FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a robotics competition that places students in grades 7 through 12 against one another in a sports-like format. It presents the conventional FIRST Robotics challenge, but in a more open and affordable format. Teams are in charge of designing, constructing, and programming their robots in order to compete against other teams in an alliance format.
The robot kit can be used year after year and can be programmed in a number of languages. Coaches, advisors, and volunteers must work together to create a plan and build robots using sound engineering principles. Competition, community outreach, architecture, and other real-world achievements.
In contrast to FRC, there is no “stop build day,” when the robot must be completed; teams will work on their robots up until and through competitions.
The competitions take place on a 12 x 12 ft field, with two alliances of two robots competing against each other. At the start of the match, all robots must fit into an 18″ cube. The maximum number of students in a team is fifteen, but the most common number is eight to twelve.
Downingtown Area Robotics began its FIRST Tech Challenge program in 2013, and now has three FTC teams:
FTC Team 7314 – Sab-BOT-age
FTC Team 14423 – RoboCorns
FTC Team 14842 – SPYGEARS
Students ages 12-18 in the FIRST Engineering Challenge learn to think like engineers. Teams design, create, and program robots to compete against other teams in an alliance format. Robots are created using a reusable platform that is powered by Android technology and can be programmed at various levels of Java programming.
Traditional sports are changing in nature. Our robotics season challenge theme reflects the ability in each of us to redefine the game and exceed our team and personal goals by participating in the only sport in which every child can become a professional.
In ULTIMATE GOAL, FIRST Tech Challenge teams will create plans and build robots based on advanced engineering concepts in order to participate in tournaments, learning 21st-century life skills and winning achievements for their robot design, community outreach, and other team achievements.
Participants will become teammates who are at the top of their game, playing in an exciting sport with the goal of scoring, winning, and leaving a lasting legacy. They’ll learn how to work together to rebound from defeat, gain trust, and inspire one another to achieve their full potential as a team and as individuals.
Students in the FIRST Tech Challenge learn to think like engineers. Teams compete against each other by designing, constructing, and programming robots. We set out to become a more collaborative teammate, a respected rival, and a stronger person in every game we play. No one has higher aspirations than we have for ourselves; it is our ambition that propels us forward.
Robots are made from a reusable package of parts, run on Android, and can be programmed using a variety of Java and Blocks-based programming languages. Colleges, universities, and vocational schools offer exclusive scholarship opportunities to high school students.