FTC
FTC is a competitive robotics program for high school age students. They are challenged each year with a game and they have to design a robot to play this game and compete with other teams throughout the world.
Quick Facts about FIRST Tech Challenge
- Students in 8th-12th grade
- Cost $70 per month per member
- 4-10 members per team
- 2 coaches required
- Meetings are 3-hours long, 2-3 times per week
- Build custom robots from metal and plastic parts
- Program in JAVA language
- Use CAD design software
- Outreach to the community
- Brainstorming and collaboration
- Check our Hall of Fame for more information
More about FTC Indiana can be found on the FIRST website or the First Indiana Robotics website.
Schedule:
- 9/7/24 – Kick-off Event
- 9/7/24 – 2/24/25 – practice 2-3 times per week
- November 2024 – January 2025 – compete in up to 3 Regional tournaments
- February 2025 – Indiana State Championship (by invitation only)
- April 2025 – World Championship (by invitation only)
From the FIRST website:
It’s way more than building robots. FIRST Tech Challenge teams (up to 15 team members, grades 7-12) are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format.
Guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles, while realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and working as a team.
The robot kit is reusable from year to year and can be coded using a variety of levels of Java-based programming. Teams design and build robots, raise funds, design and market their team brand, and do community outreach to earn specific awards. Participants are eligible to apply for $80M+ in college scholarships.
Each season concludes with regional championship events and an exciting FIRST Championship.