编者按：
北卡教堂山东教堂山高中的学生王宣宣（Caroline），近日随荣获北卡州第一的该校机器人战队，远赴休斯顿参加一年一度 FIRST世界锦标赛。
这里是她参加锦标赛的见闻和感悟。
【亚裔青少年通讯社记者王宣宣（Caroline）报道】4月17日-20日，德克萨斯州休斯顿的乔治·R·布朗会议中心充满了兴奋的氛围，约有5万名参与者齐聚一堂，参加了一年一度的机器人盛事：FIRST世界锦标赛。
这个活动汇集了来自58个国家的1,015支学生机器人队参加FLL（FIRST乐高联赛）、FTC（FIRST科技挑战赛）和FRC（FIRST机器人大赛），旨在庆祝FIRST的名字：为了激发对科学和技术的热情和认知。
作为编号为4795的东部机器人队（ Eastbots）成员，在州级FRC比赛中的胜利使我们有幸登上这个备受尊敬的舞台。我发现无论我走到哪里，我都被FIRST社区内的年轻工程师们所感染。无论是在一排排的竞技场，熙熙攘攘的机坑，富有洞察力的会议上，还是在创新博览会上，与迪士尼和美国宇航局等赞助商交谈了解更多关于工程的未来，都不乏灵感满满的学生。
这些学生和导师是如何变得如此投入，将简单的比赛提升为学习和成长的平台呢？答案在于FIRST社区内出色的团队和个人的核心价值观：探索、创新、影响、包容、团队合作和乐趣。通过这篇文章，我将以一个FIRST学生的视角进行更深入的探讨。
探索
如果你回顾一下几年前的FIRST机器人比赛，你会发现机器人比现在要慢得多、不那么精确，总体效率也不如现在在场上奔跑完成任务的机器人。这是因为每一年都有新的发明，革新了机器人的构建方式。例如，斜轮驱动，它比传统的坦克车更灵活。最初是由一支小团队在1998年投入了最大的努力，试图发明一种使它能够正常工作的方式。虽然当时被认为是不寻常的，而且麻烦远大于它的价值，但它在2014年后期开始逐渐流行起来，在当今的机器人模型中成为了主要的驱动系统。这种活力推动着每一代FIRST成员超越常规，挑战界限，在技术进步方面取得了不可思议的进步。
创新
机器人技术的创新不仅仅是找到新颖的技术解决方案；它包括一种持续改进和适应的心态。这是一种用创造力和智慧来面对挑战的态度，无论是尝试新材料、改进编程算法，还是重新构想机械设计。这种创新精神推动着机器人技术领域的进步，激发了全球团队的竞争力。此外，FIRST中的创新不仅限于机器人本身。团队在外展策略、社区参与计划和筹款方面也进行创新。
影响
作为FIRST社区的一员，我们都知道该计划的最终目标：将我们获得的技能和现在拥有的资源带到我们周围的世界中去改善。东部机器人队通过将STEM和我们对工程学和机器人技术的热情带给我们周围的社区来展示这种影响力。我们通过为年轻人和老年人策划活动和教育机会，通过为儿童开设课外活动、夏令营和参观老年中心来推动其融入每个社区成员的生活中。
作为FIRST社区的成员，我们都知道这个项目的最终目标：用我们已经获得的技能和我们现在拥有的资源来改善我们周围的世界。东部机器人（Eastbots）通过将STEM和我们对工程和机器人的兴奋带到我们周围的社区来展示这种影响。我们通过为年轻人和老年人策划活动、提供教育机会来培养每个成员融入社区，通过为孩子们提供课外活动、夏令营和参观老年人中心来推动变化。
在世界各地，机器人专业的学生关注的不仅仅是一场竞赛。赛季只有几个月时间，一年的大部分时间， FIRST 学生可以把他们所有的努力，通过留下影响，改善社区。在全球范围内，我们在以教育、多样性、包容性、保护环境、帮助有特殊能力的人等为中心的倡议中看到了这一点。
包容
任何人都可以成为一名工程师。这是我们的座右铭，一次又一次地证明是正确的。FIRST学生努力让更多不同背景的人参与到STEM中来，因为他们对工程学及其所有学科的热爱超越了这些障碍。我们团队正在解决一个复杂的设计问题，紧张气氛笼罩着我们。在这个时候，一位最近从完全不同学科背景转入的新队员提出了一个新颖的观点，彻底改变了我们的做法。她独特的见解不仅帮助我们克服了眼前的障碍，也提醒了我们团队内多样性的力量。从那一刻起，我们努力去接纳和赞美每个团队成员带来的多样化的才能和观点，因为我们知道正是我们的差异使我们更加团结。
团队合作
团队合作是在快节奏和高压力的机器人比赛环境中取得成功的基石。这不仅仅是合作工作；它是要欣赏、妥协和有效地与团队成员沟通，以实现我们的目标。建造和编程机器人的复杂性要求各种技能和专业知识的人之间进行协作。从机械设计和电气工程到软件开发和项目管理，每个成员在团队的成功中都发挥着至关重要的作用。
这一价值观不仅限于比赛场地；FIRST团队共享资源、相互指导，为竞争对手的成功加油助威。合作竞争的原则使我们能够超越单纯的竞争，积极支持和互相鼓励。无论是向陷入困境的团队提供备用零件，提供编程技术建议，还是一起庆祝胜利，团队之间的团结和友谊之情是非常值得称赞的。通过培养这些价值观，FIRST使学生不仅成为技术娴熟的工程师，还成为生活中各个方面的有效领导者和团队合作者。
乐趣
在机器人比赛的紧张而快节奏的环境中，记住你为什么在那里非常重要：对机器人和工程学的共同热爱。意识到有一个伟大的团队和有幸能够与一些令人难以置信的头脑在高质量的设施中一起工作是至关重要的，这不仅可以保持理智，而且不会过度劳累。在最艰难的时刻，我和我的队友们互相支持，即使在最困难的时候也会轻松一下，提醒彼此微笑，并记住，如果我们输了，世界也不会崩溃，关键是享受这个过程，振作起来，作为团队迎接下一个挑战。
亚裔青少年通讯社采访活动，由访学专家艾俪特国际独家提供支持！
Uncovering the Essence of FIRST: Insights from the FIRST 2024 World Championship
Date: April 27, 2023
Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas
Author: Caroline Wang
From April 17th to 20th, 2024, the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas was buzzing with excitement as around 50,000 attendees gathered for the robotics event of the year: the FIRST World Championship. This event, which brings together 1,015 student robotics teams from 58 countries for FLL (FIRST Lego League), FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge), and FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition), is meant to celebrate FIRST’s namesake: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.
As a member of team 4795, the Eastbots, whose victory in the state FRC competition earned us a spot on this prestigious stage, I found myself being swept up in a stream of young engineers within the FIRST community wherever I went. Whether it be in the massive rows of arenas, bustling pits, insightful conferences, or at the Innovation Faire, where sponsors like Disney and NASA spoke with students wanting to learn more about what a future in engineering could look like, there was no shortage of inspired students.
How do these students and mentors become so deeply engaged that they elevate a simple competition into a platform for learning and growth? The answer lies within the core values of Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun that are the driving force behind the extraordinary teams and individuals who flourish within the FIRST community. Through this article, I will be doing a deeper dive from the perspective of a FIRST student.
Discovery
Suppose you take a look at the FIRST robotics competitions from years ago. In that case, you’ll notice that robots were a lot slower, less precise, and generally not nearly as efficient as the ones we see racing across the fields to complete their missions now. This is because, with each year, there came new inventions that revolutionized the way robots were built. For example, swerve drive, which allows for a much more maneuverable robot than the traditional tank, was introduced originally by a small team that put their best efforts into inventing a way for it to work back in 1998. Though thought of as unconventional and more trouble than it was worth at the time, it slowly began to gain popularity and traction in late 2014, becoming the predominant drive train in today’s robot models. This energy is what propels each generation of FIRST to think beyond the norms, pushing boundaries and making incredible strides in technological advancement.
Innovation
Innovation in robotics extends beyond simply finding novel technical solutions; it encompasses a mindset of constant improvement and adaptation. It’s about approaching challenges with creativity and ingenuity, whether it’s experimenting with new materials, refining programming algorithms, or reimagining mechanical designs. This spirit of innovation is what drives progress in the field of robotics and fuels the competitive drive of teams worldwide. Moreover, innovation in FIRST extends beyond the robot itself. Teams innovate in outreach strategies, community engagement initiatives, and fundraising efforts.
Impact
As members of the FIRST Community, we all know the ultimate goal of the program: to bring the skills we have gained and the resources we now hold to improve the world around us. The Eastbots showcase this impact by bringing STEM and our excitement for engineering and robotics to the community around us. We nurture its integration into each community member’s life by planning events and educational opportunities for young and old alike, driving change through after-school programs for kids, summer camps, and visits to the senior center. Around the world, robotics students are focused on much more than just a competition; with only a few months for the competition season, there is the majority of the year left where FIRST students can put all their efforts into bettering the community by leaving an impact. Globally, we see this in initiatives centered on education, diversity, inclusion, protecting the environment, helping those with special abilities, and much more.
Inclusion
Anyone can be an engineer. That is our motto, and time and time again it has proven to be true. FIRST students strive to get more and more people involved in STEM from various backgrounds because their love for engineering and all of its disciplines transcends those barriers. Our team was grappling with a complex design problem, and tensions were running high. In the midst of this, a new team member, who had recently joined us from a completely different academic background, offered a fresh perspective that completely shifted our approach. Her unique insights not only helped us overcome the obstacle at hand but also reminded us of the power of diversity within our team. From that moment on, we made a conscious effort to embrace and celebrate the diverse talents and perspectives that each team member brought to the table, knowing that it was our differences that made us stronger together.
Teamwork
Teamwork is the cornerstone of success in the fast-paced and high-pressure environment of robotics competitions. It’s about more than just working together; it’s about appreciating, compromising with, and effectively communicating with team members to achieve our goals. The complexity of building and programming a robot demands collaboration among individuals with diverse skills and expertise. From mechanical design and electrical engineering to software development and project management, every member plays a crucial role in the team’s success.
This value extends beyond the competition field; it is commonplace for FIRST teams to share resources, mentor each other, and cheer on competitors’ successes. The principle of cooperation empowers us to go beyond mere competition and actively support and uplift one another. Whether it’s lending spare parts to a struggling team, offering advice on programming techniques, or celebrating victories together, the sense of camaraderie and solidarity among teams is truly remarkable. By nurturing these values, FIRST empowers students to not only become skilled engineers but also effective leaders and team players in all aspects of their lives.
Fun
In the high-stress and quick-paced environment of a robotics competition, it is important to remember why you are there at all: our collective love of robotics and engineering. Recognizing the blessing of a great team and the privilege of getting to work with some incredible minds in quality facilities is essential to not only staying sane but not getting burnt out. My teammates and I support each other by lightening the mood even in the toughest times, reminding each other to smile and remember that if we lose because we didn’t score enough orange foam notes into a giant slot machine, the world won’t come crumbling down. In the end, it’s about enjoying the process, getting back on our feet, and staying resilient as a team for the next challenge.
