FIRST Robotics
FIRST
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) is an international non-profit organization, that aspires to transform culture and help make science, math, engineering, and technology a part of today's education. The purpose of FIRST is to introduce high school students to the growing fields of math, science, and technology through fun and engaging robotics competitions. It also provides a chance for students to meet one-on-one in a real-world environment with business leaders, engineers, and robot fanatics! In addition, gives them a chance to work with industry standard machinery, technology, and sophisticated electronics and computer software.
Are you interested? FIRST has a number of ways to get involved:
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an exciting, international competition that teams business professionals and high school students to solve engineering design problems in a real-world competitive environment. The program is a life-changing, career-molding experience and a lot of fun! For the 2009 season, the competition is projected to reach over 42,100 high-school students on over 1,684 teams from 48 states in the United States plus international teams from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Regional, district and state events will be held beginning in late February culminating in the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in Atlanta, GA, on April 16-18, 2009. The competitions are high-tech spectator sporting events, the culmination of lots of focused brainstorming, real-world teamwork, dedicated mentoring.
More information about the FIRST Robotics Competition, click here.
FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC)
The FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC) is a mid-level robotics competition for high-school students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST competition but uses a more accessible and affordable robotics kit. The FIRST Vex Challenge grew out of the FIRST Robotics Competition and used a kit based on the FIRST Robovation platform. In a collaboration of FIRST, RadioShack, and Innovation Firsta, a new improved version of the FIRST Robovation kit was developed. The new kit is significantly upgraded and is called the Vex Robotics Design System.
FIRST Lego League (FLL)
In the FIRST Lego League, teams of students (ages 9-14) design, build, and program robots using the LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System. Teams create an FLL robot during a given Challenge Season capable of accomplishing the challenge objectives - problems that emulate real-world needs. The FLL teams then compete in a tournament using their robots. Teams are recognized for their ability to work together, skills in programming, problem solving, strategy, concept design and FLL project management skills as well as their creativity and persistence during competitions.
Other Benefits
Some other benefits of joining a FIRST program is that colleges, universities, corporations, businesses, and individuals provide scholarships to our participants. Mentor engineers get the chance to experience again many of the reasons they chose engineering as a profession plus the companies that the mentors work for have an opportunity to contribute to their communities while they prepare and create their future workforce. The competition shows students that the technological fields hold many opportunities and that the basic concepts of science, math, engineering, and invention are exciting and interesting.
Learn more about FIRST's programs at the US FIRST Organization website.