What is FIRST?

In my last post I talked a lot about FIRST. This post will shed light on FIRST for those who don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about.

FIRST is a non-profit organization that is committed to changing the minds of students. FIRST is an acronym meaning, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. What FIRST is trying to do is show school kids that there is more to life than wanting to be a sports hero or a movie star. FIRST honors those students that are interested in science and technology the same way today's culture honors those in sports and films.

So, how does FIRST accomplish this? Typically students become involved in FIRST through a team at their school (not always, sometimes teams are organized in other ways). Teams of students then work together, with teachers, mentors and sponsors to design, build and program a robot. Every year in January FIRST announces a new game (more like a sporting event) that will be the focus of the year. Once the announcement has been made, each team is given the same kit of parts and they begin work on building their robot. They have a strict 6 weeks to complete their robot, and it then must be boxed up in a wooden crate and shipped before the deadline. If not, you team will not be eligible to compete.

Robots are not small and not cheap. Each robot weighs in at about 120 pounds and has an on board computer / micro controller. A lot of teams will use various sensors on their robot so the computer will know exactly the conditions it is experiencing. In most competitions there will be an autonomous period (roughly 15 seconds) in which the robot is guided only by it's computer to try to score points. The remainder of the game is devoted to tele-operated mode, where the robot is driven by a team of students via radio control.

Competition is arranged such that 3 teams form an alliance. So, your team will partner (temporarily) with 2 other teams and compete against another alliance of 3 teams. It is at this point that some teams will be playing a more offensive role while others will be more defensive. Teams then try to score as many points as possible and prepare themselves to score bonus points at the end of the match. Bonus points are sometimes awarded to teams that can elevate their alliance partners to a pre-determined height.

So, back to the question of how FIRST can honor students the way we honor sports and film stars. Each competition is an all-out extravaganza with large video screens, loud blood pumping music, lights and tons of people. When a team enters the field for a match, it is very much like being on the field for the super-bowl.

Regional competitions are held beginning in March at various field houses around the country. Teams that do well at a regional competition are then eligible to compete in the World Championships that are held in Atlanta in the Georgia Dome in mid April.

So, right now we are just a mere 2 days away from this years kick-off. At the kick-off we will learn this years game and the six week clock will begin. Everyone involved in FIRST has been waiting for the announcement since last April. The coming weeks will be tiring, stressful, fun and exciting all in one.

I will be posting my experiences on a regular basis. Check back soon!