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39 Comments
- karlw, on 01/08/2009, -0/+19It's not about the finish, it's about the journey. FIRST can expose kids to engineering practices that never get touched on in high school. I'm looking into applying a feedback control system in LabView for traction control on the low friction surface. Lets see that applied in a classroom.
- cdawzrd, on 01/08/2009, -0/+15Dugg for FIRST. 2001-2007 veteran, and I hope to go back and mentor after college. Spread the word if you know what I'm talking about, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, take a moment to read on FIRST's website to see what all the fuss is about!
- ctdkid, on 01/07/2009, -1/+13This year's competition should be really interesting. Too bad all the teams with Nasa workers as mentors will once again have quite the advantage.
- PhairOh, on 01/08/2009, -0/+10Participating in FIRST was some of the best times I had in high school. I encourage any and all students still eligible to participate who are interested in science or engineering to do so as you wont regret it.
- ZeoFateX, on 01/08/2009, -0/+9I was in FIRST, team 637 in HS (East Coast). Our VEX team won nationals last year but I was already well into college. (Congrats guys!) =)
Glad to see a FIRST article on Digg! - DavX, on 01/08/2009, -0/+6(I'm a Team 195 alum.)
I've talked about FIRST robotics in nearly every job interview I've ever had, and it's always lead to good things. Easily the best part of highschool. - OurCoolHouse, on 01/08/2009, -0/+6I'm a FIRST mentor, and currently mentor 3 teams at different levels of competition: FLL, FTC and FRC.
After 25 years of being a roboticist, this is the most fun I've ever had.
Finally a way to get kids to start pulling things apart again, and actually MAKE stuff.
Phil. - transient0, on 01/08/2009, -0/+5Very much agree. It's not half as fun when you get beaten by teams you know have had it all thought out for them.
- Foda, on 01/08/2009, -0/+5I'm in a FIRST team (174), and I've got to say this is my favorite gamemode in a while. The FIRST program teaches so much about mechanical work, programming, and teamwork. I recommend that everyone should join a team, it's a blast.
- airwalkery2k, on 01/08/2009, -0/+5=( I am just angry that FIRST started a team at my old high school a year after I graduated.
- roberto1632, on 01/08/2009, -0/+5Why do you say its a crooked organization? Its obvious some people make a profit out of it but it still entices children and teenagers to do something related to engineering science and math.
- valkyries, on 01/08/2009, -0/+5FIRST doesn't start teams, the highschool + some sponsors do
- Kapao, on 01/08/2009, -0/+5Rack N' Roll was my last year, but this one sounds interesting!
- roberto1632, on 01/08/2009, -0/+4TEAM 1902 EXPLODING BACON
OINK OINK BOOM!!!
this years game looks fun and interesting I cant wait for the Florida regional - TheZetetic, on 01/08/2009, -0/+4Any 708 love?
- thespiff, on 01/08/2009, -0/+4I'm a mentor for team 1450. Go XQ robotics!
Though I don't really think I like the concept for this years game. I think it's going to be a lot of frustrated students while everything happens in slow motion. - mwc191, on 01/08/2009, -0/+4used to be part of team 1414 :)
- angers, on 01/08/2009, -0/+3You can do so many things in LabView... I love it.
- Sil3ncer7, on 01/08/2009, -0/+3Did this in Highschool (First from my school to promote it our district team) and I LOVED it. Its Team 1288 ftw!
- HookmasterCH47, on 01/08/2009, -0/+3This isn't lunacy...
- kissedbypixis, on 01/08/2009, -0/+3Why didn't they have this when I was doing FIRST??
Heatwave 312, represent. - valkyries, on 01/08/2009, -0/+3Alum/mentor of Team 698
- UTinfidel, on 01/09/2009, -0/+3FIRST was the best part of my highschool career, I met my girlfriend there, and the competitions were the most rewarding thing i have ever participated in.
GO 704! - Table16, on 01/08/2009, -0/+3Ignorant much
- Junpei, on 01/08/2009, -0/+3At first i wasn't pleased with the forced wheels, because our teams big advantage was using Mecanum wheels to side step around other bots. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out now that they are forcing a certain type of wheel.
Also, the builder kit came with some badass equipment. Why didn't they give us awesome stuff like N routers when I was in it?
-Team 1596 Alumni - ctdkid, on 01/09/2009, -0/+3I was a mentor for a team from a charter school in Louisiana that competed in the Bayou Regional (New Orleans). There were a number of teams from Mississippi and Texas there that were sponsored by Nasa, and it was quite evident which teams they were simply from looking at their robots. I agree that having Nasa on your side is by no means an automatic victory, but it greatly increases your chances. They are able to use not only the experience, but also, in some cases, the tools available to the Nasa workers (or any large government contractor for that matter) and as a result they can create much more elaborate designs that normal schools cannot compete with. With some entrants it was hard to believe that anyone without a PHD would have been able to design and construct their contraptions. My team had a total of 5 students on it who used bargain tools that were donated and we were still able to create formidable machine (4th in our region and recipient of the Judge's award), but in the end we were left wondering how much better we could have done with even a fraction of the aid that some of those teams had.
Yes, Nasa doesn't guarantee success, but it sure as hell helps. - bduddy, on 01/08/2009, -0/+3Nice to see this get to the front page-surprised the Kickoff topic on Saturday didn't, but this did.
*checks submitter*
29% ratio... that explains it. - Smalldude76, on 01/09/2009, -0/+3Team 776 2002-2006. Awwww yeah. In '02 in mississagua we had the strategy of ramming the boards during autonomous mode - actually knocked off a laptop one time.
- Xavipheus, on 01/08/2009, -0/+2All too true. Its even worse when sponsors provide engineer mentors to design and build everything.
- fryguy1013, on 01/08/2009, -0/+2I once got an email from a guy who apparently googled engineers in Sacramento, to find mentors for their FIRST team. It's probably more widespread than you think.
- Xavipheus, on 01/08/2009, -0/+2Too bad you have no chance of winning since some teams have sponsors who provide engineers to design and build everything. Cough cough team 25.
But at least the kids get to design the T-shirts right? - Xavipheus, on 01/08/2009, -0/+2Absolutely I'm sure, its all really sad. I just find it especially pathetic when you have sponsors like J&J and BMS who use FIRST as a rivalry. Essentially the kids are puppets as they throw around engineers and endless amounts of money to these teams to finish first.
- Kapao, on 01/08/2009, -2/+4This is madness!
- MichelleCelio, on 01/11/2009, -0/+2It would be nice if you got your facts straight before you posted information.
I have several friends on teams "powerhouse" teams, -including 25- and that is simply incorrect. The student involvemnt is just outstanding. - lyncas, on 01/09/2009, -0/+2Game should be tons of fun this year ! The texas teams have doubled !
Check out the DiscoBots (#2587) new website design http://2009.discobots.org - millerm277, on 01/09/2009, -0/+2I disagree. We (Team 41), won the NYC regional, and advanced to semifinals in our division in Atlanta last year without any "Nasa" assistance. We had some local engineers that came by sometimes to answer questions we had, but that was it, we designed, machined and built the entire thing. There is NO reason to not be able to build a competitive team on your own. And if you want those engineers to do that, or if you want more sponsors or whatever...put together some "promotional" materials and go looking for them.
I know Nasa had a thing out where they sponsored the best 10 teams went through their requirements earlier this year. (Write something, send them a video, and something else....) - yourprash, on 01/08/2009, -2/+2IMO weird science leads to some groundbreaking developments :)
- nLoBushwack, on 01/07/2009, -6/+4This is when Hollywood announces the remake of Weird Science.
- pdusen, on 01/08/2009, -7/+1I wish Digg would stop hosting stories about FIRST--it's a crooked contest hosted by a crooked organization filled with crooked people and crooked mentors. I wish this farce of an "engineering competition" would be wiped off the face of the planet.
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