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FIRST Robotics Competition & FIRST Tech Challenge

Digital Animation Award

sponsored by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) 
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The FIRST® Robotics Competition & FIRST® Tech Challenge Digital Animation Award! 

This award, sponsored by WPI, celebrates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) and emphasizes the ability to tell a story through animation that integrates technological, social, and humanistic concepts.

The competition will open on September 25, 2025.

WPI logo

The 2026 Digital Animation Award is offered to help encourage students to cultivate skills in design and creation of animation while telling a story about the impact of technology on society. This award is open to all FIRST Robotics Competition teams and FIRST Tech Challenge teams and is optional.

Copyright

By making a submission, the Submitter irrevocably grants to FIRST and FIRST's designees the right to use any or all of the submission in any and all media for the purpose of describing the submission, describing the Award, and/or otherwise promoting FIRST and FIRST's programs.

  • This Year’s Theme

    This Year’s Theme: The Artifact that Changed Everything

    Choose one invention or material and animate how future generations might view it as the defining artifact of our era.

     

    Need a little inspiration?

    • Built to Last (or Not): Future archaeologists might find crumbling cities or a legacy of self-healing buildings that stood the test of time. Animate the story of how our choices in construction, urban design, or waste management become tomorrow’s artifacts.
    • Energy Imprint: Consider the long-term impacts of the batteries inside of all our modern devices. What if instead of digging up the waste, future generations instead reaped the benefits of sustainable battery recycling.  Tell that story in animation.  
    • Beyond Earth: Rockets have become symbols of human ingenuity. Animate the story of how today’s innovations in reusable rockets and sustainable propulsion shape the next era of exploration.

     

  • Submission Requirements

    Submission Requirements

    The following requirements must be met for an animation to be submitted to the judges and displayed for other teams to watch.

     

    1. A single animation may be submitted by any registered FIRST Robotics Competition team or FIRST Tech Challenge team. Submissions may be 2D, 3D, mixed media, stop motion or anything else you can use to animate a story.
    2. The submitted animation must be no more than 30 seconds long (does not include title screen or credits). Animations more than 30 seconds long will not be judged.
      1. The submission must be relevant to the stated theme.
      2. 30 seconds is only an upper limit. Teams may submit an animation of any length up to that limit, and the duration will have no impact on how the animation is scored.
    3. Anything uploaded to and playable on YouTube (or similar video streaming service) by the deadline is accepted.  However, It is recommended that animations be submitted with the following for best event playback: 
      1. Format: H.264 codec in mp4 file
      2. Resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (720p) minimum. 1920 x 1080 (1080p) is optimal.
      3. Frame Rate: 24 frames per second.
    4. ​Title Screen & Credits
      1. The animation must begin with a title screen displayed for a 2-second duration followed by a one-second black slate, leading into the primary work.
      2. The title screen display will not be included in the total duration limit.
      3. The title screen must include your program (FIRST Robotics Competition or FIRST Tech Challenge), team number, team name, school/organization, title of the animation, and animation duration.
      4. Credits should follow a one-second black slate at the end of the animation and be no longer than 5 seconds total in length. Length of the credits will not be included in the total duration limit.
      5. Make sure to include team members, mentors, software used, list of public domain sources, and licensed sources in credits.
      6. Total length of work should be no longer than: 2 second title screen + 1 second black slate + (up to) 30 second animation + 1 second black slate + (up to) 5 seconds credits = 39 seconds total (max length). 
    5. Content
      1. Animation should be supportive of the FIRST Core Values & WPI's Core Values. 
      2. Animation must be free of copyright issues. Do not use copyrighted characters, music, or other elements, unless you have the legal right to do so.
    6. Submission Process: *MAJOR CHANGES FOR 2025-26*
      • Upload the animation to YouTube (or a similar video streaming service) by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan 12, 2026. 
      • Fill out the submission form, available on this WPI webpage, you will need:
        • At least one adult mentor on your team (to complete the form)
        • The link to your video (must be viewable by anyone with the link) 
      • You are welcome/encouraged to upload the video early and to set the video to “unlisted” until the deadline. The video must be viewable by anyone with the link by the deadline shown above.
    7. **DEADLINE**
      • All video uploads AND the email submission must be completed by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan 12, 2026. Any entries after this deadline will not be judged. Winners will be announced Mid-February.
      • Public Viewing - A playlist of all the videos will be published for public viewing when the winners are announced. Keep an eye on official FIRST and WPI channels for the announcement. 

    If there are any questions, please feel free to contact us at first_daa@wpi.edu 

  • Judging

    Judging

    Judging will be completed by faculty and staff of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, including members of the Robotics Resource Center and Interactive Media and Game Development Department. All teams must follow the submission requirements as outlined below.

    While the judging is purely subjective, all judges will use the following rubric to evaluate entries: 

    1. Category 1: Connection to the Theme (30 points) 
      1. 25–30: Animation demonstrates a strong and original interpretation of the theme; the theme is deeply integrated into both visuals and narrative.
      2. 19–24: Clear alignment with the theme, though interpretation may be more straightforward or less nuanced.
      3. 13–18: Theme is present but weakly integrated or inconsistently represented.
      4. 0–12: Minimal or no connection to the theme.
    2. Category 2: Storytelling & Creativity (30 points)
      1. 25–30: Narrative is compelling, coherent, and innovative; characters, pacing, and structure support emotional engagement.
      2. 19–24: Story is coherent and engaging; demonstrates creativity but lacks full originality or depth.
      3. 13–18: Story is partially developed; predictable or unclear narrative arc with limited creativity.
      4. 0–12: Incoherent or incomplete story; lacks originality.
    3. Category 3: Animation Quality & Technique (30 points)
      1. 25–30: Demonstrates mastery of animation principles (timing, squash/stretch, anticipation, camera work); visuals are polished and enhance storytelling.
      2. 19–24: Strong technical execution with minor flaws; effective use of movement and timing.
      3. 13–18: Inconsistent application of animation principles; distracting errors present.
      4. 0–12: Limited or minimal animation skills displayed; rough, incomplete, or distracting work.
    4. Category 4: Overall Impact (10 points)
      1. 9–10: Animation leaves a strong, lasting impression; seamless integration of theme, story, and technique.
      2. 6–8: Solid overall impact with some areas needing polish.
      3. 3–5: Average impression; story or visuals partially effective.
      4. 0–2: Weak impact; animation fails to engage.

    Total: 100 points

  • Awards

    Awards

    Official FIRST Trophy & Plaque will be sent to the winner from FIRST. There will be one winner and trophy for the FIRST Robotics Competition winner and another winner and trophy for FIRST Tech Challenge.

    WPI will provide sponsorships to the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge winning teams as long as all submission criteria are met:

    • FIRST Robotics Competition : A team sponsorship covering the 2026/2027 registration fee (a $6,300 value).
    • FIRST Tech Challenge: A $2,000 team sponsorship, which breaks down as:
      • $325 toward registration
      • $500 toward field materials
      • $1,175 toward robot materials

  • Competition Scholarships

    Competition Scholarships

    • Any student who is a member of a FIRST team that submits a Digital Animation Award entry is eligible for a $1,000 scholarship to attend WPI.
    • The scholarship form will be available on this WPI page after October 1, 2025.

  • Reference

    Reference

    • Behind the Scenes Game Animation - In this video, AutomationDirect.com will take you behind the scenes and show how the FIRST Robotics Competition Game Animations are made, start to finish, in partnership with AutomationDirect.com.

     

This Year’s Theme: The Artifact that Changed Everything

Choose one invention or material and animate how future generations might view it as the defining artifact of our era.

 

Need a little inspiration?

  • Built to Last (or Not): Future archaeologists might find crumbling cities or a legacy of self-healing buildings that stood the test of time. Animate the story of how our choices in construction, urban design, or waste management become tomorrow’s artifacts.
  • Energy Imprint: Consider the long-term impacts of the batteries inside of all our modern devices. What if instead of digging up the waste, future generations instead reaped the benefits of sustainable battery recycling.  Tell that story in animation.  
  • Beyond Earth: Rockets have become symbols of human ingenuity. Animate the story of how today’s innovations in reusable rockets and sustainable propulsion shape the next era of exploration.

 

Submission Requirements

The following requirements must be met for an animation to be submitted to the judges and displayed for other teams to watch.

 

  1. A single animation may be submitted by any registered FIRST Robotics Competition team or FIRST Tech Challenge team. Submissions may be 2D, 3D, mixed media, stop motion or anything else you can use to animate a story.
  2. The submitted animation must be no more than 30 seconds long (does not include title screen or credits). Animations more than 30 seconds long will not be judged.
    1. The submission must be relevant to the stated theme.
    2. 30 seconds is only an upper limit. Teams may submit an animation of any length up to that limit, and the duration will have no impact on how the animation is scored.
  3. Anything uploaded to and playable on YouTube (or similar video streaming service) by the deadline is accepted.  However, It is recommended that animations be submitted with the following for best event playback: 
    1. Format: H.264 codec in mp4 file
    2. Resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (720p) minimum. 1920 x 1080 (1080p) is optimal.
    3. Frame Rate: 24 frames per second.
  4. ​Title Screen & Credits
    1. The animation must begin with a title screen displayed for a 2-second duration followed by a one-second black slate, leading into the primary work.
    2. The title screen display will not be included in the total duration limit.
    3. The title screen must include your program (FIRST Robotics Competition or FIRST Tech Challenge), team number, team name, school/organization, title of the animation, and animation duration.
    4. Credits should follow a one-second black slate at the end of the animation and be no longer than 5 seconds total in length. Length of the credits will not be included in the total duration limit.
    5. Make sure to include team members, mentors, software used, list of public domain sources, and licensed sources in credits.
    6. Total length of work should be no longer than: 2 second title screen + 1 second black slate + (up to) 30 second animation + 1 second black slate + (up to) 5 seconds credits = 39 seconds total (max length). 
  5. Content
    1. Animation should be supportive of the FIRST Core Values & WPI's Core Values. 
    2. Animation must be free of copyright issues. Do not use copyrighted characters, music, or other elements, unless you have the legal right to do so.
  6. Submission Process: *MAJOR CHANGES FOR 2025-26*
    • Upload the animation to YouTube (or a similar video streaming service) by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan 12, 2026. 
    • Fill out the submission form, available on this WPI webpage, you will need:
      • At least one adult mentor on your team (to complete the form)
      • The link to your video (must be viewable by anyone with the link) 
    • You are welcome/encouraged to upload the video early and to set the video to “unlisted” until the deadline. The video must be viewable by anyone with the link by the deadline shown above.
  7. **DEADLINE**
    • All video uploads AND the email submission must be completed by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan 12, 2026. Any entries after this deadline will not be judged. Winners will be announced Mid-February.
    • Public Viewing - A playlist of all the videos will be published for public viewing when the winners are announced. Keep an eye on official FIRST and WPI channels for the announcement. 

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact us at first_daa@wpi.edu 

Judging

Judging will be completed by faculty and staff of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, including members of the Robotics Resource Center and Interactive Media and Game Development Department. All teams must follow the submission requirements as outlined below.

While the judging is purely subjective, all judges will use the following rubric to evaluate entries: 

  1. Category 1: Connection to the Theme (30 points) 
    1. 25–30: Animation demonstrates a strong and original interpretation of the theme; the theme is deeply integrated into both visuals and narrative.
    2. 19–24: Clear alignment with the theme, though interpretation may be more straightforward or less nuanced.
    3. 13–18: Theme is present but weakly integrated or inconsistently represented.
    4. 0–12: Minimal or no connection to the theme.
  2. Category 2: Storytelling & Creativity (30 points)
    1. 25–30: Narrative is compelling, coherent, and innovative; characters, pacing, and structure support emotional engagement.
    2. 19–24: Story is coherent and engaging; demonstrates creativity but lacks full originality or depth.
    3. 13–18: Story is partially developed; predictable or unclear narrative arc with limited creativity.
    4. 0–12: Incoherent or incomplete story; lacks originality.
  3. Category 3: Animation Quality & Technique (30 points)
    1. 25–30: Demonstrates mastery of animation principles (timing, squash/stretch, anticipation, camera work); visuals are polished and enhance storytelling.
    2. 19–24: Strong technical execution with minor flaws; effective use of movement and timing.
    3. 13–18: Inconsistent application of animation principles; distracting errors present.
    4. 0–12: Limited or minimal animation skills displayed; rough, incomplete, or distracting work.
  4. Category 4: Overall Impact (10 points)
    1. 9–10: Animation leaves a strong, lasting impression; seamless integration of theme, story, and technique.
    2. 6–8: Solid overall impact with some areas needing polish.
    3. 3–5: Average impression; story or visuals partially effective.
    4. 0–2: Weak impact; animation fails to engage.

Total: 100 points

Awards

Official FIRST Trophy & Plaque will be sent to the winner from FIRST. There will be one winner and trophy for the FIRST Robotics Competition winner and another winner and trophy for FIRST Tech Challenge.

WPI will provide sponsorships to the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge winning teams as long as all submission criteria are met:

  • FIRST Robotics Competition : A team sponsorship covering the 2026/2027 registration fee (a $6,300 value).
  • FIRST Tech Challenge: A $2,000 team sponsorship, which breaks down as:
    • $325 toward registration
    • $500 toward field materials
    • $1,175 toward robot materials

Competition Scholarships

  • Any student who is a member of a FIRST team that submits a Digital Animation Award entry is eligible for a $1,000 scholarship to attend WPI.
  • The scholarship form will be available on this WPI page after October 1, 2025.

Reference

  • Behind the Scenes Game Animation - In this video, AutomationDirect.com will take you behind the scenes and show how the FIRST Robotics Competition Game Animations are made, start to finish, in partnership with AutomationDirect.com.

 

FIRST® Robotics Competition

2025 Winners

 

1st Place: Team 5468, Chaos Theory

Judge Notes: Very well done! We were blown away by the professional lighting and color grading, and we loved the stylistic 2D animated overlays. An all around very cohesive, polished animation with a cute story and beautiful visuals.

 

2nd Place: Team 1197, TorBots

Judge Notes: Great job! We loved how the camera animation moved to the beat of the music. Fantastic use of color. Very stylish.

 

3rd Place: Team 293, SPIKE

Judge Notes: We were especially impressed with the the fluid 2D animation and well-paced storytelling.
FIRST® Tech Challenge

2025 Winners

 

1st Place: Team 21460 Williston Robotics

Judge Notes: Great job! We were impressed by your use of fluid sims (we know that's not easy). Beautiful lighting, camera moves, composition, and effective storytelling.

 

2nd Place: Team 27090, Quantamania

Judge Notes: Very nice job! We were impressed with the 2d hand-drawn style with a great use of color and shading.

 

3rd Place: Team 5053, CART

Judge Notes: Great work! We were especially impressed by the smoothness of the stop-motion animation.