Description

Celebrates the team that has demonstrated consistent, reliable, high-performance robot operation during autonomously managed actions. Evaluation is based on the robot’s ability to sense its surroundings, position itself or onboard mechanisms appropriately, and execute tasks.

Guidelines

• The award is based on the performance of the robot’s autonomous (non-operator guided) operations during matches

• Consistent and reliable operation is weighted more heavily than the ability to score maximum points during any specific autonomously managed actions

• A team must be able to explain:

  • How the robot understands its surroundings, navigates on the field or positions onboard mechanisms and then executes tasks.

  • The factors the teams considered that could interfere with success during autonomously managed actions.

  • The design, development, and testing that was done for the robot’s autonomously managed actions.

Description

Celebrates creativity that enhances strategy of play and was intentionally designed and not discovered.

Guidelines

• A team must be able to competently describe the creative/unique feature(s) and can trace its conception and design.

• Since creativity may involve risk of failure, the team should be able to describe how they mitigated that risk.

• The creative element’s uniqueness has a practical application and contributes to the objectives of the competition.

• Developing the creative element contributed to the team’s success on the field.

Description

Celebrates the team that demonstrates industrial design principles, striking a balance between form, function, and aesthetics. 

Guidelines

• A team must be able to describe how their robot is elegant, efficient (simple/executable), and practical.

• The entire machine design, or the detailed process used to develop the design, is worthy of this recognition, and not just a single component.

• The robot distinguishes itself from others by its aesthetic and functional design. 

Description

Celebrates an innovative control system or application of control components – electrical, mechanical or software – to provide unique machine functions.

Guidelines

• A team must be able to identify and describe the controls innovation and can trace its conception, design, manufacturing/assembly, or deployment.

• The control system is innovative and unique. It is integrated with the machine, human players, strategy, etc. in concept and execution.

• The innovation is practical; it addresses the game’s challenge and is reliable under the stress of competition. 

Description

Celebrates machine robustness in concept and fabrication

Guidelines

• A team must be able to describe their quality plan i.e. how their design ensures robustness throughout the entire competition.

• The entire machine demonstrates quality: workmanship, welds, attachment systems, wiring, paint, etc.

• The machine can withstand the rigors of competition – maintaining functionality, including the use of designed-in redundancy and risk mitigation measures.

• Building the machine contributes to the team’s success.

Description

Celebrates the team that demonstrates a professional approach to the design process

Guidelines

• A team must be able to describe the engineering process they went through and can trace elements of the designs from conception.

• The designs reflect an engineering solution to a specific problem, and it is functional and practical.

• The designs are elegant and advantageous on the field of play. 

Description

Celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school or organization and community.

Guidelines

• Extent and inventiveness of the team’s efforts to recruit students to engineering with particular emphasis on the most recent year’s efforts. Measurable success of those efforts.

• Extent and effectiveness of the team’s community outreach efforts with particular emphasis on the most recent year’s efforts. Measurable success of those efforts.

• A commitment to science and technology education among the team, school, and community.

• Achievement of the FIRST mission and ability to communicate that at the competition and away from it.

• Efforts are ongoing, not strictly concentrated on the build and competition season.

Description

Celebrates outstanding demonstration of FIRST Core Values such as continuous Gracious Professionalism and working together both on and off the playing field.

Definition of Gracious Professionalism

• Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It’s a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.

• with Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions.

Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. They avoid treating anyone like losers. No chest thumping tough talk, but no sticky-sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, competition, and empathy are comfortably blended.

Guidelines

• The team exemplifies the FIRST Core Values in relationships with other teams and by their demonstrated Gracious Professionalism

• The team consistently demonstrates Gracious Professionalism and a positive attitude both on and off the field.

• If the team worked with another FIRST Robotics Competition team pre-season – they can describe the following:

  • How the collaboration was conducted during the off-season and during the build season

  • How the teams divided up tasks fairly and equitably

  • How the process of communication flowed from one team to the other

  • How working together as a group was beneficial over working independently

  • The financial impacts of working together vs working independently

Description

In honor of Jack Kamen, Dean’s father, for his dedication to art and illustration and his devotion to FIRST. This award celebrates attractiveness in engineering and outstanding visual aesthetic integration of machine and team appearance.

Guidelines

• Appearance of machine and team are integrated in an attractive theme.

• Visuals of the integrated team/machine are exceptional.

• The team theme is supportive of the FIRST Core Values.

• The team’s theme is original, can be explained by a team spokesperson, and is fitting to the objectives, character, and/or history of the team.

Description

During the course of the competition, the judging panel may decide a team’s unique efforts, performance, or dynamics merit recognition.

Guidelines

• The team keeps appearing for consideration for other awards.

• Other Judges have noticed and commented on the positive aspects of the team.

• A unique happening or feature (often one that demonstrates the team has fully embraced the principles of FIRST) has caught a Judge’s attention.

Description

Celebrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit through exceptional partnership and teamwork furthering the objectives of FIRST.

Guidelines

• Spirit is consistent both throughout the team and also throughout the contest in attitude, appearance, originality, and depth.

• The team displays obvious enthusiasm – in supporting teams, appearance, interactions with teams/Judges, etc. – at the competition.

• Spirit is part of the team and is apparent in all they do, including at their school, in their community, with sponsors and other teams, etc.

• They demonstrate spirit as a unified team.