TULSA ROBOTICS CENTER

Situated at 4500 S 129th East Ave, the Tulsa Robotics Center (TRC) spans 10,000 square feet and is generously provided by the Corporate Woods office complex. Our facility encompasses a spacious open area utilized by FTC teams for practice, scrimmages, and events. Additionally, there are designated sections for FLL teams and the newly established FRC team. Each FTC team has its own office space, and a dedicated “Collab Lab” conference room facilitates collaboration among teams and external partners. A classroom equipped with computers and monitors is dedicated to hosting continuing education classes in programming, CAD design, safety, and various other subjects related to robotics and STEM. To enhance competitiveness, we house multiple 3D printers, a CNC machine, and various other tools within our facility.

FIRST ROBOTICS

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multinational non-profit organization that aspires to transform culture, making science, math, engineering, and technology as cool for kids as sports are today.

FIRST was created in order to educate students in the STEM fields. Dean Kamen, FIRST founder and a certified savant, stated that he came up with this idea when he was at a science museum. He noticed that the children that were there had various jerseys of famous athletes. He asked these kids to name famous athletes and they did so with ease. However, when he asked them to name a famous engineer or scientist, they could not answer. He then wondered what it would be like if there was a sport that was much like conventional athletic sports, but for STEM fields. And thus, FIRST was born.

FIRST was founded in 1989 and operates the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) in which teams of high school students, sponsored and assisted by local companies and volunteers, design, assemble, and test a robot capable of performing a specific task in competition with other teams. FIRST also runs the FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) for children 9-14 years old and FIRST Place, an innovative science and technology center, including a hands-on children’s science museum. Along with this, FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) allows students another opportunity to get involved in FIRST.