FIRST Robotics Competition#Woodie Flowers Award
{{short description|International high school robotics competition}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title = FIRST Robotics Competition
| logo = FRC Logo.svg
| pixels = 250 px
| last_season = Crescendo
| upcoming_season = Reefscape
| sport = Robotics-related games
| founded = Dean Kamen
Woodie Flowers
| commissioner = Collin Fultz{{cite web|last=Fultz|first=Collin|title=A Frank Farewell|url=https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/blog/2022-2023-event-listings-and-frank-farewell|work=firstinspires.org|date=August 3, 2022 |publisher=US FIRST|access-date=August 3, 2022}}
| fame =
| inaugural = 1992
| motto = "More Than Robots"
| countries = {{ Collapsible list
|title=30 countries and regions
|{{flag|United States}}
|{{flag|Canada}}
|{{flag|Turkey}}
|{{flag|Mexico}}
|{{flag|Brazil}}
|{{flag|Israel}}
|{{flag|Australia}}
|{{flag|China}}
|{{flag|Chinese Taipei}}
|{{flag|India}}
|{{flag|Japan}}
|{{flag|Dominican Republic}}
|{{flag|France}}
|{{flag|Panama}}
|{{flag|Czech Republic}}
|{{flag|Netherlands}}
|{{flag|South Africa}}
|{{flag|United Kingdom}}
|{{flag|Argentina}}
|{{flag|Azerbaijan}}
|{{flag|Belize}}
|{{flag|Bulgaria}}
|{{flag|Colombia}}
|{{flag|Croatia}}
|{{flag|Greece}}
|{{flag|Hungary}}
|{{flag|Philippines}}
|{{flag|Poland}}
|{{flag|Singapore}}
|{{flag|Switzerland}}
}}
| champion = 1323 - "MadTown Robotics"
2910 - "Jack in the Bot"
4272 - "Maverick Robotics"
5026 - "Iron Panthers"
| champ_season = 2025
| most successful club = 254 - "The Cheesy Poofs"
(5 championship wins){{Cite web |title=Insights Overview |url=https://www.thebluealliance.com/insights |access-date=2022-05-02 |website=The Blue Alliance |language=en}}
| current_season = Reefscape
}}
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition operated by FIRST®. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work to build robots capable of competing in that year's game.{{Cite web |title=2025 FRC Game Manual |url=https://firstfrc.blob.core.windows.net/frc2025/Manual/2025GameManual.pdf |url-status=live}} Robots complete game-specific tasks which have included: scoring balls into goals, hanging on bars, placing objects in predetermined locations, and balancing robots on various field elements. The game, along with the required set of tasks, changes annually. While teams are given a kit of a standard set of parts during the annual Kickoff,{{Cite web|date=2015-10-19|title=Kit of Parts|url=https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/kit-of-parts|access-date=2020-08-22|website=FIRST|language=en}} they are also allowed and encouraged to purchase or fabricate additional specialized components. FIRST Robotics Competition is one of five robotics competition programs organized by FIRST, the other four being FIRST LEGO League Discover, FIRST LEGO League Explore, FIRST LEGO League Challenge, and FIRST Tech Challenge.
The culture of FIRST Robotics Competition is built around two values. "Gracious Professionalism" embraces the competition inherent in the program but rejects trash talk and chest-thumping, instead embracing empathy and respect for other teams. "Coopertition" emphasizes that teams can cooperate and compete at the same time.{{cite web|title=Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition|url=http://www.firstinspires.org/aboutus/gracious-professionalism|publisher=FIRST|access-date=December 20, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027085854/http://www.firstinspires.org/aboutus/gracious-professionalism|archive-date=October 27, 2014|df=mdy-all}} The goal of the program is to inspire students to be science and technology leaders.
2024 was the 33rd year of the competition. 3,468 teams, including more than 86,700 students and 27,700 mentors from 28 countries including the United States, Canada, China, and Turkey, built robots. The 2024 season included 62 Regional Competitions, 98 District Qualifying Competitions, and 11 District Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/pressroom_pdfs/FIRST-FRC24-SeasonFacts.pdf|title=2024 Season Facts|last=|first=|date=4 January 2024|website=FIRST|access-date=14 April 2025}} In 2024, over 600 teams won slots to attend the FIRST Championship event, where they competed in a tournament. In addition to on-field competition, teams and team members competed for awards recognizing entrepreneurship, creativity, engineering, industrial design, safety, controls, media, quality, and exemplifying the core values of the program. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of active teams decreased during the 2021 season; however, numbers began to increase during the 2022 season and onward.
History
FIRST was founded in 1989 by American inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen,{{Cite web |title=FIRST Robotics {{!}} Worcester Polytechnic Institute |url=https://www.wpi.edu/news/annual-events/robotics-competitions/first-robotics |access-date=2024-01-18 |website=www.wpi.edu}} with inspiration and assistance from physicist and MIT professor emeritus Woodie Flowers. Kamen was disappointed with the number of kids—particularly women and minorities—who did not consider science and technology careers and decided to do something about it. As an inventor, he looked for activities that captured the enthusiasm of students and decided that combining the excitement of sports competition with science and technology had the potential to inspire students.
Distilling what sports had done right into a recipe for engaging young people, Kamen says, turned out to be relatively straightforward. "It's after school, not in school. It's aspirational, not required," he explained to me."You don't get quizzes and tests, you go into competitions and get trophies and letters. You don't have teachers, you have coaches. You nurture, you don't judge. You create teamwork between all the participants. We justify sports for teamwork but why, when we do it in the classroom, do we call it cheating?"
Most of all, it was a nonjudgmental space, where in contrast science and math in traditional educational settings had been soured with embarrassment and uncertainty.{{cite web|url=http://www.slashgear.com/robot-love-inside-dean-kamens-first-championship-2014-03327435/|title=Robot Love: Inside Dean Kamen's FIRST Championship 2014|work=SlashGear|date=May 3, 2014 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130123023/http://www.slashgear.com/robot-love-inside-dean-kamens-first-championship-2014-03327435/|archive-date=January 30, 2015|df=mdy-all}}
Kamen has stated that FIRST is the invention he feels most proud of and predicts that participants will be responsible for significant technological advances in years to come.{{cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/node/16295592?story_id=16295592 |title=Brain scan: Mr. Segway's difficult path |first=Mark |last=Harris |publisher=The Economist |date=June 10, 2010 |access-date=June 11, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614182318/http://www.economist.com/node/16295592?story_id=16295592 |archive-date=June 14, 2010 |df=mdy-all }} The first FIRST Robotics Competition season was in 1992 and had one event at a high school gymnasium in New Hampshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.firstinspires.org/aboutus/first-history#|title=History - FIRST|date=December 2, 2015 }} That first competition was relatively small-scale, similar in size to today's FIRST Tech Challenge and Vex Robotics Competition games. Robots relied on a wired connection to receive data from drivers; in the following year, it quickly transitioned to a wireless system.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-m1QBOxsfg|title=1992 FIRST Robotics final match|date=October 6, 2008|via=YouTube|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409053046/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-m1QBOxsfg|archive-date=April 9, 2016|df=mdy-all}}{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rZyU9Xu8GE|title=1993 US FIRST Robotics "Rug Rage" match|date=October 8, 2008|via=YouTube|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409143845/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rZyU9Xu8GE|archive-date=April 9, 2016|df=mdy-all}}
Teams
File:NYC Robotics Team.JPG FIRST Robotics Team at a Greater DC Regional with their robot (Hunter College High School-3419)]]
3,468 teams from 28 countries competed in the 2024 Crescendo season. Of these, 3,141 are "veteran teams" (meaning they have competed in a previous season), and 327 are "rookie teams" (meaning that 2024 was their first season of competition).{{Cite web |title=FIRST Robotics Competition 2023 Season Facts |url=https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/hero_headers/first-frc23-seasonfacts.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331223308/https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/hero_headers/first-frc23-seasonfacts.pdf |archive-date=2023-03-31 |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=FIRST {{!}} For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology}}
The countries represented are listed below:
class="wikitable sortable"
|+FIRST Robotics Competition Teams by Country !Country !Number of Teams (2025){{Cite web |title=2025 Season Facts |url=https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/pressroom_pdfs/FIRST-FRC25-SeasonFacts.pdf |url-status=live}} |
{{flag|United States}}
|2,936 |
{{Flag|Canada}}
|194 |
{{flag|Turkiye}}
|192 |
{{flag|Mexico}}
|87 |
{{flag|Brazil}}
|69 |
{{flag|Israel}}
|61 |
{{flag|Australia}}
|43 |
{{flag|China}}
|40 |
{{flag|Taiwan}}
|36 |
{{flag|India}}
|7 |
{{flag|Japan}}
|6 |
{{flag|Dominican Republic}}
|4 |
{{flag|France}}
|3 |
{{flag|Panama}}
|3 |
{{flag|Czech Republic}}
|2 |
{{flag|Netherlands}}
|2 |
{{flag|South Africa}}
|2 |
{{flag|United Kingdom}}
|2 |
{{flag|Argentina
}} |1 |
{{flag|Azerbaijan}}
|1 |
{{flag|Belize}}
|1 |
{{flag|Bulgaria}}
|1 |
{{flag|Colombia}}
|1 |
{{flag|Croatia}}
|1 |
{{flag|Greece}}
|1 |
{{flag|Hungary}}
|1 |
{{flag|Philippines}}
|1 |
{{flag|Poland}}
|1 |
{{flag|Singapore}}
|1 |
{{flag|Switzerland}}
|1 |
Total
!3,468 |
---|
Competition
FIRST Robotics competition operates in two competition models determined by geographic location, District and Regional.{{Cite web |date=2016-10-03 |title=District and Regional Teams |url=https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/frc/district-regional-teams |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=FIRST |language=en}}
= Districts =
Teams competing in districts may attend two smaller events as part of their registration. Advancement from the district to FIRST Championship is dependent on participation in a District Championship event and the Championship slots allocated to each district. While regional teams may never compete in district events, district teams are permitted to compete in regional events but cannot qualify for FIRST Championship from regional participation.
Districts are geographically defined areas and all teams within the area are part of the district.
class="wikitable"
|+FIRST Robotics Competition Districts !District !Regions !Country |
FIRST Chesapeake
|Maryland, Virginia, + Washington, D.C. |{{United States}} |
FIRST in Michigan
|Michigan |{{United States}} |
FIRST Indiana Robotics
|Indiana |{{United States}} |
FIRST in Texas
|Texas & New Mexico |{{United States}} |
FIRST Mid-Atlantic
|Delaware, New Jersey, & Eastern Pennsylvania |{{United States}} |
FIRST North Carolina
|North Carolina |{{United States}} |
FIRST South Carolina
|South Carolina |{{United States}} |
NE FIRST
|Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, & Vermont |{{United States}} |
Peachtree
|Georgia & South Carolina |{{United States}} |
Pacific Northwest
|Washington & Oregon |{{United States}} |
Ontario
|Ontario |{{Canada}} |
FIRST Israel
|Entire Country |{{flag|Israel}} |
= Regionals =
=FIRST Championship=
{{main|FIRST Championship}}
File:George R. Brown Convention Center 2.jpg has been held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas since 2017 and will continue to be held there through 2027.]]The FIRST Championship is the culmination of the FIRST Robotics Competition season, and occurs in late April each year. Roughly 800 teams participated in two Championship events in 2018, held in April in Houston, Texas and Detroit, Michigan.{{cite web|url=https://www.firstinspires.org/2017-2018-first-championship-info|title=2017 & 2018 FIRST Championship Information Update|date=April 25, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516170817/https://www.firstinspires.org/2017-2018-first-championship-info|archive-date=May 16, 2017|df=mdy-all}} After the 2022 championships concluded FIRST announced that the world championship would take place at a single location, Houston, Texas, for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-18 |title=FIRST Announces 2022-2023 Youth Robotics Season, FIRST® ENERGIZESM presented by Qualcomm Incorporated |url=https://www.firstinspires.org/about/press-room/first-announces-energize-presented-by-qualcomm |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=FIRST |language=en}} This was later updated through 2027.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-26 |title=FIRST Championship Updates: 2025 & Beyond |url=https://community.firstinspires.org/first-championship-updates-2025-beyond |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=FIRST |language=en}}
FIRST Robotics Competition teams are divided into 8 divisions at FIRST Championship:{{Cite web |title=FRC Event Web : 2025 Season Event List |url=https://frc-events.firstinspires.org/2025/Events/EventList?filter=fcmp |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=frc-events.firstinspires.org}}
The divisions operate in the model of independent events. The winning alliance from each division advances to Einstein Field for a final tournament.https://firstfrc.blob.core.windows.net/frc2025/Manual/2025GameManual.pdf Despite being referenced as a single field, Einstein matches take place on two fields known as Mass and Energy which are re-used from the division fields. The teams of the winning alliance are given automatic advancement to FIRST Championship for the next season and the Impact award-winning team is given automatic advancement for the next 10 seasons.
Media exposure
The PBS documentary "Gearing Up" followed four teams through the 2008 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.gearingupproject.org/|title=What Is Gearing Up?|publisher=KETC|access-date=October 2, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917210951/http://www.gearingupproject.org/|archive-date=September 17, 2011|df=mdy-all}}
In the television series Dean of Invention, Dean Kamen made appeals promoting FIRST prior to commercial breaks.{{cite web|title=Behind the Scenes With Dean Kamen on Dean of Invention|date=October 22, 2010|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/digital/fact-vs-fiction/dean-of-invention-q-and-a-kamen|publisher=Popular Mechanics|access-date=June 6, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628215816/http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/digital/fact-vs-fiction/dean-of-invention-q-and-a-kamen|archive-date=June 28, 2011|df=mdy-all}}
In 2008, FRC Team 1114, Simbotics, was featured in an ongoing storyline on the hit Canadian TV drama "Degrassi: Next Generation". Team 1114's 2006-2007 world champion VEX robot made an appearance, as well as their 2008 world champion FRC robot.
During the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition season, FIRST team 3132, Thunder Down Under, was followed by a Macquarie University student film crew to document the first year of FIRST Robotics Competition in Australia. The crew produced a documentary film called I, Wombot.{{cite web|url=http://www.thethunderdownunder.org/index.php |title=Home - FIRST Team 3132 - FIRST Team 3132 |work=FIRST Team 3132 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627141237/http://thethunderdownunder.org/index.php |archive-date=June 27, 2013 |df=dmy }}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1883222/|title=I, Wombot (2011)|date=October 1, 2011|work=IMDb|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406162730/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1883222/|archive-date=April 6, 2012|df=mdy-all}} The film premiered during the 2011 Dungog Film Festival.[http://www.dff.org.au/_webapp_833805/I,_Wombot I, Wombot] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509013131/http://www.dff.org.au/_webapp_833805/I%2C_Wombot |date= May 9, 2011 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.mq.edu.au/newsroom/control.php?page=story&item=4484|title=Newsroom - Macquarie University|website=www.mq.edu.au|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615094103/http://www.mq.edu.au/newsroom/control.php?page=story&item=4484|archive-date=June 15, 2011|df=mdy-all}}
A book called The New Cool was written by Neal Bascomb about the story of Team 1717 from Goleta, California as they competed in the 2009 game season. A movie adaptation directed by Michael Bacall is being produced.{{cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Erin|title=Director Michael Bacall on FIRST Robotics Movie The New Cool|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/how-to/blog/director-michael-bacall-on-first-robotics-movie-the-new-cool-8410117|publisher=Popular Mechanics|access-date=April 30, 2012|date=April 28, 2012}}
The CNN documentary "Don't Fail Me: Education in America", which aired on May 15, 2011, followed three FIRST Robotics Competition teams during the 2011 season. The documentary profiled one student from each team, covering different geographic and socioeconomic levels: Shaan Patel from Team 1403 Cougar Robotics, Maria Castro from Team 842 Falcon Robotics, and Brian Whited from Team 3675 Eagletrons.{{cite web|title=Don't Fail Me: Education in America airs Sunday|url=http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/05/soledad-o%e2%80%99brien-reports-on-students%e2%80%99-fight-to-get-the-education-needed-to-compete-in-the-global-marketplace/|publisher=CNN|access-date=June 6, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610202220/http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/05/soledad-o%E2%80%99brien-reports-on-students%E2%80%99-fight-to-get-the-education-needed-to-compete-in-the-global-marketplace/|archive-date=June 10, 2011|df=mdy-all}}
On August 14, 2011, ABC aired a special on FIRST called "i.am FIRST: Science is Rock and Roll"{{cite web|title=THE BLACK EYED PEAS FRONT MAN WILL.I.AM AND INVENTOR/FIRST® FOUNDER DEAN KAMEN TEAM UP FOR A GROUNDBREAKING, ONE-HOUR SPECIAL CELEBRATING EDUCATION, ROBOTICS AND SCIENCE, SUNDAY, AUGUST 14 ON ABC |url=http://www.firstinspires.org/uploadedFiles/About_Us/Media_Center/Press_Releases_and_FIRST_News/2011/iamFIRST-ScienceisRockandRoll_FINALrel7-22-2011_FIRSTversion2.pdf |publisher=FIRST |access-date=August 25, 2011 |df=dmy }}{{dead link|date=January 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} that featured many famous musical artists such as The Black Eyed Peas and Willow Smith. will.i.am himself was the executive producer of the special. The program placed a special focus on the FIRST Robotics competition, even though it included segments on the FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST LEGO League, and FIRST LEGO League Jr.{{Cite web|title=i.am.FIRST: Science is Rock and Roll FULL HD - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BohT20oUy4M |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/BohT20oUy4M |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=2020-08-22|website=www.youtube.com| date=August 15, 2011 }}{{cbignore}}
From 1996 to 1998, the FIRST Championship was covered by ESPN.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8N6lnle1fc|title=1996 FIRST Championships ESPN part1|date=October 8, 2008|via=YouTube|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516231537/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8N6lnle1fc|archive-date=May 16, 2016|df=mdy-all}}
For the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, five FIRST Robotics Competition teams and their robots led the parade, with one robot cutting the ribbon and the others shooting confetti.{{cite news|last=Canessa|first=Kevin|title=Martin County student robotics team kick off Macy's Thanksgiving Parade|url=http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_martin_county/stuart/martin-county-student-robotics-team-to-kick-off-macys-thanksgiving-parade|access-date=November 28, 2013|newspaper=WPTV|date=November 28, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128171717/http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_martin_county/stuart/martin-county-student-robotics-team-to-kick-off-macys-thanksgiving-parade|archive-date=November 28, 2013|df=mdy-all}}
In the 2014 movie Transformers: Age of Extinction, a FIRST Robotics Competition Robot built by Team 2468, Team Appreciate, for the 2012 Season was featured in Cade Yeager's garage shooting the foam basketball game pieces from Rebound Rumble.{{cite news|last1=Stenglein|first1=Jack|title=Chap Robotics makes appearance in new Transformers movie|url=http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/chap-robotics-makes-appearance-in-new-transformers/ngfk4/|access-date=January 3, 2015|work=Austin American-Statesman|date=July 16, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103035918/http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/chap-robotics-makes-appearance-in-new-transformers/ngfk4/|archive-date=January 3, 2015|df=mdy-all}}
The 2015 Kickoff was, for the first time, broadcast by NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, and was available via OnDemand for the month of January 2015.{{cite web|title=2015 FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) Kickoff!|url=http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/2015-first-robotics-competition-kickoff|access-date=January 12, 2015|publisher=Comcast|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118232703/http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/2015-first-robotics-competition-kickoff|archive-date=January 18, 2015|df=mdy-all}}
In 2016, Christina Li, a member of Team 217, the ThunderChickens, was spotlighted on an episode of Nickelodeon's The Halo Effect entitled "Hello World". A coding camp that Li organized for young girls was featured on the episode, and 217's robot from the 2015 season made an appearance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nickpress.com/press-releases/2016/05/13/nickelodeons-the-halo-effect-honors-detroit-teen-christina-li-in-hello-world-premiering-friday-may-20-at-830-p-m-etpt|title = NICKELODEon's THE HALO EFFECT HONORS DETROIT TEEN CHRISTINA LI, IN "HELLO WORLD," PREMIERING FRIDAY, MAY 20, AT 8:30 P.M. (ET/PT) | Nick Press}}
The fourth season of The Fosters (2013 TV series) had several episodes featuring characters competing in a regional FIRST Robotics Competition competition, most notably episode 8 "Girl Code".{{cite web|last1=Merrick|first1=Frank|title=FIRST on The Fosters|url=http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/blog/first-on-the-fosters|website=FIRST inspires: FRC blog|date=August 11, 2016|access-date=September 15, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160905031414/http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/blog/first-on-the-fosters|archive-date=September 5, 2016|df=mdy-all}}
In June 2018, HBO aired a Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel episode, which in a segment, the correspondent Soledad O'Brien interviewed Dean Kamen about FIRST and FIRST Robotics Competition and then later interviewed students from various FRC teams.{{cite episode|title=Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel 255|url=https://www.hbo.com/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/all-episodes/june-2018|last1=Gumbel|first1=Bryant (host)|last2=Goldberg|first2=Bernard|last3=Kremer|first3=Andrea|last4=O'Brien|first4=Soledad|author-link1=Bryant Gumbel|author-link2=Bernard Goldberg|author-link3=Andrea Kremer|author-link4=Soledad O'Brien|date=June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207133623/https://www.hbo.com/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/all-episodes/june-2018|archive-date=7 December 2019|url-status=live|series=Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel|network=HBO}}{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18OCZz8yKtU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/18OCZz8yKtU |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Dean Kamen's FIRST Robotics Competition (Full Segment) І Real Sports w/ Bryant Gumbel І HBO|date=June 21, 2018|last=O'Brien|first=Soledad|author-link=Soledad O'Brien|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}
The February 25, 2020 episode of the ABC sitcom Black-ish features recurring character, Jack Johnson, joining a FIRST team—and a cameo by Dean Kamen.{{cite web|title=You Don't know Jack|date=February 27, 2020|url=http://www.firstinspires.org/community/inspire/three-lessons-parents-blackish|publisher=ABC|access-date=April 4, 2020}}
Episode 6 in the second season of the Netflix original series Trinkets featured a FIRST Robotics Competition competition.{{cite episode |title=Ocean's 11th Grade |series=Trinkets |series-link=Trinkets (TV series) |date=August 25, 2020 |via=Netflix |season=2 |number=6}}
On March 18, 2022, Disney+ released a documentary directed by Gillian Jacobs titled "More than Robots", which follows four teams in the 2020 season, leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |title=Disney+ Original Documentary "More Than Robots" To Premiere At SXSW Film Festival 2022 |url=https://dmedmedia.disney.com/news/disney-plus-more-than-robots-documentary-to-premiere-at-sxsw |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=DMED Media |language=en |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325053111/https://dmedmedia.disney.com/news/disney-plus-more-than-robots-documentary-to-premiere-at-sxsw }}
Notable people
= Alumni =
- Priscilla Chan (Team 69){{Cite web |date=2017-05-23 |title=Mark Zuckerberg, Wife Visit Quincy High School - CBS Boston |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/mark-zuckerberg-wife-visit-quincy-high-school/ |archive-date= |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=WBZ News — CBS Boston |language=en-US}}
- Leanne Cushing{{Cite web |title=Our Team |url=https://www.valkyriebattlebots.com/team |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=BattleBots Team Valkyrie |language=en-US}}
- Emma Dumont (Team 980) {{Cite web |date=2013-08-04 |title=FRC 980 Team Captain on Impact of FIRST – FRC Team 980 ThunderBots |url=https://team980.com/archiveold/2013/08/frc-980-team-captain-on-impact-of-first/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |language=en-US}}
- Imraan Faruque
- Dylan Field (Team 675){{Cite magazine |last=Stewart |first=Bruce |title=Robotics Pasta Feed to Support Sonoma County's Tech High |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/05/robotics-pasta/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}
- Amanda Randles{{cite web |date=April 9, 2014 |title=Women @ Energy: Amanda Randles |url=http://energy.gov/diversity/articles/women-energy-amanda-randles |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215044842/http://energy.gov/diversity/articles/women-energy-amanda-randles |archive-date=February 15, 2015 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |publisher=United States Department of Energy}}
= Employees and volunteers =
- Joseph Bouchard{{Cite web |title=Volunteer {{!}} FIRST Chesapeake{{!}} DC, Maryland, Virginia |url=https://www.firstchesapeake.org/volunteer |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=FIRST Chesapeake |language=en}}
- Imogen Coe{{Cite web |title=GIRLS in STEM Executive Advisory Council – FIRST Robotics Canada |url=http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/about-us/girls-in-stem-eac/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220033511/http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/about-us/girls-in-stem-eac/ |archive-date=20 February 2018 |access-date=2018-02-19 |website=firstroboticscanada.org}}
- Michael Dubno{{Cite web |title=NYC FIRST Board |url=https://www.nycfirst.org/board |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=www.nycfirst.org}}
- Amber Gell{{Cite news |last=Richardson |first=Erik |date=2014-08-28 |title=Saving the World- One Robot at a Time |url=https://issuu.com/wisconsinacademy/docs/wpi_summer2014_issuu |work=Wisconsin People & Ideas – Summer 2014 |pages=18–19}}
- Marc Hodosh, entrepreneur, chairman of the Boston FIRST Robotics Competition competition{{Cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass-high-tech/2008/06/subset-of-famous-ted-event-may-settle.html|title=Subset of famous TED event may settle in Newport - Boston Business Journal|website=Boston Business Journal|access-date=May 23, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610142156/http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass-high-tech/2008/06/subset-of-famous-ted-event-may-settle.html|archive-date=June 10, 2016|df=mdy-all}}
- Mark Leon, NASA researcher and Master of Ceremonies for several FIRST Robotics Competition events{{Cite web|url=http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/atacama2006/bios/Mark_Leon.html |title=Spaceward Bound - Mark Leon |website=quest.nasa.gov |access-date=May 23, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520183914/http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/atacama2006/bios/Mark_Leon.html |archive-date=May 20, 2016 }}
- David Siegel
= Mentors =
- Amir Abo-Shaeer (Team 1717), teacher and engineer, subject of The New Cool{{Cite web |title=Amir Abo-Shaeer |url=https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2010/amir-abo-shaeer |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=www.macfound.org |language=en}}
- Emma Dumont (Team 680){{Cite web |last=Nicola |date=2016-08-12 |title=Interview: Emma Dumont on Robotics, The Fosters, & Aquarius - Exclusive |url=http://popcitylife.com/2016/08/12/emma-dumont-fosters-exclusive-interview/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=Pop City Life |language=en-US}}
- Maor Farid
- Patrick Freivald (Team 1551){{Cite web |title=Geneseo Authors Reading series: SUNY Geneseo student, Phil Freivald – Library News and Events Archive |url=https://news.milne-library.org/geneseo-authors-reading-series-suny-geneseo-student-phil-freivald/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=news.milne-library.org}}
- Grant Imahara (Team 841), engineer and roboticist, former cast member of MythBusters{{Cite web |title=About Grant |url=https://www.grantimaharafoundation.org/about-grant |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation |language=en-US}}
- Dave Lavery (Team 116), NASA scientist and former member of the FIRST Robotics Competition Game Design Committee{{Cite web |title=Robotics {{!}} Herndon High School |url=https://herndonhs.fcps.edu/node/7084 |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=herndonhs.fcps.edu}}
- Nic Radford (Team 118)
- Nancy Yasecko (Team 233)
Games
class="wikitable"
!Year !Theme !Number of participants !Number of teams !Number of official events |
1992
| | |
1993
| | |
1994
| | |
1995
| | |
1996
| | |
1997
| | |
1998
| | |
1999
| | |
2000
| | |
2001
| | |
2002
| | |
2003
| | |
2004
|FIRST Frenzy: Raising the Bar | | |
2005
| |
2006
| |
2007 |
2008
|42{{Cite web |title=2008 FIRST Robotics Events |url=https://www.thebluealliance.com/events/2008}} |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020
|52{{efn|130 events and both championships cancelled.}} |
2021
|0{{efn|No official events due to the COVID-19 pandemic .}} |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025
| |
2026
| |
Gallery
{{Gallery
|title=FIRST Robotics Competition
|width=180
|height=180
|Image:FIRSTcomp.jpg|Intermission during Aim High in Los Angeles, encouraging teams to socialize
|Image:Niagarafirst.jpg|The 2006 Triplets of 1114, 1503, and 1680. 1114 and 1503 won 3 regionals each, while 1680 won a silver finalist medal and was a quarterfinalist twice.
|Image:2008 FRC Hawaii Regionals (pic 1).jpg|Competition at the 2008 Hawaii regional.
|Image:Cheesy Poofs' Barrage.jpg|"Barrage", Team 254's 2014 World Champion FRC robot
|Image:FIRST_Robotics_Competition_(FRC)_2024_Crescendo_Playing_Field.jpg
|The playing field in 2024 at the PNW Glacier Peak event
}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist|refs=
- {{Cite news | last = Walton | first = Marsha | title = Robotic trio wins 'Super Bowl of Smarts' | newspaper = CNN | date = April 14, 2007 | url = http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/04/14/robot.compete/index.html }}
- {{Cite news|last=Ante |first=Spencer E. |title=Building Robots Builds Scientists |newspaper=Businessweek |year=2007 |url=http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2007/tc20070413_582820.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_top+stories |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224183229/http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2007/tc20070413_582820.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_top+stories |archive-date=December 24, 2007 |df=dmy }}}}
Sources
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110417032616/http://www.freep.com/article/20110410/NEWS05/104100497/Michigan-robotics-champs-off-world-finals-St-Louis Michigan robotics champs off to world finals in St. Louis]- Detroit Free Press
- [http://www.pcworld.com/article/222879/first_robotics_competitions_2011_regional_season_is_worth_a_look.html FIRST Robotics Competition's 2011 Regional Season Is Worth a Look] - PCWorld
External links
{{Commons category|FIRST Robotics Competition}}
- {{Official website|http://www.firstinspires.org/}}
- [http://robotics.nasa.gov/events/first.php NASA FIRST Robotics Competition site]
{{FIRST}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Robotics Competition}}
Category:For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology
Category:Engineering competitions
Category:Recurring events established in 1992