The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high-school robotics program run by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Teams of students (ages 14–18), usually with help from mentors and engineers, design, build, and program a roughly 120-lb robot to compete in a new game released each year. After the game is announced at the annual FIRST Kickoff, teams typically have about 6–8 weeks to design and construct their robot before competing.
At competitions, robots play matches in 3-vs-3 alliances on a large field, completing tasks like scoring game pieces, navigating obstacles, or performing special endgame actions. Beyond building robots, students also work on programming, CAD design, electrical systems, strategy, marketing, and outreach. The program emphasizes teamwork, engineering skills, and values like gracious professionalism, while top teams advance to the global FIRST Championship.