What we expect to see from FRC/FIRST in the next 5 years

[Allison K]

Originally Posted by DampRobot

It's weird to say, but there might soon be a day when there's a Vex version of FRC.

Personally, although there are a number of things FIRST doesn't really do right, I'd much rather have a non-profit like USFIRST organize my robotics competition that a company like IFI. I have mixed feelings as to whether or not competiton will really improve things, as once you buy into either Tetrix or Vex, you tend to stick with that system.

Just a note, I would do some research rather than make a judgment based upon for-profit or not-for-profit status. The VEX competitions (both the VRC and VEX IQ) are organized by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (REC) which is in fact a not-for-profit organization. Secondly, just because FIRST is a not-for-profit organization doesn't mean that nobody is profiting off of their programs. How many teams do you think buy LEGO equipment to participate in FLL? And that's not even going into all of the companies that supply FTC kits. Thirdly, regardless of whether the organization is for-profit or not-for-profit making money is not a bad thing. There's a bias against the term "for-profit" but how else is a company supposed to continue to exist if they don't support themselves? All companies, regardless of their status, must generate revenue to cover expenses and continue to expand in order to fulfill their mission.