The team that receives the Motivate Award has the culture of FIRST and clearly shows what it means to be a team. This award celebrates the team that represents the essence of the FIRST Tech Challenge competition through team building, team spirit, and displayed enthusiasm. This is a team who makes 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 are functional and aesthetic, and 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 robot should be durable, efficiently designed, and effectively address the game challenge.

 

Here is what the judges had to say:

This team's lift and grabber worked flawlessly to collect and distribute blocks. They stacked several blocks fit for a KNIGHT's CASTLE. Their design left the judges with a heart of GOLD.

Winner: Team 5320 RoboLancers Gold

2nd Place: Team 16941 Wrench Toast        3rd Place: Team 8480 Technabots

 

Here is what the judges had to say:

This team's minimalistic use of materials impressed the judges. Although the judges are crusty on the outside, the team's performance left the judges warm and soft on the inside. Nothing could throw a wrench into this robot.

Winner: Team 16941 Wrench Toast

2nd Place: Team 9570 Gear Girls        3rd Place: Team 9854 Penn Charter Robotics

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:The judges were impressed with how this team has maintained connections with their alumni who are pursuing engineering degrees, bringing them back to share what they are learning in college. They have further leveraged the academic community by bringing PhD candidates in to help with their programming. It must be working because now their GEARS are really meshing.

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:

The judges were impressed by how well-organized this team's engineering notebook is. It clearly documents the team's journey throughout the season and comprehensively depicts the evolution of their robot. They could serve as AMBASSADORS for notebook writing.

Winner: Team 12308 Bodine Ambassadors

2nd Place: Team 8730 Robogriffins       3rd Place: Team 6552 N.E.R.D.S

The Inspire Award is presented 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. This team shares their experiences, enthusiasm and knowledge with other teams, sponsors, their community, and the Judges. Working as a unit, this team will have shown success in performing the task of designing and building a robot. The Judges used 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's elegantly designed robot and multiple outreach programs made this team stand out to the judges. With their performance today, this team leapt to the front of the herd. This team conquered the judges by conquering themselves.

Winner: Team 8480 Technabots

2nd Place: Team 6552 N.E.R.D.S.      3rd Place: Team 9570 Gear Girls