For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST, is a nonprofit that operates several robotics competitions. This philanthropic organisation, founded by Segway PT inventor Dean Kamen has existed since its official founding in 1989. FIRST operates under their mission statement to “…inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.”
The three competitions operated by FIRST are:
| FIRST LEGO League (FTC) | FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) | FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) |
|---|---|---|
| FLL is a robotics competition that uses LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics kits. Teams of kids from ages 9 to 14, with no more than 10 team members per team, construct LEGO robots to compete in yearly themed challenges and also present a research project based on the year’s challenge. | FTC is another robotics competition, aimed at being a lower cost and more accessible version of the FIRST Robotics Competition. Teams of high school ready kids build a robot out of the TETRIX robotics kit, while sticking to the MINDSTORMS NXT with modified firmware. Teams compete in the alliance format, similar to FRC. | A patented competition, FIRST Robotics Competition is the program that Team 3042 competes in. It’s the oldest FIRST program. |
Over the years since each FIRST competition’s inception, FIRST has grown to reach nearly 300,000 students worldwide. Nearly 25,000 FIRST robots will be built across all FIRST programs in the 2011-2012 seasons, along with the help of 50,000 volunteers and 50,000 team mentors.