Robotic Adventures at the FIRST Competition

Popular Science attends New York's high-school robot showdown and sees celebrities, breakdowns, and mechanical lunacy

By Paul Gleason Posted 03.25.2009 at 9:06 am 8 Comments

Moments before the SciBorg/Overdrive collision: Paul Gleason

In past years, top teams often drafted a defensive robot with their last pick, says Simon Strauss, a college student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute who mentors both of the teams from the Bronx High School of Science. Two years ago, when he was a student at Bronx Science, his robot sacrificed speed for torque and kept a low center of gravity. In order to score that year, robots had to reach up and slip inflatable tires onto a swinging rack in the middle of the field. He fondly remembers bullying teams -- including a previous national champion and the team that went on to win that year -- away from their target. But this year, he concedes, there's little reason to have a totally defensive design.

In games with more defense, says Strauss, two or three basic designs can work well. This year, basically, the better a robot scoops and dumps moon rocks, the more effective it is. The simpler rules and bigger roles for human players, Strauss says, are also intended to close the gap between teams that can raise up to $10,000 dollars for their team and those that can't. Many teams look for private funding and, like NASCAR drivers, cover their robots with corporate logos (in Bronx Science's case, Con Edison and Snapple).

One of the last matches of the day pits the Bronx Science SciBorgs against Overdrive. Bronx Science is allied with the Robotic Plague from Staten Island, who wear white, black, and gray camo T-shirts with a yellow radiation sign on the chest. They are both at the top of the standings, and Overdrive, which says its allies are among the weaker robots at the regional, doesn't like its chances.

The match opens with the SciBorgs and Overdrive rushing out and crashing into each other in the center of the field. They pause for a moment before Strauss's robot rams Overdrive back into a wall. "Oh, yeah!" Strauss shouts. The SciBorgs and Robotic Plague have clearly worked out tactics beforehand. Whenever possible, the SciBorgs collide with Overdrive head-on. With Overdrive at a dead stop, the Robotic Plague flanks their trailer and fills it with moon rocks. This tactic tilts the game in their favor. They win 96-72.

The SciBorgs are ebullient when they return to the pit, all but acting out their maneuvers for anyone who missed the show. Team Overdrive is gloomier, saying it was basically three against one and pointing out that they still did score seventy points. But they finish the day with two losses, and probably wouldn't make the top eight tomorrow.

Previous Article: How to Make an iPhone App: Part Three

Next Article: Movie Reels Carried in Case Made of Stovepipe

Want to read more articles like this, plus tips and tricks, home hacks, DIY projects, and more? Subscribe to Popular Science and enter to win $5,000!

8 Comments

link to this comment

gianthornet

03/26/09 at 12:06 pm

When will these robots benefits the human race? It does not focus at the impending catastrophes we're experiencing right now.

link to this comment

robowarriors

03/26/09 at 7:25 pm

"When will these robots benefits the human race? It does not focus at the impending catastrophes we're experiencing right now."

I don't know if you are unfamiliar, but this is a program for high school students, not adults. These students who had no interest or even knowledge of engineering (I can speak for myself and dozens of others) suddenly became captivated through this competition, and even though our robot may not be navigating Mars or protecting our country, in 10 years, something that I create, inspired by this program, may be doing just that. This is about building massive interest in the science and engineering fields. Its already too late to convince the current work force to do this, so FIRST is making a huge investment in the future.

link to this comment

dgraves702

03/27/09 at 12:58 am

"When will these robots benefits the human race? It does not focus at the impending catastrophes we're experiencing right now."

I'm sorry, but since when were HIGH SCHOOL Students being counted on to save the world? This program is for high school students to get them interested in Math and Science and encourage them to go into engineering. I am right with robowarriors here. As a former student in these competitions and now as a mentor who came back to FIRST after going to college and getting my Engineering degree, I see the success of this program every single day. These robots were all designed and built in SIX WEEKS. My team recently came to my job for a demonstration, and engineers with 30 years of experience were shocked at the amount of knowledge that these kids have and the fact that they are able to design and build a robot practically from scratch in only six weeks. On a more personal note, my own participation in FIRST led me into engineering and definitely helped me prepare for both college and the Engineering Industry.

Our country lags far behind other countries in terms of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, and FIRST, which has programs aimed at Middle School ages and even younger, is helping to close that gap.

link to this comment

david01

03/29/09 at 3:37 pm

FIRST is a great learning opportunity for everyone involved. It may not directly address the issues our world faces, but it equips students with the skills they need to excel in their future endeavors. Furthermore, they have fun doing it. I hope FIRST robotics continues to grow and have success.

link to this comment

esherk

05/18/09 at 7:01 pm

Having been involved with FIRST both as a mentor for an FRC (High School robotics) team for 4 years and as a coach for an FLL team (Junior High school Lego robotics) for 5 years I can assure you that the FIRST organization does focus on critical problems facing us.

FLL is VERY focused on real problems and the kids learn a LOT. In addition to the "robot game", the kids do research and are expected to think of a solution to a (local) problem and then SHARE that with their community. Trust me, that is challenging and rewarding. I encourage you to check out previous years' challenges (focusing on climate, energy, etc), I know you'll find a lot of substance there. This coming season, the "puzzle" involves transportation and its challenges.

At the high school level, the focus is on learning/exposure AND on bringing that impact to others. The key here is that they gain a real hands-on appreciation for science and technology, work side-by-side with practicing engineers and scientists, and then help bring that experience to others. It is in the sparking of their creative and technical interests that we can help seed their future impact on the world.

The intangibles they all learn are perhaps even more important. Teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, dealing with adversity, and "coopertition" (although there is a "winner" no one loses).

I invite you to find a local team and get involved. If one doesn't exist, start one! It is incredibly rewarding. And, you can help make the very impact you seek! These are the future scientists that will help solve these problems.

link to this comment

dwatts1

05/21/09 at 6:02 pm

Man, I wish they had this when I was growing up... Very interesting article and congratulations to all of those involved!

link to this comment

quasi44

10/02/09 at 5:14 pm

I'm glad it's here for my kids.

link to this comment

romaniamac1

10/21/09 at 5:04 am

poker robots can even play poker nowadays -> www.pokerbot-smart.com