Limitations too far?

[smurfgirl]

Originally Posted by Alexa Stott

Isn't the idea behind FIRST to inspire students to pursue careers in science and technology? To give them real-world experiences in those fields?

Think about what you just said... real-world experience. It would seem that FIRST gives you a lot of that. The real world is filled with constraints. Hey, guess what, so is FIRST. Think about it:

- We have time constraints: 6 weeks to build and ship a functional robot
- Budget constraints: $3500 to spend on said robot
- Weight constraints for our final engineered object: 120 lbs not including battery or bumpers
- Size constraints for our final engineered object: 28"x38"x60" maximum, cannot extend beyond bumper zone
- Constraints because we must use standardized parts: think bumper requirement, motors, control system, etc.

The list could go on; I bet you can also list some other constraints that we're under as members of FRC teams, that you see in the real-world for engineering projects as well.



And as far as FIRST inspiring students to pursue careers in science and technology- actually just even to be interested in and to respect those fields- it's doing a really good job of that. Just look around you... you can find lots of stories of it on Chief Delphi, and I'm sure you can find it in your own community, and on your own team.

Sure, sometimes building a robot can be really frustrating, because it's never going to go perfectly. However, think about the sense of accomplishment that comes at the end of a season, or even before then- I built that. Or, look at what I've learned. There are always new moments to remember, especially when you're interacting with tons of people at competitions, and I think that's one of the places where people are most inspired.

Especially with the limitations on this year's game- which, yes, can be frustrating- a lot of creativity is going to be involved, both in building a robot, and in game strategy during matches. Walking into your first competition of the season, or even watching a webcast, you will look upon the sea of robots and go "hey, why didn't we think of that?", and "wow, I can't believe they actually got that to work". You will be amazed, possibly inspired by the things you see and the stories you hear.

Just because it feels tough to design well for this game, doesn't mean FIRST isn't still inspiring students, or reflecting the processes and type of thinking involved in solving real-world engineering problems. In fact, I think FIRST is doing a really good job of it.