This week, more than 20,000 students from 42 countries traveled to St. Louis, putting their engineering skills to the test at the annual FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Championship, held at various venues throughout the city.
The four-day event came down to a heart-pounding conclusion Saturday night in front of a roaring crowd of more than 40,000 when four teams won the coveted FIRST Robotics Competition Championship Winning Alliance.
FIRST Robotics Competition combines sports excitement with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams are challenged to fundraise, design a brand, exercise teamwork, and build and program robots to perform tasks against competitors. In this year’s game, FIRST STRONGHOLD(SM), Alliances worked together to breach their opponents’ fortifications, weaken their tower, and capture the opposing tower. Robots scored points by breaching opponents’ defenses and tossing boulders through goals in the opposing tower. During the final 20 seconds of the match, robots were allowed to surround and scale the opposing tower to capture it.
The Winning Alliance of the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship was Team 330, The Beach Bots, Hermosa Beach, CA; Team 2481, Roboteers, Tremont, IL; Team 120, Cleveland’s Team, Cleveland, OH; and Team 1086, Blue Cheese, Glen Allen, VA of the Carver Subdivision.
Team 987 HIGHROLLERS, Las Vegas, NV, won the Chairman’s Award, the highest honor given at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship, recognizing the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST.
FIRST Championship events span across four programs: FIRST® LEGO® League (grades 4 to 8, 9 to 14-year-olds in the U.S, Canada, and Mexico; 9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico); FIRST® Tech Challenge (grades 7 to 12, 12 to 18-year-olds); and FIRST® Robotics Competition (grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18). In addition to the high-energy robotics matches, 60 teams of 6 to 9-year-olds participated in the FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. (grades K-3, ages 6-9), World Festival Expo.
About FIRST®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $25 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org.
FIRST and the FIRST logo are registered trademarks of the United States Foundation For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST). LEGO® is a registered trademark of The LEGO Group.
