What We Do

TigerTronics is one of the thousands of teams that compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).  Founded in 2006, each year we build a robot to compete in the year's competition.

FIRST Robotics Compeitions are designed as games which change every year.  Each game is played on a reconfigured playing field against other robots built by other FRC teams. Due to the fact that the game the robots play changes each year, the requirements of the robots also change every year.  This means every year we build a new robot specifically designed, built, and tested for the year's game.  In the FRC competition, the game is unveiled only 6 weeks before the robots must be shipped.  FIRST teams must design and build their robots within these 6 weeks.  This intense build period, which begins in early January, is when TigerTronics is busiest and most active.

Once finished, the robots we build compete in one or more competitions against other team's robots.  The exact rules for each competition depend on the year's game. However, competitions generally involve two randomly created alliances of multiple teams playing a game against each other with their robots.  Teams on one alliance must work together to use their robots to beat the teams of the opposing alliance.

In addition to building our robot and competing, our team members must handle aspects of budgeting, designing logos and promotional items, public relations, and our website. TigerTronics also takes an active role in mentoring Union-Endicott's FIRST Lego League team, Tween TigerTronics. Tween TigerTronics competes in FIRST's Lego League, a robotics competion for middle schoole aged students where students design robots out of Legos to solve specific challenges.

During the "off season," which is the time from a year's last competition to the beginning of the next year's 6 week build period, TigerTronics experiments with hardware and software designs (anything built during the off season can not be used in competitions, however).  TigerTronics also participates in a number of activities throughout the community demonstrating our robots and encouraging others to pursue math, science, technology, and engineering.

TigerTronics consists of more than just students.  Our invaluable teachers and mentors are involved in all aspects of our team through their donation of their time and expertise.  TigerTronics is unique, like all FIRST teams, in that students and professional mentors work together in the creation of our robot and during competitions.