FIRST Tech Challenge INTO THE DEEP Premier Events
December 23, 2024
FIRST Tech Challenge to The Max!
From July 18 to 20, 38 teams will gather at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, Illinois to compete in a version of INTO THE DEEPSM presented by RTX like no other. The Chicago Robotics Invitational (CRI) Premier Event gives teams the opportunity to compete in a modified version of each year's game featuring an expanded field, 3v3 matches, four team elimination alliances, and many fun rule changes to spice up the typical FIRST Tech Challenge experience.
This year’s Chicago Style game (see our Competition Manual for details) features an expanded 20ft x 12ft playing field with four sets of baskets, two submersibles and some fun rule changes that culminates in action-packed fun with six robots on the field for every match.
The Chicago Robotics Invitational also features its own set of Chicago Style awards inspired by a mix of the FIRST Tech Challenge & FIRST Robotics Competition in-season awards and our own experiences in FIRST. The awards highlight many of the same attributes FIRST Tech Challenge events have traditionally recognized along with a few new aspects of the FIRST experience that we’re excited to celebrate. Each award is named after a person, place or symbol special to Chicago to recognize the great city that we call home! Our custom awards can be found in Section 6 of the CRI Competition Manual.
A Bit of CRI's History
The Chicago Robotics Invitational was founded in 2018 by students on FIRST Tech Challenge team 3507, Robotheosis at the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. The inaugural 2018 event saw 24 teams play on a modified version of Relic Recovery that featured a 16x12 field, longer match times, 6 cryptoboxes and number of other additions to craft a spin on that year's game.
The event has continued to grow in terms of the number of teams, volunteers, size of the field, number of robots in a given match and more. Game manuals are available online from prior Chicago Robotics Invitational if you’d like to take a trip down memory lane and see what modifications we’ve made previously. This year will be the 7th year that the event has run and we are hopeful that it will be the best one yet!
CRI 2025 Details
The Chicago Robotics Invitational Premier Event will give teams the opportunity to play 9 matches throughout Saturday & Sunday with elimination matches Sunday afternoon! The event features a full Judging & Inspection period on Saturday, followed by team lead Workshops and qualification matches.
CRI will be streaming on Youtube (Saturday Stream, Sunday Stream) and feature in-depth game analysis throughout each day and eliminations courtesy of our analysis desk. Results & Scoring are available on our CRI Results Site, but will not be published on FTC-events due to our modified game.
Explore Chicago
Chicago is a vibrant city bursting with energy, culture, and endless things to do. You can start your adventure with a stroll along the iconic Navy Pier, where you can ride the Centennial Wheel for sweeping views of Lake Michigan. Take a boat tour on the Chicago River to admire the city's world-famous architecture, explore Millennium Park and snap a photo with the reflective "Bean" sculpture and so much more. The city's many museums including the Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Art Institute and more are the perfect way to escape the summer heat and learn about a new topic. Food lovers can dive into deep-dish pizza, explore international flavors across Chicago’s many neighborhoods, or get an Italian Beef at our local favorite, Portillo’s. If you’re interested in sports, you can head over to Wrigley Field to watch the Chicago Cubs take on the Boston Red Sox in what is sure to be a great match-up. Chicago has a lot to offer and many activities to craft the perfect visit alongside attending the Chicago Robotics Invitational Premier Event!
More details available at: https://chicagoroboticsinvitational.com/
Written by the Chicago Robotics Invitational Premier Event Organizers