FIRST Robotics

 

FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is an organization devoted to promoting science, engineering, math, and the concepts of coopertition and gracious professionalism. Coopertition means simultaneously competing against other teams while cooperating with them, promoting a helping atmosphere, and gracious professionalism is the core concept of FIRST– as their website puts it, “It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.”

 

FIRST was founded in 1992 by Dean Kamen and Woodie Flowers. Today, FIRST has more than 150,000 students on teams.

 

The FIRST Website can be found here.

 

This Year’s Game: BREAKAWAY

 

BREAKAWAY is played somewhat like soccer. Six robots, divided into two alliances with three robots each, compete to score in the opponents’ goals. The field is separated into three sections by foot high bumps. In the center of each bump is a tower with a tunnel underneath it. This means that the robot can either go under the tunnel or over the bump to move through the sections.

 

A round is 2:15. The first 15 seconds is an Autonomous period, when the robot moves according to pre-programmed instructions and can gain a strategic advantage. After those 15 seconds is the teleoperated period, when the robot is controlled by two human operators.

 

Each ball scored in the opponents goal is worth one point. In the last 20 seconds, robots may hang themselves from the towers on the bumps for two points. If one robot hangs itself on another robot that is already hanging on the tower, it gets three points. In addition during the finale, if a yellow ball is scored then the team who scored it gets double points.

 

Good luck to all FIRST teams!

FIRST Robotics and BREAKAWAY

Lightning Bots Team 2010

Updated July 15, 2010.