FIRST Robotics Competition

 The FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international event  that takes place from early January to late April every year. The purpose of the program is to get high school students interested in careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).  On the day of the kickoff, usually at the end of Winter Break, every team is given a game with specific tasks that their robot must be able to accomplish. From that point on, every FRC team all over the world has six weeks to prototype, design, build, program and test their robot. This year, the game was Ultimate Ascent. Robots had to be designed to pick up Frisbees, either from the floor or a feeder station at one end of the field, and shoot them into goals of varying heights. As a secondary task, robots would climb a pyramid at the end of the match for bonus points.

After the six week “build season” is over, competition begins. Over 2000 teams compete at various regionals held in the United States, Canada and even Israel, with the winners qualifying for the World Championships held in St. Louis, Missouri. Even though there is a large emphasis on winning the regional, FIRST has many other awards for things such as safety, community outreach and gracious professionalism.

With over 2000 teams competing, there is no doubt that robots vary greatly in design. This year, some robots had the ability to pick Frisbees off of the floor; others had the ability to climb to the top of the pyramid. A variety of robots were able to shoot Frisbees into the goals from the other side of the field. This allowed for robots to collaborate during matches, and employ strategies that complement the other robots on their alliance. Here is an example of one of the more impressive robots this year. 

One of the teams regularly competing in FIRST is Team 1325 – Inverse Paradox from Gordon 

Graydon Memorial Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They have been competing since 2004 and have won many awards in that time, such as the Autodesk Visualization Award. This year, their robot Schmetterling has won the Greater Toronto East Regional and been a semi-finalist at the Greater Toronto West Regional. Schmetterling was designed to accomplish the simple tasks of Ultimate Ascent and do them effectively. Schmetterling is capable of scoring Frisbees in the autonomous period of the game, obtaining Frisbees from the feeder station and scoring them, and hanging on the bottom rung of the pyramid at the end of the match. The robot was also designed with a powerful drivetrain with very low ground clearance so that it was easier for them to push other robots around the field, essentially playing defense.

To most people, the FIRST robotics program may seem like a haven for the nerds of the world, which is true. This program gives students the opportunity to perform various tasks that they may not have been able to do until post-secondary education or their careers. It is exactly like professional sports, except for one factor. Every student on a FIRST robotics team has the ability to become a professional; there are jobs out there, in science, engineering and mathematics out there for all of these students to pursue.

In my opinion, the FIRST Robotics Program is one of the best extra-curricular activities any student can take part in. It teaches students how to use skills they learn in their Math and Science classes and apply them in the real world. It also helps students build their leadership and cooperation abilities. The FIRST Robotics Program is so successful that it has become part of the high school curriculum in Michigan. Some high schools even have multiple teams in them. 

Huffington Post Article about Competitive Robotics