Because of my interest in robotics, I have participated in various competitions and have completed multiple courses in this field. In 2021, I participated in First Tech Challenge, a global-level robotics competition organised by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) Currently, I am participating in FTC 2022. In the past season, my team won the motivate award for excellence in community outreaches.

LO1 – Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth:

Being a team of 11 members, we divided ourselves according to our abilities and expertise. As I have good in the field of robot construction and strategising, I decided to give my contribution in those aspects. When the time to control the robot came, our team decided to let everyone have a try and then select the final 2 drivers. Our team was rookie; all of us had no past experience of controlling a large robot for a competition! Hence, this was a major responsibility to choose the drivers properly. In the end, the two drivers selected were me and one of my teammates. due to our synchronisation and ability to control the robot well. From then on, controlling the robot has been a major area for growth for me, and I have practiced a lot for this season’s competition too.

LO2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills.

As mentioned, controlling the robot is not an easy task, especially when hundreds of people, with a live camera are watching and recording you! during the competition of the first season, I and Jay (driver 2) were overwhelmed by the scenario and stressed out. We were feeling nervous and that affected the robot’s performance by a short margin too. However, this challenge/experience  taught me to remain calm in such situations and be confident. I can clearly see a reflection of these qualities in the current season, where we both are confident to drive the robot without any hesitation.

LO3 – Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience:

Initiating and planning our CAS experience for the First Tech Challenge involved meticulous organization and coordination among team members. We began by identifying our goals, breaking them down into manageable tasks, and allocating responsibilities according to each member’s strengths and interests. Regular meetings were held to track progress, address challenges, and adjust plans as needed. By establishing clear timelines and milestones, we ensured effective utilization of resources and maximized our impact both within our team and in the community.

LO4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience.

I always had deep interest in the field of robotics, and participation in FTC has strengthened my choice of choosing this field as a career option. I wish to participate, if not mentor, for the next season’s tournament and help sustain my team’s powerful legacy.

LO5 – Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively.

First Tech Challenge is a competition that ultimately tests the unity and bonding of a team. The eleven members of my team belonged to different schools, age groups and backgrounds. However, we worked flawlessly throughout past year’s and this year’s season. Although there were some obstacles and confusions due to difference in opinions, we did not let that hinder our performance as a team.

LO6 – Engagement with issues of global significance.

A major component of FTC is raising awareness about STEM. In a city like Surat, there is way less awareness about STEM and robotics when compared to major cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad etc:- In order to let underprivileged and other students know about robotics, we performed multiple outreaches on small as well as large scales. We also launched our own Podcast, “BUT FIRST, STEM” to reach out to a larger crowd. In total, we reached out to about 40000 people indirectly and directly through our sustained efforts! these achievements reflect good communication skills of our team.

LO7 – Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

For this year’s season, we not only did outreaches and podcasts, but also focused on the idea of “Girls In STEM” For this, we added two underprivileged girls from a government school who were interested in robotics, but couldn’t do it due to lack of resources. Our team contributed for their costings and fees and even taught them from basics of STEM and Robotics. Also, we ensured that no resources were waste in making the robot; and I am grateful to mention that 90% of the parts used currently are reused from the previous season.