Captain 4433 Smokin' Motors, Conrad Weiser High School, Robesonia, PA
        1st Selected 4977 LANLords, Lancaster FTC, Millersville, PA

The Motivate Award recognizes outstanding team spirit shown though costumes and outfits, team support, and other methods of standing out and raising attention. Teams that reach out to their schools and community to raise awareness of FIRST and their FTC efforts have done so in a variety of cool and inventive methods - this winner is no exception.  Here is what the judges had to say:This team has the ability to motivate and “transform” themselves and those around them to FTC enthusiasts.  Their scouting team looks to build bridges, sharing and helping other teams whenever they can.  We never heard them (Brandy) “wine”, quite the opposite.

The Connect Award is a bit different than the Motivate Award. Winners of the Connect Award have done a great deal of community outreach not only to spread the word about FIRST but specifically to include engineers, scientists, and other technology professionals into their outreach efforts. This creates connections between teams, FIRST, and the professional world that can last years beyond their participation in FTC. Connect Award winners also develop and execute plans to fund their team including clear goals and objectives - including how they can give back to their community in the future.  Here is what the judges had to say:This team out shines all other in this category. They started off as a team in the basement and have traveled far to connect with their community. They have mentored, created, and recruited, leaving a legacy of teams in their wake.

The Rockwell Collins Innovate Award is robot specific. It celebrates teams who come up with innovate solutions to the Game Challenge that most others have overlooked. These solutions can't just look good - they've got to work... at least most of the time. Historically, some of the most innovative breakthroughs in science and technology have come when fresh thinking is applied to a known problem. This year's Rockwell Collins Innovate Award winners demonstrated that type of thinking. Here is what the judges had to say:

They used risky materials for their robot, no other team would have thought of. After a rocky start, they really came together to earn this award.

4999 Imagine It, Imagine It, Palmyra, PA

We are happy that PTC has offered to sponsor the PTC Design Award. The intent of this award is to expand the challenge, inspiring teams to incorporate industrial design into their robots. These elements can be shown in the simplicity of the design as it applies to the tasks, the look and feel of the robot, and how the design allows us to think of robots in new ways. The Design aspects must serve a function - but they should also differentiate the robot in a unique fashion - not an easy task with a limited set of parts and game challenge. Here is what the judges had to say:

This team blinded the competition with their sunny personality. This teams design was influenced by cubism. Encased in plastic this team is fantastic!

4347 NanoGurus, NanoGurus Robotics, Morris Plains, NJ

Every team at this event has had to think - hopefully a lot. The Think Award recognizes the team that has successfully thought, organized, and documented their journey from their starting point to their final design. The engineering notebook is the record of this journey. Just like in real life, teams that can document their process have the best chance at learning from it and improving on it. Here is what the judges had to say:

This team has a sister team that they work with. Their robot has a lift for easy access.

5944 Live Wire, Chester County Robotics, Downingtown, PA

The Inspire Award is the highest award given by FTC. The winner of the Inspire Award is automatically eligible for advancement to the next tournament level. The Inspire Award winner is the 'prototype' for what we'd like to see all teams achieve as part of the FIRST Tech Challenge. They do many of the things mentioned in the other awards. The difference is that they've tied these together in a comprehensive manner resulting in success in the competition, outreach to the community, robot design, team spirit, and engineering accomplishment. That's a tall order but we've got some great candidates for this award today. Here is what the judges had to say:

The Inspire Award is given to a team that bow best represented a role-model FTC Team.  This team was a strong competitor on the field today and placed high in every judging category.  They are very included in community relations.  They have a strong social network presence to promote the FTC values in all their endeavors.

365 MOE First State Robotics, Wilmington, DE

2nd Runner-up: 4433 Smokin' Motors       3rd Runner-up: 4347 NanoGurus

The Judges Award is given at the discretion of the judges to a team they have encountered whose unique efforts, performance or dynamics merit recognition, yet the team does not fit into any of the existing award categories. Here is what the judges had to say:

This team is a solid contender in many areas, including connectivity with the community, effective communication skills, teamwork engineering and design.  This team embodies the spirit of the FTC and FIRST organizations. As a result, the "Block Solid Award" is presented to 6508 Radioactive Raiders.

6508 Radioactive Raiders, North Brunswick, North Brunswick, NJ