Learn About FIRST® Robotics

The FIRST® Organization

The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology) robotics organization was founded in 1989 by Dean
Kamen to inspire young people to become interested in science
and technology. Over the years, FIRST has expanded and grown
to encompass several organizations and annual events.

The Nashoba Robotics Team takes part in the high school level
First Robotics Competition (FRC). In the words of the FIRST
organization, FRC is “a varsity sport of the mind” designed
to showcase the excitement of scientific discovery in the same way
that athletic competition showcases the excitement of sport.

Enrollment in the FRC has gone up dramatically over the past
several years. Not only are teams from around the United States,
but also from around the world. In the short time that the
Nashoba Robotics Team has been involved, we have competed with
teams from Israel and Brazil.

Every year, in early January, the FIRST Robotics
organization releases that year’s robotics challenge to
hundreds of high school teams. This challenge varies
widely from year to year so that students will have the
opportunity to explore all different aspects of robotic
technology. Beginning in January, teams have six weeks to
design and build a fully working robot to complete tasks
outlined in the challenge. This time period is generally
referred to as the “build season.”

FIRST encourages professional adult engineers to become
involved with high school programs as mentors. During
the build season these adults often help students learn the
technical aspects of what they are trying to accomplish.
After the six-week period is over, the robot is packaged up
to await the competition date.

FIRST Robotics runs nearly 40 regional competitions each year.
Locally, there are many District competitions within New England.
In 2016, the Nashoba Robotics team is competing in Worcester,
Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; Boston, Massachusetts;
and Hartford, Connecticut. In each competition, robots face off
in a test of man and machine to see which team is most capable
of completing the FIRST challenge. After 1.5 days worth of nearly
continuous matches between randomly selected alliances, the top
eight winning teams each draft two additional team to round out
their alliance as they move into the elimination rounds
to compete together. In the New England District, teams compete to
earn ranking points in two qualifying District Events in hopes of
being invited to compete at the next level of competition at the
New England District Championships in Hartford, CT. The top
performing teams at the District Championships may qualify to
continue competing at the highest levels at the FIRST
Championship Competition in St. Louis, MI.
FIRST robotics events foster a sense of competition and
excitement among team members. The drive to perform well at the
competition helps to motivate learning and creativity
throughout the rest of the year.

FIRST® Resources

Links and resources coming soon