forget Dean's homework assignment! Start planning your Robot Shipping Party so you don't forget to celebrate before the Midwest Regional. While you have your stakeholders' attention, refer them to the volunteer page of the Midwest FIRST Website and encourage them to experience the event as a volunteer.

Complete your storage crate and have your shipping contact review the shipping instructions found on the FIRST website AND in the competition manual. Remember that FEDEX envelope you received at kickoff? Locate it and verify the contents NOW! You don't want to discover a problem the morning of ship date! Make sure your shipping contact is checking their email daily for more shipping instructions.

Prepare your awards submissions paying close attention to deadlines. You must visit www.FIRSTAwards.org to apply for the Website Award before February 14 at 10:59 pm. (Chairman's and Woodie Flowers Awards are also submitted via that same site.) By February 15 (7:00 pm) be sure to visit http://firstbase.autodesk.com/ to submit your AutoDesk Visualization Award entry. Finally, Don't forget to update the Judges Information and Team Essays in the TIMS system. This information is also used by the judges!

As always, constantly check the team updates and don't forget to have fun!