Combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. We call FIRST Robotics Competition the ultimate Sport for the Mind. High-school student participants call it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.”
Under strict rules, limited time and resources, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team "brand," hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. Each season ends with an exciting FIRST Championship.
- from: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/what-is-first-robotics-competition
我們認為, FRC(First Robotics Competition)是被國際公認為最高難度的國際機器人競賽,每年都有近4000支隊伍約10萬名選手來自世界各地的高中生共同參與。在高張力的競爭環境下,使每位選手從中學習到如何在高壓環境中保持最完美的狀態,如同運動賽事一樣,一旦隊伍中有出現任何閃失,便會成為進軍冠軍賽上的致命打擊,難以在脫穎而出。同時FRC還提倡培養選手們的「高尚的專業精神」(gracious professionalism)旨在以尊重的態度對待他人,並不吝嗇地向有困難的隊伍伸出援手,也因為這種精神,吸引更多的新手團隊,使得每年的參賽隊伍都創新高。FRC提供了以世界為背景,科技挑戰為主軸,協作競爭為核心的國際舞台,目的在吸引與培養科技的人才,此外這場盛大的賽事也獲得百餘所國際頂尖大學的支持與認可。與賽選手能透過比賽中的競合關係拓展國際視野,也學到團隊合作及紀律,從資料分析到資金募集及機器人的研發製作,為人類文明未來的發展增添打下穩固的基礎。