Machine Creativity Awards

These awards recognize the technical accomplishments of teams including the planning, designing, construction, and operation of the robot. Official FIRST definitions can be found here.

Awards in this Category:

• Autonomous Award sponsored by Ford

  • Recognizes the robot performance during the autonomous period at the start of every match. Teams must be able to explain how the robot understands/navigates its surroundings, factors that could impact the program, and the design/testing that was done.

• Creativity Award sponsored by Rockwell Automation

  • Recognizes a creative or unique feature that has a traceable story through its design. Teams must also be able to explain how they analyzed risks related to the approach and how it is practical/contributes to the robot's success.

• Excellence in Engineering Award

  • Recognizes a team for their professional approach to the design process through doocumentation, reflections, and an elegant/effective robot. Teams must explain how their design is functional, practical, and solves a specific problem.

• Industrial Design Award sponsored by General Motors

  • Recognizes a robot design that utilizes industrial design principles to create an overall look that is functional, eye-pleasing, and effective. This award looks at the entire robot, not just a single part, and the team must be able to describe their design.

  • This award differs from the Excellence in Engineering award because it focuses on the end result of the design rather than the process.

• Innovation in Control Award

  • Recognizes an innovative control system or control components. The team must be able to identify and describe the components and trace their design process. Additionally, the system should be innovative in concept or execution to connect the machine, human players, strategy, etc.

• Quality Award

  • Recognizes the workmanship of the robot in terms of robustness, risk mitigation, and match success. Teams must be able to explain their quality plan and how their design ensures functionality throughout the competition.