What is FIRST

   The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is a national engineering contest, which requires high school students to work in partnerships with engineers and computer programmers to build 130 lb. robot. Businesses team together with high schools to produce a high pressure, hands-on engineering experience. Founded by Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST is an anagram for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”. FIRST is a worldwide, non-profit organization dedicated to making science, math, and engineering popular and fun. Over an intense, six week period in January and February, students and engineers work together to design, fabricate, and perfect their FRC entry. All efforts are critical. During the month March, over 1000 teams compete at some 30 regionals in a spirited, no-holds-barred, 3 on 3 tournament. The highlight of the year is to compete in the FIRST FRC Championships. More on the FRC competition, rules, and events, can be found at www.usfirst.org/robotics

    FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is the grade school through middle school competition that involves the use of LEGO’s. Teams of 5 to 10 middle school students use the LEGO Mindstorms kits to build robots that operate autonomously at performing a number of tasks based on a central theme. Some themes in the past have been Mission to Mars and Ocean Odyssey. The FLL competition is challenging team experience that is easily changeable because of the LEGO platform. Teams typically compete at the local level and advance to states to regional finals and eventually to the FIRST FLL Championship. For additional information on FLL, go to the following link to FIRST: www.usfirst.org/jrobtcs/flego

    In 2004 at the Championships in Atlanta, FIRST debut a pilot competition for what was to become the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). Using the Vex robotics kit as a platform, 50 teams assembled a robot to compete against other teams in a 2 on 2 game. The Vex kit is more akin to an erector set and can operate both autonomously as well as under RC control. In 2005, 200 teams competed in first FTC pilot season, culminating in the Championships in FIRST Atlanta. For more information on the 2007 FTC season, go to the FIRST site at www.usfirst.org/vex

   The partnerships developed amongst schools, businesses, and colleges provide a fertile exchange of resources and ideas, highlighting the cooperation between students and mentors all the while exposing them to career choices and experiences. The result is a exciting and fun environment where all the participants, both young and old, discover important connections between the classroom and the real world.