FIRST game challenges and our robots by year
Every Robotics season starts with a game reveal. During the game reveal event, which happens simultaneously around the world, FIRST releases an animated video of the challenge for the coming year as well as a detailed rule book and guidelines for building a practice field with elements. Then, under strict rules with limited resources and the guidance of volunteer mentors, teams of students around the world have just six weeks to build and program robots to perform the challenging tasks against a field of competitors. They must also raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and perform community outreach. In addition to learning valuable STEM and life skills, participants are eligible to apply for $50+ million in college scholarships.
2023 challenge and robot — “Big Dog”
The 2023 game is Charged Up!
2022 challenge and robot — “Ford Flex”
Meet our 2022 Robot, “Ford Flex” (formerly known as “Clarice”). More information coming by May 2023.
2021 season
FIRST‘s 2021 season consisted of virtual challenges only. More information coming by May 2023.
2020 challenge and robot — “Red5”
Our 2020 Robot was known as “Red5”. Unfortunately, the 2020 season was cancelled just before we could compete in our first district event.
2019 challenge
More information coming by May 2023.
2018 challenge and robot
More information coming by May 2023.
2017 challenge
Our 2017 Robot won several the Quality Award and Industrial Design Award at District Events, and the the Creativity award at the State Championship. More information coming by May 2023.
2016 challenge and robot — “Sucker Punch”
Our 2016 robot needed to be able to: breach the other teams defenses (moat, low wall, portcullis, Cheval de Frise, Ramparts, drawbridge, sally port, and rough terrain), shoot balls in a low and high tower and scale the opposing alliance’s tower.
To meet these challenges we created
- Mandibles to grab the ball, inspired by the antlion, one of hte most fearsome insect predators.
- A “sucker punch” to pick up and toss the boulders, using a fan from a vacuum to create suction and an internal mechanism to punch the boulder off the sucker bowl into the tower.
- Raising and lowering capabilities on the sucker punch in order to defeat the low bar defense
- A mechanism to open the Sally Port defensive door without partner assistance
In the 2016 season, our Sucker Punch robot won the Innovation in Control award at both District Events, and the prestigious Judge’s Award at the state championship. We took 2nd place at our first District Event at Kettering University.
2015 challenge and robot
Our 2015 robot won the Industrial Design Award at the Gull Lake District Event, which we won! More information coming by May 2023.
2014 challenge and robot
More information coming by May 2023.
2013 challenge and robot
Our 2013 Robot won the Innovation in Control and Industrial Design Awards at District Events. We took 2nd place at the Kettering District Event that year, and 1st place at the Gull Lake District Event. More information coming by May 2023.
2012 challenge
We took first place at the Northville District Event with our 2012 Robot. More information coming by May 2023.
2011 challenge
More information coming by May 2023.
