FIRST by the numbers
9 Cincinnati FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams.
76 Cincinnati FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams.
440 U.S. patents, the founder of FIRST, Dean Kamen, holds, including the Segway PT, a two-wheeled, electric vehicle.
250,000 students participate in FIRST, globally.
$1,000 in college scholarships is donated, yearly, by BAE Systems to Lakota Robotics Team, as a sponsor.
$14 million in college scholarships is donated by FIRST, annually.
More info:
www.usfirst.org;
BUTLER COUNTY — Jacob Baumgarte’s is tricked every time he plays with LEGOs.
He learns.
“I’ve always been interested in anything that has to do with robots,” said 12-year-old Jacob.
Jacob is on a team of seven children, ages 10 to 12, who build robots with LEGOs to learn science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), under the global nonprofit FIRST. Team Bodybuilders is a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team from West Chester and Liberty townships. FIRST means “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” — a must according to second-year coach Michael Brannen.
“I love how it pulls out recognition of science and technology so kids realize how integrated they are into everything you do,” Brannen said.
FLL teams design, program and build robots to perform designated tasks at timed competitions, with as many as 15,000 screaming fans.
Bodybuilders was one of 13 Cincinnati teams to compete against 60 teams at this year’s state competition.
Once youths reach high school, they graduate to FIRST Robotic Competition (FRC) teams. West Chester has four FLL teams and one FRC team, Lakota Robotics Team, which includes students from Miamisburg and Lakota East and West.
You won’t find LEGOs at their four-hour practices. Instead, 45 freshmen through seniors use a mill and lathe, donated by one of seven team sponsors, Procter & Gamble, to design, program and build robots up to 120 pounds and 10 feet high.
Robots perform designated tasks in timed competitions with — like sporting events — announcers, music and fans. Lakota Robotics Teams has gone to FIRST’s World Festival competition, seven out of it’s eight seasons.
“I love building stuff with my hands,” said Anthony Scuitto, a junior at Lakota East. Scuitto, hopes to major in computer engineering at the University of Cincinnati next year.
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