Last September marked the beginning of our FIRST Robotics Team, 2130 Alpha+'s, sixteenth season and January 8 marked the beginning of what is going to be a crazy few months as we try to build a robot to successfully complete the challenge we were given that morning.

On Saturday, January 8th, anticipation was high as students, mentors, parents, alumni, and guests gathered for the 2022 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff and animation video for this year’s game, RAPID REACT. During the 2 minute 30 second game, in RAPID REACT presented by The Boeing Company, two competing alliances are invited to process cargo for transportation. Each alliance is assigned a cargo color (red or blue, based on alliance affiliation) to process by retrieving their assigned cargo, a ball the size of a volleyball, and scoring it in the high or low goals, 8.5 feet and 4.5 feet high respectively. Human players assist the cargo retrieval and scoring efforts from within their terminals. In the final moments of each match, alliance robots race to engage with their hangar to prepare for transport by having the robots climb.

This season, we will be attending the Idaho Regional in Nampa, Idaho, from March 30 through April 2. Here we have the opportunity to compete with teams from all over the country and neighboring countries. During these three days of competition, teams will compete in alliances of three. The teams will compete in several different matches, with a different alliance each time, and they will attempt to score as many points as possible. On the third day, the top eight ranking teams will get to pick their alliance of four, to compete in the finals. The winning alliance will have the opportunity to compete at the worlds competition in Houston, Texas.

Go Alpha+!