What is FIRST

The Robototes compete within the organization FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is a national organization dedicated to helping students discover the magic of science and technology. The Robototes compete through FRC.

What is FRC?

FIRST has several programs, including FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), a high-school level program where different teams (including us) compete and cooperate with each other. Students also learn skills such as fundraising, creating a cohesive brand, and volunteering in their communities. 

Every year we receive a new challenge, or game. These games can range from basketball and shooting frisbees to hanging large inner tubes on pegs over 7 feet in the air. After the game is revealed, we only have a little over six weeks to build and improve our robot. These six weeks are known as "Build Season". After Build Season, our team goes to competitions, where many different teams compete and work together to win matches and awards.

2023-2024, Crescendo

Sponsored by Haas Game Animation

Houston World Championship - Curie Division (2024)

Ranking: 58 with a record of 4-8-0 

Awards: Creativity Award - Curie Division

Past Competitions - Our Past Robots

2022 - 2023: Charged Up

Sponsored by Haas Game Animation

2021 - 2022: Rapid React

Sponsored by Boeing

2019 - 2020: FIRST Infinite Recharge

Sponsored by STAR WARS

In INFINITE RECHARGE, two alliances work to protect FIRST City from approaching asteroids caused by a distant space skirmish. Each Alliance, along with their trusty droids, race to collect and score Power Cells in order to energize their Shield Generator for maximum protection. To activate stages of the Shield Generator, droids manipulate their Control Panels after scoring a specific number of Power Cells. Near the end of the match, droids race to their Rendezvous Point to get their Shield Generator operational in order to protect the city! 

2018 - 2019, Destination: Deep Space 

Presented By The Boeing Company

 It involves two alliances of three teams each, with each team controlling a robot and performing specific tasks on a field to score points. The game centers around an outer space theme involving two alliances consisting of three teams each competing to place poly-carbonate hatch panels and orange rubber balls or "cargo" on rockets and cargo ships before returning to their HAB platform to climb at the end of the match. 

2017 - 2018: FIRST POWER UP

It involves two alliances of three teams each, with each team controlling a robot and performing specific tasks on a field to score points. The game has a retro 8-bit theme and teams are required to place milk crafts, or "power cubes", on large balancing scales to tip the scale and gain ownership. Alliances can also trade power cubes for power ups, giving them a temporary advantage in a match. At the end of the match, robots can climb the tower attached to the center balancing scale using a rung attached to the tower, giving them additional points.  

2016 - 2017: FIRST Steamworks

As in past games, two alliances of three individual teams and their robots compete on a field to score "match" point to win the game and ranking points to advance to playoff rounds. The game has a steampunk theme and teams are required to shoot wiffle balls which represent fuel into a simulated boiler which transfers the generated steam into an airships in the middle of the field. Each alliance has one airship, which they pressurize with steam from the boiler and load with plastic gears from the field. At the end of the match, robots can climb and hang on team-supplied ropes (or standard ropes supplied by FIRST) attached to the airship for additional points. 

2015 - 2016: FIRST Stronghold

2014 - 2015: FIRST Recycle Rush

2013 - 2014: FIRST Aerial Assist


2012 - 2013: FIRST Ultimate Ascent

2011 - 2012: FIRST Rebound Rumble

2010 - 2011: FIRST Logomotion

2009 - 2010: FIRST Breakaway

2008 - 2009: FIRST Lunacy

2007 - 2008: FIRST Overdrive

Other FIRST Programs 

FIRST offers several different levels of robotics competitions for kids of all ages:

FIRST Lego League Jr. (FLL Jr.)

For grades K-4

FLL Jr. gives kids a real-life scientific problem and encourages them to explore it through a researched poster and a motorized model made of Legos.

FIRST Lego League (FLL)

For grades 4-8. 

FLL introduces teams to a challenge that they must build and program an autonomous Lego Mindstorms robot to complete.

The Robototes are working to create a FLL Alliance for aspiring mentors within the Bellevue School District. 

FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)

For grades 7-12

FTC  teams build robots to compete against opposing alliances in a  challenge. These students must build and program competitive robots that include many different functions. 

The Robototes have a sister FTC team, the Technototes, which can be found at www.technototes.com/

Interested in learning more about FIRST or these competitions, more information can be found at www.firstinspires.org/

If you're interested in starting a team and need mentors, or are looking for high-school volunteers for your team, the Robototes would be happy to help! Please feel free to reach out to our Outreach Lead at outreach@robototes.com