FIRST Robots: Aim High

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| FIRST Robots

INTRODUCTION

The world of robotics is rapidly expand-

ing and already spans diverse fields such

as medicine, education, entertainment,

automation, and transportation. Robotic

applications are becoming common; no

longer are robots mere fantasy in sci-

ence fiction, but we find them in our

homes, schools, and businesses.

Robots are integrated engineering

systems: a combination of mechanical,

electrical, electronic, and computer

technologies. They have been used to

inspire students and are popular tools

for learning for several reasons: avail-

ability of components to build them, our

familiarity with their use, and the multi-

disciplinary nature of their design.

The

FIRST Robotics Competition is

one example of using robots to inspire

students. FIRST is an acronym: For

Inspiration of Science and Technology.

The premise of

FIRST is to partner youth

with practicing professionals to solve

challenging engineering problems.

FIRST

Robotics Competition participants build

sophisticated robotic devices that com-

pete in mechanical sports.

With balls being shot into goals and robots

fighting to climb on platforms, FIRST competi-

tions are exciting events. Since each match only

lasts a little over two minutes, every robot

maneuver is important and can determine the

outcome of a match.

Three teams form an alliance for each match,

where they compete against an opposing alliance

of teams. Each alliance is random; an alliance

member in one match could be an opponent in

the next match.

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FIRST teams consist of high school

students and faculty, engineers, techni-

cians, business leaders, university stu-

dents and staff, and concerned citizens.

Each year, a new “

FIRST game” is

developed which requires robots to per-

form a variety of tasks such as moving

across a field, climbing ramps, hanging

from bars, and placing objects in goals.

In addition to being manually operated

by remote control, the robots also oper-

ate under autonomous control for a

segment of each match.

Teams only have six weeks from

when the annual game is announced

and they receive the Kit of Parts to

design, build, program, and test their

robots. Following these six weeks, teams

compete at regional competitions held in

32 locations in North America and one in

Israel. The competitions are wildly excit-

ing, energetic, and motivating.

FIRST competitions are unique in

their structure and purpose. Alliances of

robots compete in each match, so

teams have to work together to play the

game. Competition on the field is paired

with cooperation between teams to

create an atmosphere of gracious

professionalism. The

FIRST Robotics

Competition

Awards support this goal;

most are based on attributes such as

spirit, entrepreneurship, inspiration,

teamwork, and effectiveness. The

teams compete aggressively but treat

each other kindly in the process.

The judging panels at each competi-

tion included engineers, educators, tech-

nologists, and business and government

leaders. The judges’ review is compre-

hensive, and they visit with each team

and observe the robots in competition.

This book salutes the high levels of

creativity, ingenuity, and design that go

into building

FIRST robots. The 30 robot

teams detailed in this book are exam-

ples of superior design in five cate-

gories: control, quality, creativity,

advanced technology, and industrial

design. Winning an award at a FIRST

Robotics Competition is a great accom-

plishment and an acknowledgement of

superior performance by the team. A

list of participants from each profiled

team is included in this book.

As exemplified by their willingness

to share their design successes, these

teams are fulfilling

FIRST’s mission to

inspire others. We hope the assembled

work serves as a template for learning

about robot design, and that it is a

resource for all who are interested in the

field of robotics.

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Offense and defense are both important

parts of the game. Defending robots maneuver

to stop the most pressing scoring threats from

opposing robots that are shooting or climbing

the ramp.

The driver’s station is a safe place to be

for human competitors, protecting them from

robot collisions and the occasional flurry of

flying robot parts.

The playing field in front of the goals is a

popular place for robots. Half of the robots want

to be in front of the goal to score, but by doing

so they draw the attention of defending robots.

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