FIRST Robotics Competition
Encyclopedia
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST
. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to 120 pounds (54 kg), not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year. Teams are given a standard set of parts and the game details at the beginning of January and are given six weeks to construct a competitive robot, that can operate autonomously as well as when guided by wireless controls, to accomplish the game's tasks.
In 2010, the 19th year of competition, 1,808 high school teams with roughly 45,000 students from Australia
, Brazil
, Canada
, Turkey
, the Netherlands
, Israel
, the United States
, the United Kingdom
, and Mexico
were involved. In 2011, 2,075 teams participated in competitions in the United States
, Canada
, and Israel
.
found themselves without a robot due to a shipping error. The Robotic Eagles (358), Adams Robotics (1340), the Killer Bees (33), and the Goodrich Martians (494), some of who would be on opposing teams in future matches, donated parts, tools, and assistance constructing a competition ready robot within a single day - a feat which the competition allows six weeks for.
Some teams also choose to collaborate during the build season. The degree of collaboration can range from sharing part designs to each team building exactly the same robot. FIRST has encouraged this practice, as shown in an official Q&A response from 2006:
For the next six weeks following the kickoff, called the build season the teams begin to design a robot to play the game, essentially from scratch. Team members spend the time designing strategies to play the game, drawing up ideas for robot parts, working with size and weight constraints, and finally, building and assembling their robot. Other challenges include gaining driver experience, building the electronics for the robot, and programming it. After the build season has ended (usually the 3rd full week of February), teams must ship their robot to the location of their first competition.
Competitions for FIRST consist of dozens of regional competitions, and one championship event.
The Championship event is held every year in April, often in a large stadium or convention center in the Southeastern United States
. The championship event consists of four divisions of 85–95 teams competing on one of four fields: Galileo, Newton
, Archimedes
and Curie
. The teams compete for the division championship title in the same way they would compete in a regional. The division champions then bring their robots over to the Einstein field to compete in an elimination tournament to determine the champion.
, where FIRST was originally founded, though teams from Canada
have been disproportionately successful. FIRST urges teams and sponsors to expand the reach of FRC by helping start new FIRST teams. International expansion has been most successful in North America where there are over 1,200 teams in the United States and over 70 in Canada (mostly in Ontario
and Quebec
). Although teams from British Columbia
have competed in the past the only Canadian team west of Ontario remaining is 1482 from Calgary, Alberta. FIRST Robotics has recently reached Mexico
, where 12 teams have been founded since 2007. There is a significant contingent of FIRST teams in Brazil
and Israel
. Both countries have hosted regional competitions in the past; Israel continues to host one yearly, guaranteeing at least three Israeli or European teams in the Championship.
kickoff event in January. Regional competitions take place around the United States as well as in Canada and Israel
, but FIRST has a multinational following that further includes the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia
, and Germany
.
Teams are expected to solicit individuals, sponsors, and businesses for support in the form of donations of time, money, or skills. The average team has approximately 25 students, but participation has ranged from 4 to 100.
Most FIRST regional events take place between Thursday and Saturday in a week in March. Thursday is typically a practice day where matches take place but do not count towards final standings. All day Friday and on Saturday morning, teams participate in qualifying matches. On Saturday afternoon, after the qualification matches have ended, the top eight ranked teams will pick partners from any team ranked below them, and the resulting alliances will compete to be regional winner. The top teams pick their partners starting with the top-ranked team, proceeding to the 8th ranked team, then back from the 8th team to the 1st team again. The alliances picked this way then proceed into elimination rounds, set up into quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. Each quarterfinal, semifinal, and final is determined by a best-of-3 matchup between the two alliances. All three teams in an alliance that wins a regional earns a reserved spot at the championship event, which in 2011 will be in St. Louis, Missouri
.
was the only region to hold district events. Beginning with 2012, a second district region was created, the Mid-Atlantic Robotics Region (MAR), comprising New Jersey, Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania.
and Seattle events have two regionals that share the same arena at the same time. Teams that win a regional event automatically qualify for the FIRST Championship.
with bearings inside it.
Teams are allowed to purchase additional off-the-shelf items where each individual item value may not exceed $400 USD with a total maximum project budget of $3,500.
In the television series Dean of Invention
, Dean Kamen made appeals promoting FIRST prior to commercial breaks.
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 FRC in Australia. The crew produced a documentary film called I, Wombot. The film premiered during the 2011 Dungog Film Festival
.
The CNN documentary "Don't Fail Me: Education in America", which aired on 15 May 2011, followed three FRC teams during the 2011 season.
On August 14th, 2011, ABC
aired a special on FIRST called "i.am FIRST: Science is Rock and Roll" 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 Junior FIRST Lego League
.
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to 120 pounds (54 kg), not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year. Teams are given a standard set of parts and the game details at the beginning of January and are given six weeks to construct a competitive robot, that can operate autonomously as well as when guided by wireless controls, to accomplish the game's tasks.
In 2010, the 19th year of competition, 1,808 high school teams with roughly 45,000 students from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
were involved. In 2011, 2,075 teams participated in competitions in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
History
FIRST was founded in 1989. The first FRC season was in 1992. From 1992 to 2004, games were played with two teams to each alliance, a group of teams that are allied for one match. From 2005 on, the modern era, games are played with three teams to each alliance.Competition
Every year, a different game is played. However, many game rules do not change from year to year and the competitive structure has not changed significantly since the competition started. Teams are randomly assigned alliances of 3 teams, which are paired into qualification matches, where they earn 'qualifying points', the calculation of which changes each year. The game changes every year, but for the most part, they involve some autonomous (computer controlled) robot operation for 10–15 seconds at the beginning of a match, followed by a much longer period (usually 2 minutes) of remote control. Teams use scoring objects on the field to get points, and they sometimes get bonus points for achieving tasks such as ending with the robot on a platform, behind a certain line, or even hanging from a field structure.Community
The FRC community is generally very friendly and cooperative with one another; at competitions it is commonplace for teams to aid each other in repairs and improvements, even if the involved teams are slated to compete against each other. Most regional competitions have systems set up to facilitate the lending of parts and tools between teams. A notable example of parts-sharing is the "One-Day Wonder". In 2004, at the Championship Event in Atlanta, GA, the Tottenville High School PyrobotsTottenville High School
Tottenville High School is located at 100 Luten Avenue, in Huguenot, Staten Island, New York. It is within walking distance of the Huguenot train station of the Staten Island Railway system. Tottenville H.S. is in administrative district 31. The school’s current principal is John P. Tuminaro...
found themselves without a robot due to a shipping error. The Robotic Eagles (358), Adams Robotics (1340), the Killer Bees (33), and the Goodrich Martians (494), some of who would be on opposing teams in future matches, donated parts, tools, and assistance constructing a competition ready robot within a single day - a feat which the competition allows six weeks for.
Some teams also choose to collaborate during the build season. The degree of collaboration can range from sharing part designs to each team building exactly the same robot. FIRST has encouraged this practice, as shown in an official Q&A response from 2006:
Q: Is collaboration between 2 teams acceptable and encouraged by FIRST?
A: Absolutely. Teams are encouraged to share their knowledge, experience, and innovations with each other on and off the play field, as well as before, during and after the competition season. Without inter-team collaborations, many of the central elements of the FIRST philosophy - such as distribution of technical innovations, team workshops, shared designs, software code-sharing, teams mentoring teams, team-run off-season events, etc. - would all be impossible. The whole concept of "coopertition" is based on the idea of teams helping each other to compete.
Typical schedule
The competition is a yearly event. The most intense participation occurs between the months of January and April, but "mini-competitions" are hosted by many teams in school gymnasiums throughout the year. In early January, FIRST announces the details of a game to all participating teams. The game changes very much from year to year, with only a few rules such as the approximate size of the robot staying the same.For the next six weeks following the kickoff, called the build season the teams begin to design a robot to play the game, essentially from scratch. Team members spend the time designing strategies to play the game, drawing up ideas for robot parts, working with size and weight constraints, and finally, building and assembling their robot. Other challenges include gaining driver experience, building the electronics for the robot, and programming it. After the build season has ended (usually the 3rd full week of February), teams must ship their robot to the location of their first competition.
Competitions for FIRST consist of dozens of regional competitions, and one championship event.
The Championship event is held every year in April, often in a large stadium or convention center in the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
. The championship event consists of four divisions of 85–95 teams competing on one of four fields: Galileo, Newton
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
, Archimedes
Archimedes
Archimedes of Syracuse was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity. Among his advances in physics are the foundations of hydrostatics, statics and an...
and Curie
Marie Curie
Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry...
. The teams compete for the division championship title in the same way they would compete in a regional. The division champions then bring their robots over to the Einstein field to compete in an elimination tournament to determine the champion.
Teams
The FIRST Robotics Competition is most prominent in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where FIRST was originally founded, though teams from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
have been disproportionately successful. FIRST urges teams and sponsors to expand the reach of FRC by helping start new FIRST teams. International expansion has been most successful in North America where there are over 1,200 teams in the United States and over 70 in Canada (mostly in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
). Although teams from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
have competed in the past the only Canadian team west of Ontario remaining is 1482 from Calgary, Alberta. FIRST Robotics has recently reached Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where 12 teams have been founded since 2007. There is a significant contingent of FIRST teams in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Both countries have hosted regional competitions in the past; Israel continues to host one yearly, guaranteeing at least three Israeli or European teams in the Championship.
Concept and teams
The FIRST Robotics Competition involves teams of mentors (corporate employees, teachers, or college students) and high school students who collaborate to design and build a robot in six weeks. This robot is designed to play a game, which is designed by FIRST and changes from year to year. This game is announced at a nationally simulcastSimulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
kickoff event in January. Regional competitions take place around the United States as well as in Canada and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, but FIRST has a multinational following that further includes the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Teams are expected to solicit individuals, sponsors, and businesses for support in the form of donations of time, money, or skills. The average team has approximately 25 students, but participation has ranged from 4 to 100.
Team organization
A FRC team typically has approximately 25 students, but can range anywhere from 10 to 100. Teams are also sponsored and aided by adult mentors, who can be professional engineers, teachers, parents, college students, or any other interested adults. The degree to which the mentors are involved varies significantly from team to team. FIRST's recommended season stretches the full year, starting with recruiting and fundraising in September to December, robot construction and competition in January through April, then returning to fundraising and community involvement events until August.Competitive events
Most FIRST regional events take place between Thursday and Saturday in a week in March. Thursday is typically a practice day where matches take place but do not count towards final standings. All day Friday and on Saturday morning, teams participate in qualifying matches. On Saturday afternoon, after the qualification matches have ended, the top eight ranked teams will pick partners from any team ranked below them, and the resulting alliances will compete to be regional winner. The top teams pick their partners starting with the top-ranked team, proceeding to the 8th ranked team, then back from the 8th team to the 1st team again. The alliances picked this way then proceed into elimination rounds, set up into quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. Each quarterfinal, semifinal, and final is determined by a best-of-3 matchup between the two alliances. All three teams in an alliance that wins a regional earns a reserved spot at the championship event, which in 2011 will be in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
Tiers of competitive events
All events have the same tournament structure: qualification matches followed by elimination matches.District events
District events are smaller than regional events and are held at much smaller venues, usually high school gymnasiums. A typical district event has between 20-40 teams. Winning a district event does not necessarily qualify a team for the FIRST Championship. For 2009 through 2011, the US state of MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
was the only region to hold district events. Beginning with 2012, a second district region was created, the Mid-Atlantic Robotics Region (MAR), comprising New Jersey, Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania.
Regional events
Regionals typically involve between 30–65 teams, and regional events with more than 70 teams are usually split into two: for example, the TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Seattle events have two regionals that share the same arena at the same time. Teams that win a regional event automatically qualify for the FIRST Championship.
Awards
Due to FIRST's mission to exposing students and the community at large to science and engineering, the three most prestigious awards they give out are awarded not to teams that have demonstrated the most prowess in the game, but to those teams and individuals who have done the most to realize FIRST's mission.Chairman's Award
The Chairman's Award is the most prestigious award a team can win at a regional or at the championship, more so than even winning the competition itself. Demonstrating the prestige of the award, a team that wins a Regional Chairman's Award receives a reserved spot at the championship event so that they may compete for the Championship Chairman's award, regardless of their on-field performance. The Chairman's award was created to recognize teams that demonstrate the greatest commitment to spreading passion about science and technology into their communities and schools. Submission involves writing an essay of approximately 2,500 words (10,000 characters) documenting the team's efforts at spreading the message of FIRST, as well as student interviews with judges at the competition.Woodie Flowers Award
The Woodie Flowers Award is awarded to a mentor within a team that the team believes has made a large contribution to them and deserves to be recognized. Criteria is based on how well the chosen mentor inspires the students towards better communication and engineering. Any regional WFA winner is eligible to be considered for the Championship WFA, though past regional WFA winners may not again win a regional WFA, to allow other mentors the chance to be recognized. The WFA trophy itself is a head-sized Möbius stripMöbius strip
The Möbius strip or Möbius band is a surface with only one side and only one boundary component. The Möbius strip has the mathematical property of being non-orientable. It can be realized as a ruled surface...
with bearings inside it.
Dean's List Award
The Dean's List Award is given to individual student team members. Much like the Woodie Flowers Award for mentors, the Dean's List Award is to recognize students for their technical knowledge, leadership skills, and their ability to inspire their team toward the mission of FIRST. Teams are allowed to recognize 2 students on their team as Dean's List Semi-Finalist, as semi-finalist they eligible to win the Dean's List Finalist Award at a regional. 2 Dean's List Finalist Awards are given out at every regional. At the annual FIRST Championship 10 finalists are then awarded the Dean's List Award during a special award ceremony.Kit of Parts
At the start of the FIRST season all of the teams receive the Kit Of Parts and the game description. The kit includes the control system and a collection of parts to build a basic robot, as well as many parts donated by participating sponsors. Besides the control system, the kit includes items such as motors, structural components, speed controllers, pneumatic actuators, wheels, and gearboxes, as well as programming and design software. The control system and the provided software has a history of terrible documentation. As soon as the teams receive their kit of parts, the 6-week build season begins.Teams are allowed to purchase additional off-the-shelf items where each individual item value may not exceed $400 USD with a total maximum project budget of $3,500.
Sponsors and media exposure
Another aspect of the competition is the dozens of companies that supply parts, tools, financial support and mentoring to the FIRST teams. These companies donate thousands of dollars worth of top-of-the-line parts to be included in the Kit of Parts. Items include bearings, tubing, slides, switches, tools, controls, software, and robot frames. Many of these sponsors also participate at the Championships by hosting booths in the Supplier Showcase.Movies and television
The PBS documentary "Gearing Up" followed four teams through the 2008 season.In the television series Dean of Invention
Dean of Invention
Dean of Invention is a television show starring Dean Kamen and Joanne Colan that premiered on Planet Green on October 22, 2010. The two explore scientific breakthroughs around the world in a variety of fields including aviation, biotechnology, energy, nanotechnology and robotics...
, Dean Kamen made appeals promoting FIRST prior to commercial breaks.
During the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition season, FIRST team 3132, Thunder Down Under was followed by a Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
student film crew to document the first year of FRC in Australia. The crew produced a documentary film called I, Wombot. The film premiered during the 2011 Dungog Film Festival
Dungog Film Festival
The Dungog Film Festival is an annual event held in the Hunter Region town of Dungog. Dungog Film Festival is a not for profit arts organisation that is dedicated to celebrating and promoting Australian screen industry. The festival is committed to education and nurturing the health of the...
.
The CNN documentary "Don't Fail Me: Education in America", which aired on 15 May 2011, followed three FRC teams during the 2011 season.
On August 14th, 2011, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
aired a special on FIRST called "i.am FIRST: Science is Rock and Roll" that featured many famous musical artists such as The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
and Willow Smith
Willow Smith
Willow Camille Reign Smith , often known simply as Willow, is an American child actress and singer. She is the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and the younger sister of Jaden Smith. Smith made her acting debut in 2007 in the film I Am Legend and later appeared in Kit Kittredge: An...
. will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
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 Tech Challenge
The FIRST Tech Challenge , formerly the FIRST Vex Challenge , is a mid-level robotics competition targeted toward high-school aged students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit...
, FIRST Lego League
FIRST Lego League
The FIRST® LEGO® League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students ....
, and Junior FIRST Lego League
Junior FIRST Lego League
Junior FIRST LEGO League is a non-competitive robotics program designed for children ages six to nine. It is one of the programs established by FIRST.Jr.FLL follows the same topics given to FIRST LEGO League...
.
Games
- 2011: Logomotion
- 2010: BreakawayBreakaway (FIRST)Breakaway is the game for the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition, announced on January 9, 2010. Robots direct soccer balls into goals, traverse "bumps" in the field, suspend themselves and each other on towers, and/or go through a tunnel located in the center of the field.In 2010, a new driver station...
- 2009: LunacyLunacy (FIRST)Lunacy is the game for the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition.Announced on January 3, 2009, the name and some of the features of the game honor the 40th anniversary of the first manned mission to the Moon . It is FRC's 18th game. This is the first FRC competition to use the cRIO Mobile...
- 2008: FIRST OverdriveFIRST OverdriveFIRST Overdrive was the 2008 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition, announced on January 5, 2008. In it, teams competed to complete counterclockwise laps around a central barrier while manipulating large diameter "Trackballs" over and under overpasses to score additional points.-Game...
- 2007: Rack 'n RollRack 'n RollRack 'n Roll is the game for the 2007 FIRST Robotics Competition season, announced on January 6, 2007. In it, two alliances of three teams each compete to arrange toroidal game pieces on a central arena element known as 'The Rack'.-Classes:...
- 2006: Aim High
- 2005: Triple PlayTriple Play (FIRST)Triple Play was the name of the 2005 season FIRST Robotics Competition game.-Basic Description:Triple Play was the FIRST Robotics Competition game released on January 8, 2005. This is the first time the game rules PDF files were made available in late December to teams prior to the official...
- 2004: FIRST Frenzy: Raising the BarFIRST Frenzy: Raising the BarFIRST Frenzy: Raising the Bar was the 2004 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition. The game included elements from previous years' games, including mobile goals, "capping" goals with large inflatable balls, and others...
- 2003: Stack AttackStack AttackStack Attack is the game for the 2003 FIRST Robotics Competition. In Stack Attack, two teams of two robots each attempt to win by moving large Sterilite bins into their zone and arranging them into stacks.-Layout:...
- 2002: Zone ZealZone ZealZone Zeal was the 2002 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition. In it, robots playing in alliances of 2 competed to move goals and balls into various zones within the playing field.-Playing Field:The playing field was divided into fifths called zones...
- 2001: Diabolical DynamicsDiabolical Dynamics-Field:The playing field is a carpeted, rectangular area. Dividing the field in half is an high railing with a central bridge, which can tilt to either side of the field or remain level. Two high movable goals begin on opposite sides of the field. Around the perimeter of the field are two...
- 2000: Co-Opertition FIRSTCo-Opertition FIRST-Field:The playing field was a carpeted, rectangular area with two high goals located midfield, one goal for each alliance. There is a clearance bar under each goal. Between the goals is an wide ramp with a clearance bar, which robots may hang on to score points...
- 1999: Double TroubleDouble Trouble (FIRST)-Field:The playing field is a carpeted, rectangular area. Alliances score points by positioning "floppies," their robots, and a "puck" on the playing field. "Floppies" are light-weight, pillow-like objects with Velcro-loop material located in its centre and around its perimeter. The "puck" is a...
- 1998: Ladder LogicLadder LogicLadder Logic was the game for the 1998 FIRST Robotics Competition.-Field:The playing field is a carpeted, hexagon-shaped area with an tall central goal. Three horizontal rail goals extend outward from the center. Each ball placed on the rail goals scores points and each ball in the center doubles...
- 1997: Toroid Terror
- 1996: Hexagon HavocHexagon HavocHexagon Havoc was the 1996 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition. Seeding games of 1-on-1-on-1 were played double-elimination to determine the teams for the finals rounds. In the finals, robots played 1-on-1 in a best 2 out of 3.-Field:...
- 1995: Ramp 'n RollRamp 'n Roll-Field:The playing field is a carpeted modified T-shaped area. The goal area is made up of three ramps and two slopes leading to a square platform. In each match, three teams compete to put their own balls over a field goal.-Robots:...
- 1994: Tower PowerTower Power-Field:The Playing Field was a carpeted regular dodecagon which measured across. The surface consists of a closed loop, low piled carpet. The perimeter of the field was defined by four-by-four boards. At the beginning of a match, there were 36 soccer balls arranged into 6 piles of 6 identical...
- 1993: Rug RageRug RageRug Rage was the 1993 game of the FIRST Robotics Competition. In it, teams competed individually to score as many balls as possible in their goal. , it is the only year to see a decrease in the number of team competing.-Field:...
- 1992: Maize CrazeMaize CrazeMaize Craze was the game in the inaugural year, 1992, of the FIRST Robotics Competition. This game was played by four individual robots trying to collect tennis balls into their starting base...
Gallery
Regional
Community resources
Related or associated organizations and sponsors
Articles of interest
- Michigan robotics champs off to world finals in St. Louis - Detroit Free PressDetroit Free PressThe Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
- FIRST Robotics Competition’s 2011 Regional Season Is Worth a Look - PCWorldPC World (magazine)PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...