FIRST Robotics Competition Blog

Event Preferencing Reminder

Don’t forget that Round 1 of event preferencing is now open! Login to the FIRST^® Dashboard and get those events preferenced before round 1 closes on September 29 at 12 PM (noon) eastern time. This User Guide has more details and instructions. 

If you have any questions about events or the event preferencing process, please contact FIRST Team Support or leadership in the area of the event. 

Safety Manual and Safety Animation Award sponsored by UL Solutions

We are excited to announce the theme for the 2023 Safety Animation Award sponsored by UL Solutions: Power in the Pits!

FIRST® Robotics Competition teams are an incredible example of harnessed potential. The energy and excitement of teams increase as the competition heats up! With so much energy, new and unforeseen challenges can present themselves. During the build season and competition season, what energy-related challenges can pose safety risks to a team, and how can these be mitigated? How can the safety steps taken in the pits be applied to new and exciting energy focused technologies?

In your 2023 Safety Animation, demonstrate risks, best practices, and new ideas on how to safely use chemical, kinetic, and potential energy for FIRST Robotics Competition and how those ideas can be leveraged for a safer world.

UL Solutions will provide restricted grants to the Winner and Finalists. The Winner will receive $500 and each of the two Finalists will receive $250 towards registration in 2024. Thank you, UL Solutions!

Submissions for the Safety Animation Award will be accepted from Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 12:00 PM, Noon ET and Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 3:00 PM ET. Teams can submit the animation through the FIRST^® Dashboard and it must be submitted by the Student Award Submitter or lead mentor 1 or 2.

Teams can check out the details about the Safety Animation Award criteria as well as the 2023 Safety Manual on the FIRST Robotics Competition Safety page.

And don’t forget that team members can take online safety training to enhance your team’s safety program on the UL Solutions and FIRST Safety Learning Portal.