FIRST Robotics Competition Blog

Welcome to the FIRST Robotics Competition Blog

Your source of season information for the FIRST Robotics Competition.

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The Teaser and More

Sep 08, 2017 Written by Frank Merrick

A teaser for the 2018 FIRST Robotics Competition, you shall have. If things go as planned, we’ll be releasing it broadly at 8 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, September 14th, on YouTube, FaceBook, and Twitter, at a minimum. If things don’t go as planned, you will hear about it. Then we’ll hear about it.

Making Volunteering for FIRST Even Better

Sep 05, 2017 Written by Fiona Hanlon, FRC Volunteer Resource Coordinator

The Volunteer Resources Department has been hard at work this summer improving many resources to enhance our volunteer’s experience with FIRST. At the Championship events, we held feedback sessions with our volunteers to find out how FIRST could improve and one of the things we kept hearing was that the volunteer roles did not accurately represent what the responsibilities were.

Event Preferences - More Q, More A, and an Unnecessary U

Sep 01, 2017 Written by Frank Merrick

We’ve answered a few more questions that have popped up in response to our blog announcing the move to a preference system for event assignment. We also added detail to one of the original answers that was incomplete. You can find this information in an FAQ document posted here.

Pool Noodles!

Aug 30, 2017 Written by Frank Merrick

You will need pool noodles to construct robot bumpers for the 2018 game. Among other things, this enhances the buoyancy of your robot.*

Event Preferences – Some Questions, Answered

Aug 24, 2017 Written by Frank Merrick

Last week, we blogged about the upcoming shift to a preference model, away from first-come-first-served, for FIRST Robotics Competition team event assignment.

Saying ‘Thanks’

Aug 22, 2017 Written by Frank Merrick

There’s a proverb, or at least people say there’s a proverb*, that “It takes a village to raise a child.” Regardless of the extent to which that saying rings true to you, I think it generally does take a village to support a FIRST Robotics Competition team.

Rookie Grants Available!

Aug 21, 2017 Written by Frank Merrick

Are you starting a new FIRST Robotics Competition team, or helping one get started? We’ve got a wodge of cash for you! 

Preference System for Event Registration

Aug 17, 2017 Written by Frank Merrick

Last year, as folks know, we had problems with our event registration system. At the time, we said we would be moving away from first-come-first-served to a preference-based event registration system for the 2018 season. 

Surprises

Aug 09, 2017 Written by Frank Merrick.

Surprises and habits. Sometimes interrupting our habits can be a gift.

Kit of Parts Survey Prizes

Aug 03, 2017 Written by Jamee Luce, FRC Team Advocate

Thanks for everyone who participated in the Kit of Parts Survey this season. We have shared your initial feedback with our suppliers, and we are following up with individual reports throughout August.