FIRST® Kicks Off World’s Largest Celebration of Young Innovators and Changemakers

More than 15,000 Students from 43 Countries Compete with Team-Built Robots and Showcase Innovation Skills at FIRST Championship in Houston with Support from Presenting Sponsor Qualcomm® Incorporated and Others

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This week, more than 15,000 students from around the world traveled to Houston, putting their innovation skills to the test at the annual FIRST Championship Presented by Qualcomm® Incorporated, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Minute Maid Park and Discovery Green.

The four-day event, attended by 30,000 people, came down to a heart-pounding conclusion Saturday night in front of thousands of cheering fans at Minute Maid Park when teams competed in match finals for the FIRST® Robotics Competition and FIRST® Tech Challenge world championships. Four teams from San Jose, California Greenville, Texas, Sammamish, Washington, and Hod-Ha'Sharon, HaMerkaz, Israel, were the FIRST Robotics Competition Winning Alliance for this year’s game, FIRST POWER UP^SM. Teams from Sutherlin, Oregon; Sun River, Montana; and Bellevue, Washington, were the FIRST Tech Challenge RELIC RECOVERY^SM Winning Alliance.

Over 15,000 students, ages 6-18, participated in FIRST Championship Houston. FIRST Championship, the world’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for students, will continue next week with 15,000 more students in Detroit (April 25-28).

Selected Quotes:

• FIRST Founder Dean Kamen said: I've been telling people for nearly 30 years FIRST is about inspiration – and yes, it's about all the mentors and teachers and professionals inspiring kids. But the real reason we all keep doing this is because the kids are inspiring us.
• Major General Garrett Harencak, United States Air Force, said: What you are learning here in FIRST will serve not just you. You are positively changing your lives for the better, but more importantly you are positively changing the lives of your brothers, your sisters, your families, your communities, and your countries. It's your competence, your confidence, your hope that is the beacon that will make this world a better place.
• will.i.am, global music artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, said: I’m so happy that for the past eight years, I’ve come here [to FIRST Championship] to learn, to be inspired, and I leave optimistic about the future because you see the leaders of tomorrow here, every year. It’s not only changed my life; it’s changed my community.

Among the participants, many earned honors for design excellence, competitive play, research, business plans, website design, and teamwork. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) inspires innovation and leadership in young people through engaging, team-based robotics challenges.

In Houston, nearly 700 robotics teams from 43 countries competed and exhibited in the four FIRST programs, including FIRST® LEGO® League (grades 4 to 8, ages 9 to 14 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico; ages 9 to 16 outside the United States, Canada, and Mexico); FIRST Tech Challenge (grades 7 to 12, ages 12 to 18); and FIRST Robotics Competition (grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18). In addition to the high-energy robotics matches, 60 teams participated in the FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. (grades K-4, ages 6 to 9) World Festival Expo.

FIRST Championship Houston honored significant supporters of the FIRST mission:

• The U.S. Air Force was the recipient of the Founder’s Award, presented each year by FIRST Founder Dean Kamen to one organization or individual for exceptional service in advancing the ideals and mission of FIRST.
• Former President Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, was recognized as the recipient of the Make It Loud Award, previously announced at the FIRST Inspire Gala, for his significant contributions to raising awareness about FIRST among the general public and helping spread the mission and impact of the organization.

2018 FIRST Championship Winners

The 2018 winners of the competitions and awards announced in Houston are as follows:

Dean’s List Award – This award celebrates outstanding student leaders whose passion for and effectiveness at attaining FIRST ideals is exemplary.

From FIRST Robotics Competition:

• Joseph Asfouri, Team 2468, Team Appreciate, Austin, Texas
• Natalie Luong, Team 1261, Robo Lions, Suwanee, Ga.
• Reed Blanchard, Team 118, Robonauts, League City, Texas
• Aarushi Majumder, Team 6024, R Factor, Mumbai, India
• Grace Lam, Team 1868, Space Cookies, Mountain View, Ca.

From FIRST Tech Challenge:

• Marcus Morris, Team 11857, Patriotrons, Dallas, Ga.
• Ariana Garbers, Team 11096, East Cobb Robotics FTC, Marietta, Ga.
• Sophia Leon Guerrero, Team 8381, M, San Mateo, Ca.
• Shriya Pingali, Team 9112, Skeleton Crew, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Joshua Rohrbaugh, Team 9899, Black Diamond Robotics, Fort Collins, Colo.

1. FIRST® Robotics Competition Championship – FIRST Robotics Competition combines sports excitement with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams are challenged to fundraise, design a brand, exercise teamwork, and build and program robots to perform tasks against competitors. The 2018 challenge, FIRST POWER UP, finds teams and their robots trapped in an 8-bit video game. The alliance with the highest score at the end of the match, which includes autonomous and teleoperated periods, defeats the boss and wins the game.

More than 91,000 students on 3,660 teams from 27 countries competed during the 2018 season.

• Team 1311, Kell Robotics, Kennesaw, Ga., won the Chairman’s Award, the highest honor given at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship, recognizing the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST. Team 2096, RoboActive, Dimona, HaDarom, Israel, and Team 2468, Team Appreciate, Austin, Texas, were Chairman’s Award Finalists.
• The Winning Alliance of the FIRST Robotics Competition was Team 254, The Cheesy Poofs, San Jose, Calif.; Team 148, Robowranglers, Greenville, Texas; Team 2976, Spartabots, Sammamish, Wash.; and Team 3075, Ha-Dream Team, Hod-Ha'Sharon, HaMerkaz, Israel

The FIRST Robotics Competition Volunteer of the Year Award winner was "Koko" Ed Patterson.

Other FIRST Robotics Competition Awards included:

Championship Finalists –

Carver Subdivision

• Team 4911, CyberKnights, Seattle, Wash.
• Team 2910, Jack in the Bot, Mill Creek, Wash.
• Team 4499, The Highlanders, Fort Collins, Colo.
• Team 5006, Apophis, Fayetteville, Ark.

Subdivision Winners –

Carver Subdivision

• Team 4911, CyberKnights, Seattle, Wash.
• Team 2910, Jack in the Bot, Mill Creek, Wash.
• Team 4499, The Highlanders, Fort Collins, Colo.
• Team 5006, Apophis, Fayetteville, Ark.

Galileo Subdivision

• Team 4488, Shockwave, Hillsboro, Ore.
• Team 1574, MisCar, Misgav, HaZafon, Israel
• Team 3965, Sultans, Santee, Calif.
• Team 3374, Jackson Hole RoboBroncs, Jackson, Wyo.

Hopper Subdivision

• Team 254, The Cheesy Poofs, San Jose, Calif.
• Team 148, Robowranglers, Greenville, Texas
• Team 2976, Spartabots, Sammamish, Wash.
• Team 3075, Ha-Dream Team, Hod-Ha'Sharon, HaMerkaz, Israel

Newton Subdivision

• Team 1678, Citrus Circuits, Davis, Calif.
• Team 1619, Up-A-Creek Robotics, Longmont, Colo.
• Team 4061, SciBorgs, Pullman, Wash.
• Team 1723, The FBI - FIRST Bots of Independence, Independence, Mo.

Roebling Subdivision

• Team 3476, Code Orange, Irvine, Calif.
• Team 1323, MadTown Robotics, Madera, Calif.
• Team 1072, Harker Robotics, San Jose, Calif.
• Team 1778, Chill Out, Mountlake Terrace, Wash.

Turing Subdivision

• Team 1533, Triple Strange, Greensboro, N.C.
• Team 1296, Full Metal Jackets, Rockwall, Texas
• Team 2655, The Flying Platypi, Greensboro, N.C.
• Team 3593, Invictus, Tulsa, Okla.

Subdivision Finalists –

Carver Subdivision

• Team 4944, The Hi Fives, Grand Junction, Colo.
• Team 341, Miss Daisy, Ambler, Pa.
• Team 175, Buzz Robotics, Enfield, Conn.
• Team 1369, Minotaur, Tampa, Fla.

Galileo Subdivision

• Team 3674, CloverBots, Battle Ground, Wash.
• Team 368, Team Kika Mana, Honolulu, Hawaii
• Team 1817, Llano Estacado RoboRaiders, Lubbock, Texas
• Team 4256, Cyborg Cats, Chesterfield, Mo.

Hopper Subdivision

• Team 3339, BumbleB, Kfar Yona, HaMerkaz, Israel
• Team 1706, Ratchet Rockers, Wentzville, Mo.
• Team 2974, Walton Robotics, Marietta, Ga.
• Team 957, SWARM, Albany, Ore.

Newton Subdivision

• Team 3310, Black Hawk Robotics, Heath, Texas
• Team 118, Robonauts, League City, Texas
• Team 6377, Howdy Bots, Austin, Texas
• Team 3128, Aluminum Narwhals, San Diego, Calif.

Roebling Subdivision

• Team 179, Children of the Swamp, West Palm Beach, Fla.
• Team 3646, INTEGRA, Istanbul, Turkey
• Team 5472, Stallion Robotics, Delray Beach, Fla.
• Team 1540, Flaming Chickens, Portland, Ore.

Turing Subdivision

• Team 987, HIGHROLLERS, Las Vegas, Nev.
• Team 2122, Team Tators, Boise, Idaho
• Team 2642, Pitt Pirates, Greenville, N.C.
• Team 3663, CPR - Cedar Park Robotics, Bothell, Wash.

Engineering Inspiration Award –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 5987, Galaxia in memory of David Zohar, Haifa, Israel
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 6348, HORUS, COLIMA, Colima, Mexico
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 3847, Spectrum -△◅, Houston, Texas

Autonomous Award sponsored by Ford –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 1678, Citrus Circuits, Davis, Calif.
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 1323, MadTown Robotics, Madera, Calif.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 254, The Cheesy Poofs, San Jose, Calif.

Creativity Award sponsored by Xerox –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 5700, SOTA Cyberdragons, San Francisco, Calif.
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 2073, EagleForce, Elk Grove, Calif.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 2231, OnyxTronix, Shoham, HaMerkaz, Israel

Entrepreneurship Award sponsored by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 2429, La Canada Engineering Club, La Canada Flintridge, Calif.
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 1730, Team Driven, Lees Summit, Mo.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 2655, The Flying Platypi, Greensboro, N.C.

Excellence in Engineering Award sponsored by Delphi –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 118, Robonauts, League City, Texas
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 4613, Barker Redbacks, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 4146, Sabercats, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Gracious Professionalism® Award sponsored by Johnson & Johnson –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 3132, Thunder Down Under, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 6652, TigreRobotics, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 1902, Exploding Bacon, Orlando, Fla.

Imagery Award in honor of Jack Kamen –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 3238, Cyborg Ferrets, Anacortes, Wash.
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 2682, Boneyard Robotics, Winterville, N.C.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 3593, Invictus, Tulsa, Okla.

Industrial Design Award sponsored by General Motors –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 1619, Up-A-Creek Robotics, Longmont, Colo.
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 3476, Code Orange, Irvine, Calif.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 842, Falcon Robotics, Phoenix, Ariz.

Safety Award sponsored by UL –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 932, Circuit Chargers, Tulsa, Okla.
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 2682, Boneyard Robotics, Winterville, N.C.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 3284, Camdenton LASER, Camdenton, Mo.

Innovation in Control Award sponsored by Rockwell Automation –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 971, Spartan Robotics, Mountain View, Calif.
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 4488, Shockwave, Hillsboro, Ore.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 2990, Hotwire, Turner, Ore.

Quality Award sponsored by Motorola –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 16, Bomb Squad, Mountain Home, Ark.
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 3316, D-Bug, Tel Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 2557, SOTAbots, Tacoma, Wash.

Team Spirit Award sponsored by FCA Foundation –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 2415, WiredCats, Atlanta, Ga.
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 2486, CocoNuts, Flagstaff, Ariz.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 364, Team Fusion, Gulfport, Miss.

Highest Rookie Seed –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 6844, Provotypes, Provo, Utah
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 6886, Synthesizers, Warsaw, Mo.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 7039, XO, Kfar hanoar Neurim, HaMerkaz, Israel

Rookie All-star Award –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 6800, ViperBots Valor, Austin, Texas
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 7102, Daedalus, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 6822, THE SHISHKABOTS, San Jose, Calif.

Rookie Inspiration Award –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 6902, S.T.R.I.K.E, FOZ DO IGUAÇU, Paraná, Brazil
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 7152, Owltonomous, Boca Raton, Fla.
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 7034, 2B Determined, West Linn, Ore.

Judges’ Awards –

• Carver-Newton Division: Team 1477, Texas Torque, Conroe, Texas
• Galileo-Roebling Division: Team 6429, 4th Dimension, Güzelbahçe, Izmir, Turkey
• Hopper-Turing Division: Team 6025, Adroit Androids, Istanbul, Turkey

2. FIRST® Tech Challenge World Championship – FIRST Tech Challenge students learn to think like engineers. Teams build robots from a reusable kit of parts, develop strategies, document their progress, and compete head to head. In the 2017-18 game, FIRST RELIC RECOVERY, teams work in an alliance to go on a robot adventure. The goal is to score more points than the opposing alliance during 150 seconds of game play that includes autonomous and driver-controlled periods.

Approximately 60,000 students on 6,013 FIRST Tech Challenge teams competed during the 2017-2018 season. FIRST Tech Challenge Global Sponsors include Official Program Sponsor Rockwell Collins, Official 3D Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Sponsor PTC, and Season Presenting Sponsor Qualcomm.

• The FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship Inspire Award, recognizing excellence in robot design and teamwork, went to Team 7477, Super 7 from Oviedo, Fla.
• The Winning Alliance was Team 7750, M&M's, Sutherlin, Ore.; Team 724, RedNek Robotics Wun, Sun River, Mont.; and Team 12611, TechNova, Bellevue, Wash.

The FIRST Tech Challenge Volunteer of the Year Award winner was Liz Looney.

The Compass Award for excellence in coaching/mentoring was awarded to Zhunquin Wang, coach of Team 12808, Revamped Robotics, from Portland, Oregon.

Other FIRST Tech Challenge awards included:

• Division Winners –
  • Franklin Division: Team 7750, M&M's, Sutherlin, Ore.; Team 724, RedNek Robotics Wun, Sun River, Mont.; and Team 12611, TechNova, Bellevue, Wash.
  • Jemison Division: Team 7105, SWIFT Robotics, Southern Pines, N.C.; Team 7161, ViperBots Hydra, Austin, Texas; and Team 7209, Tech Hogs Robotics, Springdale, Ark.
• Division Finalists –
  • Franklin Division: Team 12599, Overcharged, Portland, Ore.; Team 9899, Black Diamond Robotics, Fort Collins, Colo.; and Team 11039, Innov8rz, Fremont, Calif.
  • Jemison Division: Team 12973, Reicher Robotics, Waco, Texas; Team 6929, Data Force, Highlands Ranch, Colo.; and Team 5220, RoboKnights 5220, Fremont, Calif.
• Rockwell Collins Innovate Award – Team 3409, Astromechs, Kansas City, Mo.
• Design Award – Team 4717, Mechromancers, Oviedo, Fla.
• Motivate Award – Team 6832, Iron Reign, Dallas, Texas
• Connect Award – Team 417, S.K.I.D., Woodinville, Wash.
• Think Award – Team 6929, Data Force, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
• Control Award – Team 9112, Skeleton Crew, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Promote Award – Team 11089, Bytes of Kitkats, Portland, Ore.
• Judges’ Award – Voltron to the Rescue Award – Team 5009, Helios, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Team 10337, Dark Matter, Mandeville, La.; Team 6209, ViperBots Venom, Austin, Texas; and Team 4602, Bronc Botz - Prometheus, San Antonio, Texas
• Judges’ Award – The Judges’ Team Award – Team 14290, 101, Beirut, Lebanon

3. FIRST® LEGO® League World Festival – FIRST LEGO League introduces younger students to real-world engineering challenges by inviting them to conduct research projects and build LEGO-based autonomous robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. FIRST LEGO League teams, guided by their imaginations, discover exciting career possibilities and learn to make positive contributions to society. This year’s challenge, HYDRO DYNAMICS^SM, tasked more than 280,000 students on 35,226 teams representing nearly 90 countries with improving the human water cycle.

Top honors went to Champion’s Award winner, Team 37402, SESI Red Rabbit, Americana, Brazil; Champion’s Award Finalist, Team 37401, SESI Jedi’s, Jundiai, Brazil; and Champion’s Award Finalist, Team 23359, Water Works, La Jolla, Calif.

Other FIRST^® LEGO^® League awards included:

• Robot Performance Award – Team 23359, Water Works, La Jolla, Calif.
• Strategy & Innovation Award – Team 5027, Wharf Rats, Raleigh, N.C.
• Programming Award – Team 447, Knights on Narwhals, Cary, N.C.
• Mechanical Design Award – Team 37426, ROBO IBDAA, Amman, Jordan.
• Research Award – Team 3732, Team Phoenix, Lafayette, La.
• Presentation Award – Team 37400, SESI Big Bang, Birigui, Brazil.
• Innovative Solution Award – Team 37188, Roboroos East, St. Morris, Australia.
• Teamwork Award – Team 37373, XYZ, Guangdong, China.
• Inspiration Award – Team 37419, NXT LEADERS, Amman, Jordan.
• Gracious Professionalism^® Award – Team 37313, 1799 C2A, Holon, Israel.
• Volunteer of the Year Award – Allen Green of Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, Israel.
• Coach/Mentor Awards – Anil Cici, of Istanbul, Turkey; Souhaib Azanki of Kiraoun, Lebanon; Gloria Gibson of Boynton Beach, Fla.; and Jerry Barsby of Eldon, Mo.

Judges’ Awards

• Team 37173, Borinquen Master Builders, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
• Team 37393, The Green Panthers, Nairobi, Kenya.
• Team 37435, Joker, Guatemala.
• Team 37296, Syntax Error, Gweru, Zimbabwe.
• Team 37310, DYCI BLUE OCEAN’S 10, Quezon City, Philippines.
• Team 37349, Royal Eagle, Cap-Haïtien, Haiti.

4. FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. World Festival Expo – FIRST LEGO League Jr. introduces children ages 6 to 9 to the exciting world of science and technology. In this year’s Challenge, AQUA ADVENTURE^SM, 16,767 teams used LEGO® elements to build and LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0 to program a moving model and share their discoveries about where water comes from and what happens on its way to people.

FIRST^® LEGO^® League Jr. awards went to:

• Building and Discovery Awards – Team 14004, Hydro Helpers, of Houston; Team 14519, SNOW, of Alexandria, Egypt; and Team 14536, Sang Tao Club, of Vietnam.
• Cooperative Model Awards – Team 8072, SeaStars, of Missouri City, Texas; and Team 12053, Royal Queens, of St. Louis.
• Cooperative Poster Awards – Team 11803, Koo Koo Birds of Durham, N.C.; and Team 12712, Golden Dragons, of Carson City, Nev.
• Cooperative Programming Awards – Team 14587, LEtsGO, of Saida, Lebanon; and Team 14595, GOTITAS DEL FUTURO, of San Jose, Costa Rica.
• Cooperative Research Awards – Team 9732, Faith Academy Water Guiers KC, of Kansas City, Mo.; and Team 14589, Súper LEGO Morelia, of Michoacán, Mexico.
• Creative Model Awards – Team 8080, Water Dragons, of Missouri City, Texas; Team 11369, Dolphin Dalmatians, of Houston; and Team 12334, The Aquabots, of Laredo, Texas.
• Creative Programming Awards – Team 12663, St. Theresa's Sharkinators, of Austin, Texas; Team 12744, Golden Tigers Jr., of El Paso, Texas; and Team 13059, Creatonicks, of Laredo, Texas.
• Creative Research Awards – Team 5243, WaterWise, of Missouri City, Texas; Team 13190, DAV Aqua First Graders of Houston; and Team 14591, BWCSS Water Baby, of Hong Kong, China.
• Creative Show Awards – Team 12275, LiL ROBO-RANGERS "Challengers,” of Alton, Texas; Team 14520, Smart Peek Pharaohs, of Port Saied, Egypt; and Team 14597, Little Inventors, of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• Design and Show Awards – Team 11080, Fluffy Unicorns, of Houston; Team 13179, Sherwood Forest Water Rockets, of Houston; and Team 14590, LEGO fire two two, of Mexico City, Mexico.
• Discover and Program Awards – Team 8880, Data Minions, of Lone Tree, Colo.; Team 11621, Master Builders MB2, of Jacksonville, Fla.; and Team 14600, Fire Bird, of Shanghai, China.
• Discover and Show Awards – Team 12148, Waipahu Water Scouts, of Waipahu, Hawaii; Team 13191, Water Ninjas, of Houston; and Team 14579, Dragon King, of Beijing, China.
• Innovative Model Awards – Team 8651, AquaBots, of Missouri City, Texas; Team 10120, S4P Synergy 12, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; and Team 13319, Hydro Surfers, of Houston.
• Innovative Poster Awards – Team 6007, Water Saviors, of Tampa, Fla.; Team 9808, Sea Mustangs, of Sugar Land, Texas; and Team 14537, Wellspring, of Vietnam.
• Innovative Programming Awards – Team 12302, Water Spouts - Gemini Lego Jr's, of Melbourne Beach, Fla.; Team 12840, Super Explorers, of Ballwin, Mo.; and Team 14581, Hydro Hero, of Hong Kong, China.
• Innovative Research Awards – Team 267, Mini Mateys, of Greenville, N.C.; Team 6306, Hydro Pump, of Edmond, Okla.; and Team 12300, Tsunami Surfers Gemini Lego Jr's, of Melbourne Beach, Fla.
• Model Design Awards – Team 5855, Rainbow Powers, of Missouri City, Texas; Team 11670, Flying Ninjas, of Bush, La.; and Team 12102, Lightning, of Vietnam.
• Programming Design Awards – Team 8404, Ocean Wave, of Missouri City, Texas; Team 14578, Colorful children, of Lanzhou, China; and Team 14611, The Water Droplets, of West Palm Beach, Fla.
• Research and Design Awards – Team 8076, Water Ninjas, of Missouri City, Texas; Team 8987, Curious Kids, of Keller, Texas; and Team 13852, Go Explorers, of Keller, Texas.
• Research and Discovery Awards – Team 6490, Lego Narwhals, of Castle Rock, Colo.; Team 12858, Aquamarines, of Redmond, Wash.; and Team 14588, Technofusion The yellow, of Tripoli, Lebanon.

Watch highlights from FIRST Championship Houston on the FIRST Twitch Channel and view select photos on the FIRST Facebook page.

The 2018 FIRST Championship will continue next week in Detroit, Michigan, happening from April 25 to 28 at the Cobo Center and Ford Field. Visit The FIRST Championship website, sponsored by Quicken Loans, to learn more. All the highlights – matches, interviews, and analysis – will be streamed live. Join the #FIRSTChamp conversation by following FIRST social media channels.

2018 FIRST Championship Sponsors

Qualcomm is the 2018 FIRST Championship Presenting Sponsor.

2018 FIRST Championship Lead Sponsors include: Google, Inc and Magna International Inc.

2018 FIRST Championship Event Sponsors include: ABB Foundation, The Abbott Fund; BAE Systems; Bechtel Corporation; Booz Allen Hamilton; Delta Air Lines, Inc.; Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau; The Dow Chemical Company; DTE Energy Co.; FCA Foundation; FedEx Corporation; Ford Motor Company; General Motors Company; Houston CVB, Nokia Bell Labs; NRG Energy; TE Connectivity; Twitch; U.S. Air Force; United Technologies; ZF.

2018 FIRST Championship Key Sponsors include: American Axle & Manufacturing; The Boeing Company; Bosch; The Coca-Cola Company; Consumers Energy; DoD STEM; Kettering University; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Mouser Electronics; PwC US, Southwest Airlines; Quicken Loans; Texas Instruments; Two Sigma; Walt Disney Imagineering.

Other 2018 FIRST Championship Supporters include: Aptiv; Arm; Blue Origin; J.R. Automation; KUKA Robotics; Miksa Honey Farms.

Save the date! The FIRST Championship will be held in:

2019: Houston: April 17-20 and Detroit: April 24-27

2020: Houston: April 15-18 and Detroit: April 29-May 2

About FIRST^®

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST^® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $70 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST^® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST^® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST^® LEGO^® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST^® LEGO^® League Jr. for Grades K-4. Gracious Professionalism^® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org.