The "RoboHerd"
FIRST History
The FIRST competition was founded by entrepreneur and inventor, Dean Kamen, in 1992. It started with a small competition of 28 teams in Manchester, NH. FIRST Robotics Competition stages short games played by robots. The robots are designed and built in six weeks from a common set of parts by a team of high school students with engineers as mentors. The students program and remotely control the robots in competition rounds on the field. We are excited to be a part of the legacy that has been teaching high school students the collaborative benefits of hands-on experience, firsthand knowledge, and the benefits of a team environment for over 20 years.
FIRST Robotics Competition
Once the team completes design, build and program phases of the robot, it is time to compete. The robots will complete tasks such as tossing balls or frisbees into goals, inner tubes onto racks, hanging on bars, or climbing a ladder. The game changes every year, keeping the excitement fresh and giving each team a more level playing field. While teams are given a standard set of parts, they are also allowed a budget and encouraged to buy or make specialized parts. Game details are revealed at the beginning of January and the teams are given six weeks to construct a competitive robot that can operate autonomously, as well as when guided by wireless controls, to accomplish the game's tasks.
Buffalo's team, Team 5542, will compete at the Northern Lights Regional Competition in Duluth MN, February 25th—28th, with hopes of advancing to the Intl. Championships in Saint Louis, MO in April. At competitions, students are provided with the opportunity to not only work with engineering mentors, but to network with hundreds of other students from around the state and with major engineering colleges from across the U.S.
