The Motivate Award celebrates the team that exemplifies the essence of the FIRST Tech Challenge competition and embraces the culture of FIRST while making a collective effort to make FIRST known throughout their school, and community and sparks others to embrace the culture of FIRST.

 

Here is what the judges had to say:

The Design Award expands on this year's 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 in how the design allows us to think of robots in new ways. The design aspect must serve a function - but they should also differentiate the robot in a unique fashion.

 

Here is what the judges had to say:

This robot has a robust and powerful structure that stands out in the pack.  This team's robot demonstrates excellent engineering and design process.  Their wire management in particular, makes their robot come a-LIVE.

Winner: Team 14824 LiveWires

2nd Place: Team 6378 JayBots      3rd Place: Team 9791 Divide by Zero

The Collins Aerospace Innovate Award celebrates a team that has the ingenuity and inventiveness to make their designs come to life. This award is given to the team that the Judges feel has the most innovative and creative robot design solution to the FIRST Tech Challenge game. Elements of this award include elegant design, robustness and 'out of the box' thinking with regard to design. This award may address the design of the whole robot or some sub-assembly component of the robot. The creative component needs to work consistently, but a robot does not have to work all of the time during matches to be considered for this award. The team's engineering notebook showed the design of the component(s) and the team's robot, and clearly explains how the team arrived at their solution.

 

Here is what the judges had to say:

Not only does this team's robot reach far into the crater, but it can also extend above and beyond the competition.  It's unique, flexible ability to precisely collect and accurately deposit minerals impressed the judges.  This team pulled together with magnetic force to innovate an arm design that was a thrill to watch as the bot zipped around the surface of this unexplored planet.

Winner: Team 6378 JayBots

2nd Place: Team 8645 Robotic Doges      3rd Place: Team 14824 LiveWires

The Connect Award is presented to the team that the Judges' feel most connected with their local community, FIRST and the business world. The best team is more than the sum of its parts, and recognizes that their schools and communities play an essential part to their success. The recipient of this award is recognized for helping the community understand FIRST, the FIRST Tech Challenge, and the team itself. In addition, the team that wins this award is aggressively seeking engineers and other STEM professionals and exploring the opportunities available in the world of science and technology.

Here is what the judges had to say:This team works with the engineering community through a variety of successful outreach initiatives. They "match" up with their college and professional alumni network to give them exposure to science and technology opportunities for women after graduating from FTC.  The connections this team has made will surely "ignite" their STEM careers.

The Think Award is given to the team that the Judges feel best reflects the journey of the engineering design process. The engineering notebook is the key reference for Judges to help them identify the most deserving team. This team's engineering notebook focused on the design and build stages of the team's robot and exemplified their journey as a team and engineers.

Here is what the judges had to say:

This team had an impressive engineering notebook that inspired the judges to think.  They included calculations, CAD work, their business plan, and even individual reflections on their robot season. The Westminster Kennel Club might say this team is "Best in Show". 

Winner: Team 8645 Robotic Doges

2nd Place: Team 9791 Divide by Zero      3rd Place: Team 11208 Kardia Robotics

The Inspire Award is given to the Team that the Judges felt truly embodied the 'challenge' of the FIRST Tech Challenge program. The Team that receives this award is a strong ambassador for FIRST programs and works to promote FIRST and make it loud in their community. The Team that receives this Award has performed well in all Judging categories and was chosen by the Judges as a model FIRST Tech Challenge team both on and off the playing field. The Judges used Match performance, observations made during interviews and in the pit area, the team's engineering notebook, and performance on the playing field in determining the winner.

Here is what the judges had to say:

This team impressed the judges with all their achievements both on and off the field. The unique aspects of their collector and their efficiency of collection separated them from the competition. Their future is far from undefined; they are definitely indivisible.

Winner: Team 9791 Divide by Zero

2nd Place: Team  5910 Sparks   3rd Place: Team 11208 Kardia Robotics