Team 1370 Blue Charge

Middletown Robotics, Team 1370

The Competition

Once we have a whirring, clanking, rolling robot, the next step is to do something with it.

FIRST is an international organization, so it's not too hard to find a competition close by in which to compete. Over the course of the years, we have taken part in "regionals" all around the northeast U.S., visiting places like Annapolis, MD; Rochester, NY; Pittsburgh, PA; and Philadelphia, PA. Each year is a whole different adventure, in every respect. New members join the team while veterans move off as they walk the path of life, the Kit of Parts gains new and updated materials to build a better machine, the team grows its intellect and skill, and the game itself changes. One year its "Triple-Play", the next its "Aim-High".

Triple-Play (2005) FIRST Aim High (2006)

The Schedule

The course of competitions, each of which lasts three days (Thursday through Saturday), is generally broken into four parts. Thursday is a sort of "final" build day, allowing teams a chance to make changes and finishing touches to their machines before the games begin. This is the first time that they get to see their robot since the time it was shipped to compete.

Friday begins the qualifying rounds, which take up the majority of the competition time and run through into Saturday. They are a series of matches in which teams are paired up randomly into "alliances" of three that then go on to fight against another alliance. In each match teams have different partners, so they must quickly communicate effective strategy and coordinate their movements, while also remembering that they may face their teammate later. Teams are ranked according to their wins and losses, such that the top eight teams become "seeds" for the finals.

When qualifying ends, the seed teams go through cycles of choosing who they wish to ally with in the finals. The 1st place team gets first choice, choosing from any of the other teams (including the seed teams), then the 2nd place team chooses, etc. When seed teams are combined, lower ranked teams are pulled up to make the number of seeds even. After all eight seeds have one partner each, the process repeats (though now seeds cannot be combined).

Finals occur mid-Saturday onwards. The system is tournament-style, with progression based on sets of games — each round is the "best out of three."

When finals are completed and the champions announced, awards begin. Awards range from success in competition (such placing 1st or 2nd in the tournament), to outstanding innovation in robot design, to exemplary spirit and imagery. They showcase the diverse array of skills and professions that FIRST helps to build as it draws in students and mentors of all mindsets.