Thomas Burrow

FIRST Robotics

In 2003, my dad was a mentor for a FIRST Robotics team: West Springfield High School, team 1027, the "Mechatronic Maniacs". I was in 6th grade at the time, so I had nearly no engineering experience. FIRST is a program for high school students, but the team treated me like a junior member.

The game rules for FIRST Robotics competitions change every year. This particular year was dubbed "Stack Attack". Read the official rules or watch a video if you're curious. The basic concept is that robots need to collect and stack large bins on their side of the playing field, or knock over stacks and steal bins from the opponents side of the field.

I learned a lot about what sorts of concepts work, and also what doesn't work. I also witnessed (and helped a little bit with) lots of fabrication and troubleshooting. I even traveled to Houston with them to watch the final competition. Afterwards, they presented me with a certificate that acknowledged me as an honorary member of their team.

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