A project-based club designed to familiarize students with an understanding of electronics, software, and mechanical methods necessary to build electronic machines that can self-navigate, gather and log data, and respond to their environment with grace and elegance while reliably and productively completing tasks.
Team 5171 consists of numerous student-led divisions—programming, computer-aided design, electrical, mechanical and build, game strategy, media and outreach, scouting, and more—driven by a desire to construct a working robot, and to gain invaluable real-world skills comparable to running a startup business. Topics covered include circuitry, soldering, fabrication (wood, metal, plastic), programming in a variety of languages, etc. In addition to participating in a competition, we are learning to collaborate—perhaps the most important skill gained throughout the entirety of the season—and to work closely with other teams in our region to advance the aims of
FIRST. Participation requires a time commitment outside of class.