On Saturday, Sept. 8, Grand Valley State University hosted a number of inaugural matches of the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Tech Challenge season. Students from across west Michigan—such as the Red Storm Robotics team from East Kentwood High School and the TriSonics Robotics team from Allendale High School—gathered on the Pew Campus in Grand Rapids to compete in a robotics competition where teams construct, program and control a robot of their design and test it against other groups’ creation.

The competition follows a themed challenge called “Rover Ruckus” where each team’s robot is placed in an arena and must collect gold and silver “minerals” and place them in a designated zone. Teams who collect the most minerals receive the most points. There are a variety of other ways to gain additional points, such as parking the robot in an elevated “crater”. The match creates a competitive and challenging environment to test each team’s robot. 

Sara Maas, Outreach Coordinator for the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing, said that the event mostly consisted of middle school to high school students and presented a variety of roles and challenges for the members of each team. 

“There are four teams that compete in each match”, Maas said.  “Two teams will be paired up in an alliance, and they will work together for that match. So, it’s really two teams versus two teams per match. Who may be on your alliance in one match may be your opponent in future matches. So, it’s helpful to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each robot/team so that you can win your matches. That’s where the scouts get involved. They watch all the different teams and robots to see how their own team will be able to work with them. The matches are based on points, so there will be a winning alliance and a losing alliance.”

More than just a fun event, the competition allows younger students to enhance their understanding of engineering, cultivating a passion that may guide many of them into STEM-oriented careers. Terry Stevens, a member within the GVSU Electrical Engineering Department, sees the FIRST Tech Challenge as not only a way to engage students interested in engineering, but also involving those who have interests in other fields as well. 

“FIRST is all about getting kids interested in STEM-career fields by engaging them with engineer mentors that show them how much fun STEM can be and how it leads to a very rewarding and profitable career,” Stevens said. “Teams need to also do fundraising, public relations, scouting, social media, presentations, etc. so there are plenty of opportunities for students that choose not to engage with the robot building.” 

Nicholas Baine, another member of the GVSU Electrical Engineering Department, sees the event as a way to expose students to engineering, especially the FTC-division of the event, which involves competition between students in seventh and eighth grade. 

“For many, this is the only exposure that they have to engineering,” Baine said. “Engineering has a reputation of being a tough major in college; however, nearly all of those that compete in FTC Robotics and pursue engineering complete their degrees. It really makes a difference and gives students a taste of design, which sets engineering apart from science and math.”

These events help form important problem-solving and analytical skills in those who participate. With a new season just starting, teams will continue to compete until March, with the most successful teams moving on to the state and regional championships, vying for a spot in the world championships in April. Local communities are set to host two more competitions this season: one in December and another in March.