FRC stands for FIRST® Robotics Competition.

FIRST® is the world’s leading youth robotics community, delivering youth robotics competitions that inspire innovation, build confidence, and prepare young people for life.

FRC (FIRST® Robotics Competition) and FTC (FIRST® Tech Challenge) are both part of FIRST.

FRC

• Large team, usually 25-35 members in grades 10-12

• Specialized student roles, experience needed

• Robot: 115lb, 25”(w) x 30”(l) x 60”(h) parts from hardware store parts and custom CAD parts, CNC router

FTC

• Multiple Edina teams, generally with around 6-8 students in grades 7-12.

• Generalized student roles, no experience needed. Team members can work on build, code, business, and outreach.

• Robot: 42 lb, 18” cube using standard parts from goBilda and custom CAD parts, 3D printing.

If you want to work directly on the robot, mechanical or coding experience is highly advised.

If you want to work on the business team, no technical experience is required.

Being a part of an FRC team teaches many skills, including technical skills like CAD and Java, along with leadership, communication, and teamwork.

• From September to December, the team recruits, fundraises, trains team members in CAD and code base, and prepares for the new season through pre-season tournaments. 

• In early January, the new season kicks off, and the game manual is released. 

• January-February is the building period where teams have roughly 6 weeks to brainstorm, code, build, and test their robot for competition. 

• March-April is competition season. The team competes in 2 regional tournaments. 

• In April, the championships are held for the top-performing teams in Houston, Texas.

• The MSHSL State competition occurs in mid-May

• After State, we enter our break period.

• During the summer, we often have training and other activities.

We have three pillars that support our team: Business, Mechanical, and Control System.

• The Business Team connects the robotics team with the community and manages non-technical operations. This includes fundraising, social media, budgeting, sponsorships, and award submissions. 

• The Mechanical Team designs and builds a robot for competition in 7 weeks. They also keep the robot fully operational and up to date on repairs. The team utilizes CAD software alongside CNC machines to build the robot. 

• The Control Systems Team programs the robot to adapt to the season’s challenges. Using Java, they program the robot to compete in the tournaments. They also code the scouting app for the team.

During autumn, the team meets Mondays and Thursdays at 5-8 PM. During the competition season starting in January, the meeting schedule changes to Mon-Fri, 4:30 - 9:00 PM and Saturdays from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM if extra time is needed.

Yes, financial aid is available. When registering, you will be prompted if you need a partial or full scholarship. After submitting the option you need, one of our program leaders will be in contact for further action.