What is FIRST Robotics Competition? (FRC)
Starting with a Kit of Parts, teams of high school students design, program, and build industrial-sized robots to play an action-packed game, released in January. They compete on a themed field as part of a three-team alliance in the spirit of Coopertition®. In 360-degree learning guided by adult mentors, each FIRST® Robotics Competition team also creates a team identity, raises funds to meet its goals, and advances appreciation for STEM in its community.
2026 Rebuilt - Nomad
Theme: Desert Archaeology
Objective: Score “fuel” into active hub or climb ladder.
Signature Elements: Fuel, trench, hub, outpost, depot, and climbing ladder
2025 Reefscape - Angler
Theme: Marine Conservation/Coral Reef Restoration
Objective: Score “coral” game pieces into reef structures and place “algae” in nets.
Signature Elements: Reef towers, algae barge, and a climbing endgame on a “cage”.
2024 Crescendo - Dissonance
Theme: Music and Performance
Objective: Shoot “notes” (foam rings) into speakers and amplifiers, activate “spotlight” bonuses.
Signature Elements: Speaker goals, amp scoring, and a chain-based endgame climb.
2023 Charged Up - Emergence
Theme: Energy
Objective: Place cones and cubes onto nodes and balance on a charging station.
Signature Elements: Tilting charge station, hybrid nodes, mixed cone and cube game pieces.
2022 Rapid React - Wis
Theme: N/A
Objective: Shoot cargo balls into upper/lower hubs and climb a multi-bar hangar.
Signature Elements: 4-level monkey-bar style climb, hub, cargo balls.
2019 Destination: Deep Space - Brownout
Theme: Space Exploration
Objective: Place hatch panels and cargo on rockets and cargo ships.
Signature Elements: Sandstorm period, orange cargo, plastic hatch panels, multi-level habitat climbing
2018 FIRST Power Up - Ricochet
Theme: 8-bit Video Game
Objective: Place cubes on switches/scales to control them; climb the tower.
Signature Elements: Power-ups, cubes, scales, balances, tower climbing
2017 FIRST Steamworks - Dr. Droid III
Theme: Steampunk
Objective: Deliver gears to spin rotors and shoot fuel.
Signature Elements: Human pilots, rope climbing, gears, fuel
2016 FIRST Stronghold - Dr. Droid Jr.
Theme: Medieval Castle Siege
Objective: Cross defenses, shoot boulders, and scale the tower.
Signature Elements: Modular defenses, boulders, tower.
2015 Recycle Rush - Dr. Droid
Theme: Recycling
Objective: Stack totes, place recycling containers, and add litter.
Signature Elements: No direct robot interaction, trash cans, pool noodles, totes.
2014 Aerial Assist
Theme: Team ball passing
Objective: Pass a large ball between alliance robots and score in goals.
Signature Elements: Assist bonuses, trusses, yoga ball.
2013 Ultimate Ascent
Theme: Frisbee Disc Sport
Objective: Shoot frisbees into goals and climb a pyramid.
Signature Elements: 3-level pyramid, frisbees.
2012 Rebound Rumble
Theme: Basketball
Objective: Shoot foam basketballs into hoops and balance on a bridge.
Signature Elements: Basketball, balance bridge.
2011 Logomotion
Theme: FIRST Logo
Objective: Hang triangle, circle, and square pool tubes to form the FIRST Logo
Signature Elements: Minibots, pool tubes
2010 Breakaway
Theme: Soccer
Objective: Kick soccer balls into goals.
Signature Elements: Soccer balls, goals, return ramp.
2009 Lunacy
Theme: The Moon
Objective: Score balls into trailers while driving on slipper regolith
Signature Elements: Slip-slide wheels, balls, regolith field, trailers.