What is FIRST?
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) creates and sponsors robotics competitions designed to challenge a team’s engineering and creative skills. FIRST was founded in 1998 by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway. The vision of FIRST was “to transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.” FIRST strives to inspire the next generation to be innovative, and to develop self-confidence, communication, and leadership skills.
What is FLL?
As a division under FIRST, FLL was created by Dean Kamen and Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen to teach teams to create ideas, solve problems, overcome obstacles, and gain confidence. During competitions ranging from local to national levels, teams compete in robot and research competitions based on the annual theme. Students use LEGO Mindstorms robotics sets to build and program a unique autonomous robot made out of LEGO. Research topics have included the biomedical field (2010-11) and nanotechnology (2006-07). FLL is for children ages 9-14; however, its inspirational impact lasts far beyond those years.