FIRST
Dean Kamen is the inventor of the ever popular, Segway Human Transporter – a 2 wheeled electrical vehicle with a self-balancing mechanism. He also is the founder of DEKA Research. Dean Kamen’s goal is to show the world the true value of science and technology, and from that goal came FIRST.
FIRST stands for: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. Since 1989, teams of high school students from all over the world would spend 6 tough weeks designing, building, and programming a robot. With the help of sponsors, such as Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Motorola, and more, as well as mentors and other adult support, the students of each robotics team are able to successfully manage to have their robot accomplish a set task. Every year this objective is different, but it is always meant to bring the greatness and prominence of science and technology into the hearts of everyone all over.
This year the competition is called Breakaway. The object is to have the robot be able to manoeuvre around a field, gather and kick a soccer ball, score the ball into a goal, and (optionally) hang from a bar. In reality, it is very similar to having the robot be able to play soccer (with the exception of the hanging). But with the right amount of hard work and passion, it can end up being so much more in the eyes of its competitors.
As with any sport, people that participate in the FIRST robotics competition can get overly excited with what occurs on the field. An important ideal of robotics, though, is “Gracious Professionalism.” It is important not to go crazy over any game, and that is exactly what this is about. Keeping the excitement alive while not letting it get wild is precisely what allows these competitions to be exhilarating with as limited amounts of danger as possible.
FIRST Robotics gives teens all over the world a chance to become a part of the scientific world. Through hard work and determination, everyone has the chance to, as Dean Kamen says, “transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.”
“To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.” ~Dean Kamen
Past Challenges We've Taken Part In
- Rack 'n' Roll
- Robots were to place inflated tubes on a rack that was 10 feet high. Extra points were obtained by having a robot in the home zone and elevated more than 4 inches.
- Overdrive
- Robots were racing around a track. Points were scored for each lap and by hurdling balls over or under the overpass. Extra points were scored by positioning balls on the overpass at the end of the match
- Lunacy
- Robots had a choice of three possibilities of accomplishment in this challange of scoring on a slippery surface that was equvalent to the gravity on the moon. The main goal of this challenge was to score as many points with the moon rocks into the other alliances trailer as possible. Bonus points could be scored with super cells. The team with the most points in the other teams trailer wins.