Announcing FTC Bonfire: Your Competitive Edge in FIRST Tech Challenge

In a competition where every decision matters, access to timely, accurate information can be the difference between an early exit and a podium finish. FTC Bonfire, created by TEAM X (#23512) and built with the help of FTC teams everywhere, is designed to give every team that edge.

Why Traditional Scouting Falls Short

Manual scouting methods - jotting notes on paper, crunching numbers in spreadsheets and parsing blurry photos for scores - are slow and error‑prone. By the time data is processed, the matches are over and the strategic window has closed. Teams are left guessing about alliance partners and making decisions without the full picture.

How FTC Bonfire Transforms Scouting

FTC Bonfire integrates modern technology and community intelligence to solve these problems. Key features include:

• AI‑powered scoreboard parsing: Snap a photo of the scoreboard and instantly extract scores, penalties and match details with precision, freeing scouts to focus on observing robot behaviour rather than transcribing numbers.

• Real‑time analytics: See Offensive Power Rating (OPR), Defensive Power Rating (DPR), Calculated Contribution to Winning Margin (CCWM) and phase‑specific metrics update live as matches conclude. Rankings adjust instantly, letting teams spot trends and respond on the fly

• Collaborative intelligence: Merge observations from your team with insights from other teams to build a comprehensive picture of every robot’s capabilities.

• Deep performance analytics: Interactive charts reveal how teams perform in autonomous, tele‑operated and endgame phases, along with performance trends across events.

• Compatibility index: Evaluate alliance synergy and complementary strengths to identify the best partners

• Team exchange marketplace: Buy, sell or trade robot parts and services with other FTC teams, making it easier to get the resources you need.

• Virtual pit: Build detailed robot profiles and showcase your innovations to the community

• Notifications and mobile apps: Receive alerts about matches, events and awards, with native iOS and Android apps on the way.

• Large and growing community: Join a network of more than 18 000 teams worldwide that are already sharing insights and using real‑time updates

  
  

The Competitive Advantage

Using FTC Bonfire translates into several tangible advantages:

• Time advantage: AI handles data collection, giving teams more hours for strategic planning and robot tuning.

• Information advantage: Real‑time and collaborative data mean you work from a fuller, more accurate picture.

• Decision advantage: With deeper analytics and a compatibility index, alliance selections and match strategies become data‑driven.

• Resource advantage: The marketplace connects you with parts and services when you need them

• Strategic advantage: Detect patterns in opponent and ally performance that would otherwise remain hidden.

Built by Teams, for Teams

FTC Bonfire is not a corporate product—it's a community platform developed by teams for teams. Team X #23512 led the project, and feedback from teams across the FTC ecosystem continues to shape its evolution. The mission is to ensure every team, rookie or veteran, has access to the tools needed to compete at their best.

Join the Beta

As FTC Bonfire launches, we are inviting teams to participate in our beta program. By joining now, you can explore the full suite of features, provide feedback and help shape the platform for the benefit of the entire community.

Ready to gain a competitive edge? Visit the FTC Bonfire website, create an account and sign up for the beta program. Together we can transform the way teams scout, analyze and compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge.