Question 1

What is FIRST Robotics?

Accepted Answer

From the FIRST website: 
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills. FIRST is More Than Robots. FIRST participation is proven to encourage students to pursue education and careers in STEM-related fields, inspire them to become leaders and innovators, and enhance their 21st century work-life skills.
https://www.firstinspires.org/

Question 2

What does the team do?

Accepted Answer

Building robots for competition is just a part of what we do, there’s a lot of work that goes on to support that. We do community outreach and fundraising to support the team, host robotics competitions for other leagues, learn from each other about how to safely use the various tools in the workshop, help other groups that are getting started, and more!

Question 3

What roles are there on the team?

Accepted Answer

There are opportunities for practically anyone. Of course there are builders who construct the robot, programmers who create the software to drive the robot, and a drive team that actually pilots the robot in competitions. But we also have a social media and web design team, CNC programmers, tool operators, artists and crafters, business-minded people, and more! If you are interested in any of these things but are worried you don’t have the experience or knowledge to try, just remember the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: DON’T PANIC. You can learn here!

Question 4

How often does the team meet?

Accepted Answer

Typically we meet weekly on Wednesday nights from about 6:30 to ~8:00, year ‘round.  During the build season (January-March), we meet more often. Competitions mainly take place in March and April, and are usually two full days---most often Saturday and Sunday, but sometimes Friday and Saturday. Competitions are hosted all around New England. The team typically competes in two regular season events, which are qualifiers for New England District Championships and World Championships. The competition schedule is set far in advance.

Question 5

What happens at team meetings?

Accepted Answer

We go over team business like fundraising and outreach, planning for the build season, organizing the team to go to competitions, and of course, design, build, program, and drive robots!  Our meetings are held at our build site which is a fully functional robotics workshop with machinery and tools needed for fabricating robot parts.

Question 6

Does the team have a “season”?

Accepted Answer

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: No. The official build and competition season takes place from January through April, but the team has work to do year round, and we also compete in “off-season” events as well. You can learn more about the league we compete in at the FIRST Robotics website.

Question 7

What is the significance of the number 4473 in the team name?

Accepted Answer

Team numbers are assigned consecutively by FIRST, so we were the 4473rd team to register (2012). There are teams all over the world and the current highest numbers are over 8000.  At competitions, we are primarily identified by our team number.

Question 8

Does Delta Prime mean something?

Accepted Answer

Our founding member, Colt Seigars, came up with the name. In Greek, the 4th letter is Delta (Δ). 73 is a prime number (according to Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory- the best number. His explanation here:

So we could have been Delta Delta Prime, but that seemed excessive. Our logo includes the Δ, a robotic hand that ties it to our original sponsor REM, and a prime symbol (′ ) that is the thumb.

Question 9

How do competitions work?

Accepted Answer

This is a short question with a really long answer.  We are part of the New England District, so we compete at District Events which are about 2 ½ days long. Each year we must design a robot to play a different game that is created at FIRST Headquarters. There’s a lot of information on the games and competitions at the FIRST website. https://www.firstinspires.org/

Question 10

Are there coaches?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there is a team of adult “mentors” for the team with various specialties from art, to programming, to design, safety, and fabrication. We welcome new mentors to join the team, and have a group of non-engineering mentors (NEMOs) that are also an essential part of the team.  The distinction between "coach" and "mentor" is also important.  On FRC teams, the members work WITH the mentors together on the projects, this is a little different from some other robotics competitions where there are hands off "coaches".  The team members do the bulk of the work and decision making, but the mentors are there to work with the student members collaboratively.

Question 11

Is this a school team?

Accepted Answer

Yes and no.  We are an independent 4H-based 501(c)(3) non-profit.  RSU2 and Richmond schools recognize the team with a "club" status. While we do liaise with faculty & staff in RSU2 and Richmond, we are not a school-based entity and we are open to members outside of those school systems—such as home-school, private, or charter schools as well. At one point we had team members from 5 different schools! The team’s costs are fully funded through local sponsors, grants, and fundraising, and operates financially independently from any school. The team has no paid staff and is run purely on a volunteer basis.

Question 12

What if I have more questions?

Accepted Answer

You can use the Contact form to get in contact with our Lead Mentor.

Question 13

How can I sponsor the team?

Accepted Answer

Visit our Sponsors page to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and contact the Mentors.

Frequently Asked Questions