FIRST Choice

FIRST Choice
Name	FIRST Choice
Founded	1996
Founder	Dean Kamen
Type	Educational program
Parent organization	FIRST
Location	Manchester, New Hampshire

FIRST Choice FIRST Choice is an annual kickoff and early-season event associated with the FIRST robotics community, providing teams with an opportunity to test robot prototypes, meet volunteers, and practice game skills prior to regional and district competitions. Founded by Dean Kamen and coordinated by FIRST (organization), the event typically runs alongside announcements of the season game and serves as a preparatory forum for teams, mentors, and event partners. FIRST Choice events are hosted by a variety of institutions and organizations that include universities, high schools, technical institutes, and community partners across multiple countries.

Overview

FIRST Choice began as part of FIRST's efforts to support team development and reduce barriers to early-season competition, aligning with initiatives from FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge. The event brings together teams, volunteers, judges, and sponsors such as NASA, Boeing, Google, Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, and Siemens to facilitate hands-on practice, safety inspections, and outreach. Hosts have included institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke University, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Virginia Tech. FIRST Choice complements calendar events such as the FIRST Championship, regional events like the Greater Boston Regional, and district systems exemplified by the Michigan State Championship.

Program Structure

The program structure mirrors competitive frameworks from the FRC Game Manual and integrates roles familiar from events like the World Robot Olympiad and VEX Robotics Competition. Typical components include practice matches, safety inspections guided by Underwriters Laboratories standards, judging practice modeled after Dean’s List Award procedures, and alliance selection rehearsals similar to protocols used at the Einstein Field stage of FIRST Championship. Teams arrange pit setups influenced by standards from Northrop Grumman, logistics supported by partners such as FedEx, and scheduling coordinated with volunteer programs from AmeriCorps and Boy Scouts of America.

Robotics Challenges and Gameplay

FIRST Choice sessions focus on the seasonal game announced at events comparable to the Kickoff and shaped by design principles used in competitions like BEST Robotics and historical FIRST games such as Maize Craze, Rack 'n Roll, Breakaway (FIRST) and FIRST Steamworks. Gameplay elements practiced include autonomous routines reflected in Robotics Operating System-style development, teleoperated strategies influenced by controls research at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and endgame maneuvers reminiscent of challenges like Rebound Rumble and Aerial Assist. Teams often use control systems from suppliers like National Instruments (including NI cRIO) and programming languages represented by LabVIEW, C++) and Python toolchains. Field hardware and game pieces sometimes derive from sources used in USA First robotics supply chains and manufacturing partners like Rockwell Collins and 3M.

Team Participation and Mentoring

Participation draws teams from feeder programs such as FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and collegiate clubs including RoboCup teams, with mentorship from professionals affiliated with General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Intel, Apple Inc., Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Amazon (company), Oracle Corporation, and Tesla, Inc.. Outreach collaborations have involved organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Girl Scouts of the USA. Mentors often represent academic departments such as mechanical engineering (through institutions like Purdue University and University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign), electrical engineering from Caltech, and computer science from Princeton University and Harvard University. Volunteer roles mirror those at events run by FIRST Championship and regional organizing committees, engaging event marshals, referees, and judges.

Impact and Outcomes

FIRST Choice contributes to measurable outcomes including increased team readiness for events such as the World Championship and regional finals like the Greater Toronto Regional. Alumni of FIRST programs have progressed to institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and careers at firms including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and IBM. Evaluations align with workforce development goals advocated by National Science Foundation and workforce reports from U.S. Department of Labor. FIRST Choice participation is cited in case studies by IEEE and ACM for its role in hands-on STEM skill development, and it supports award pathways like the Chairman's Award and Engineering Inspiration Award by improving team presentation polish and technical merit.

Funding and Sponsorships

Funding for FIRST Choice events typically combines support from national sponsors such as Johnson & Johnson, Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Qualcomm, and Caterpillar Inc. with local underwriting by entities like Chamber of Commerce chapters, state education departments (e.g., Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), and university host departments. In-kind sponsorships provide field elements from suppliers like AndyMark, electronics from REV Robotics, and fabrication support via partners including Local Motors and Haas Automation. Grant opportunities mirror programs from NSF and corporate philanthropic arms such as Walmart Foundation and The Boeing Company Foundation, while logistical sponsorships often come from UPS and Verizon Communications.

Category:FIRST robotics programs