FIRST Robotics Competition Blog

Can you feel it? The Force is building. And SOLIDWORKS is helping FIRST® Robotics Competition teams build machines that will help them rise.

SOLIDWORKS is a proud sponsor of over 1,000 FIRST Robotics Competition teams worldwide, providing free software and support to teams of all sizes, from rookies to well-established robot builders. We are excited to continue our support during the 2019-2020 season, FIRST ^® RISE^SM powered by Star Wars: Force for Change. And we’re ready to empower FRC teams during INFINITE RECHARGE^SM.

Helping the engineers and innovators of tomorrow is in our DNA (kind of like midichlorians). Teams who apply for SOLIDWORKS sponsorship have access to a dozen SOLDIWORKS products, including individual licenses of SOLIDWORKS Premium, SOLIDWORKS CAM, SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional, the MySolidWorks for Students Community, hours of tutorials, certification training, and so much more.

The 2020 season marks SOLIDWORKS’ sixth year as a Crown Supplier for FIRST. All FRC teams have access to the 2020 Kit of Parts (KOP) in SOLIDWORKS and .STEP formats, which they can use to create quick models and assemblies of their robots.

Teams can discover the INFINITE RECHARGE field of play in VR from several different experiences provided by SOLIDWORKS:

1. High-resolution, 360° VR images, in a web browser or on mobile devices.
2. 360° VR camera flight around the field, in a web browser or on mobile devices.
3. With eDrawings Pro 2020, you can easily measure the field in Desktop-mode, then dive right into VR-mode to explore the field (or your robot) in VR (HTC Vive or Vive Pro).
4. Partner company SimInsights created two fantastic VR experiences:
   1. Measure the field directly in VR using digital calipers and tape measure
   2. Using the XR Exporter, import your robot into the field in VR and drive it around like an RC car

FIRST Robotics Competition teams can apply for a SOLIDWORKS Sponsorship here: www.solidworks.com/FIRSTSponsorship

The SOLIDWORKS Kit of Parts for 2020 and previous years can be found here: www.solidworks.com/FIRSTKOP

SOLIDWORKS is ready to support FIRST Robotics teams in any way we can. We wish all the teams an exciting and enriching season. We can’t wait to help you RISE!