Awards

There are many awards in FRC that are judged for events.

Speaking for Awards

For talking to Judges we practice our public speaking skills, and work on covering key points that highlight our eligibility for each award. Talking to Judges

Qualifying Awards

Impact Award

The FIRST Impact Award (formerly the Chairman’s Award) is the most prestigious award at FIRST, it honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST. It was created to keep the central focus of FIRST Robotics Competition on the ultimate goal of transforming the culture in ways that will inspire greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology, as well as encouraging more of today’s youth to become science and technology leaders.

Learn more about the Impact Award

Robot Awards

Autonomous Award

Celebrates the team that has demonstrated consistent, reliable, high-performance robot operation during autonomously managed actions. Evaluation is based on the robot’s ability to sense its surroundings, position itself or onboard mechanisms appropriately, and execute tasks.

Creativity Award

Celebrates creativity that enhances strategy of play and was intentionally designed and not discovered.

Guidelines

• A team must be able to competently describe the creative/unique feature(s) and can trace its conception and design.
• Since creativity may involve risk of failure, the team should be able to describe how they mitigated that risk.
• The creative element’s uniqueness has a practical application and contributes to the objectives of the competition.
• Developing the creative element contributed to the team’s success on the field.

Excellence in Engineering Award

Celebrates the team that demonstrates a professional approach to the design process

Guidelines

• A team must be able to describe the engineering process they went through and can trace elements of the designs from conception.
• The designs reflect an engineering solution to a specific problem, and it is functional and practical.
• The designs are elegant and advantageous on the field of play.

Industrial Design Award

Celebrates the team that demonstrates industrial design principles, striking a balance between form, function, and aesthetics. 

Guidelines

• A team must be able to describe how their robot is elegant, efficient (simple/executable), and practical.
• The entire machine Design, or the detailed process used to develop the design, is worthy of this recognition, and not just a single component.
• The robot distinguishes itself from others by its aesthetic and functional design.

Innovation in Control Award

Celebrates an innovative control system or application of control components – Electrical, mechanical or Software – to provide unique machine functions.

Guidelines

• A team must be able to identify and describe the controls innovation and can trace its conception, design, manufacturing/assembly, or deployment.
• The control system is innovative and unique. It is integrated with the machine, human players, strategy, etc. in concept and execution.
• The innovation is practical; it addresses the game’s challenge and is reliable under the stress of competition.

Quality Award

Celebrates machine robustness in concept and fabrication

Guidelines

• A team must be able to describe their quality plan i.e. how their design ensures robustness throughout the entire competition.
• The entire machine demonstrates quality: workmanship, welds, attachment systems, wiring, paint, etc.
• The machine can withstand the rigors of competition – maintaining functionality, including the use of designed-in redundancy and risk mitigation measures.
• Building the machine contributes to the team’s success.

Individual Awards

Woodie Flowers Award

This award recognizes an individual who has done an outstanding job of motivation through communication while also challenging the students to be clear and succinct in their communications. As such, it is very important that this be a student-led effort and a student decision. One student will act as the nominator. Lead mentors should direct 1 or 2 students to the online entry site and let the high school students decide whom to nominate. Adults can help edit and should check the essay and the submission information for accuracy, but this must be a student-led effort. The author(s) of the 3,000-character (max.) essay must be clearly identified as high school students in the online submission.

Learn more about the Woodie Flowers Award

Dean’s List Award

In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of the most outstanding secondary school students in _FIRST_®, the Kamen family sponsors awards for selected 10th or 11th grade* students known as the _FIRST_® Robotics Competition and the _FIRST_® Tech Challenge FIRST Dean’s List Award.

Learn more about the Dean’s List Award