Challenges & Robots

FIRST, which stands for “For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” is a nonprofit organization founded by Dean Kamen in 1989. Structured around a high-school robotics competition, the FIRST Robotics Competition is much more than just a competition, combining gracious professionalism with technology to create an environment that fosters a deeper appreciation for science and technology. Professional mentors as well as college students...

Posted Jan 5, 2013

The 2013 Season is Currently Underway. Team 254 is in the competition season with our robot, Overkill.

Ultimate Ascent is the 2013 FIRST Robotics Competition game. Teams of three robots each collect Frisbees and shoot them into goals of varying heights. There is also a pyramid which can be climbed at the end of the match for bonus points. More...

Posted Jan 5, 2013

Team 254 had a great 2012 season with our robot Skyfire.  We won the Silicon Valley regional and were finalists in both the Championship Curie Division and the Central Valley Regional.

Rebound Rumble is the 2012 FIRST Robotics Competition game. It is styled similarly to basketball where robots manipulate and shoot 8″ foam baskeballs into four hoops on each side of the...

Posted Mar 15, 2012

Team 254 had a spectacular 2011 season with our robot Slipstream, winning the FIRST Championship, the Silicon Valley Regional and the San Diego Regional. The team also won the Industrial Design award at the championship and the Entreprenurship Award for the first time in the team’s history making this Team 254′s most decorated season ever.

Logo Motion is the 2011 FIRST Robotics...

Posted Mar 15, 2011

Team 254 had a fantastic 2010 season with our robot Onslaught, winning two regionals and the Archimedes division at the FIRST Championship.

Breakaway is the game for the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition, announced on January 9, 2010. Robots direct soccer balls into goals, traverse “bumps” in the field, suspend themselves and each other on towers, and/or go through a tunnel located in the...

Posted Mar 16, 2010

Team 254 had a great 2009 season with our robot Devastator. We won the Silicon Valley Regional and won two separate Motorola Quality Awards for our robot’s design.

Lunacy is the game for the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition. The name and some of the features of the game honor the 40th anniversary of the first manned mission to the Moon (Latin: Luna)....

Posted Mar 16, 2009

Team 254 had a spectacular 2008 season with our robot Barricade, winning the Silicon Valley Regional and the San Diego Regional and making it to the division finals at the FIRST Championship.

FIRST Overdrive was the 2008 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition, announced on January 5, 2008. In it, teams competed to complete counterclockwise laps around a central barrier while manipulating large...

Posted Mar 16, 2008

Team 254 had a great 2007 season with our robot Raptor, winning the Las Vegas Regional and the Los Angeles Regional.

Rack ‘n Roll is the game for the 2007 FIRST Robotics Competition season, announced on January 6, 2007. In it, two alliances of three teams each compete to arrange toroidal game pieces on a central arena element known as ‘The...

Posted Mar 16, 2007

Team 254 had a very solid 2006 season with our robot Black Knight, winning the Silicon Valley and Pacific Northwest Regionals and leading our championship alliance to the divisional semifinals.

Aim High was the 2006 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition. The competition involved teams competing to gain points by delivering balls into goals and positioning their robots in certain positions on...

Posted Mar 16, 2006

Team 254 had one of our best years yet in 2005 with our robot Kara, winning the Silicon Valley Regional and becoming Finalists at the world championship. The team also won quality awards at both of the regionals it attended.

This game was the first to feature three robots per alliance. The primary game pieces were called “Tetras” which are tetrahedra...

Posted Mar 16, 2005

2004 was perhaps the best year so far in Team 254′s history. The team won two regionals with its stellar robot, was awarded the Championship Chairman’s Award and was inducted into the FIRST Hall of Fame. 2004 was also a groundbreaking year due to the collaboration between teams 254 and 60, a feat which had never before been done in FIRST.

Team 254 had a solid 2003 season, winning our home regional and taking home awards at both an away regional and at the FIRST Championship with our robot, Mario.

Stack Attack was the game for the 2003 FIRST Robotics Competition. In Stack Attack, two teams of two robots each attempt to win by moving large Sterilite bins into their zone and arranging...

Posted Mar 16, 2003

Team 254 had a great 2002 season with our robot Ecko. After removing the ball manipulator to focus on goal control, we won our home regional and the Calgames offseason event.

Zone Zeal was the 2002 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition. In it, robots playing in alliances of 2 competed to move goals and balls into various zones within the...

Posted Mar 16, 2002

Team 254 had our strongest season yet in 2001, winning two regionals with our robot Holmz, making it to the finals of the FIRST World Championship and winning both California offseason events. The team also won a regional award for our robot’s impressive industrial design.

Diabolical Dynamics, the 2001 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition, was played 4 robots against 0,...

Posted Mar 16, 2001

Team 254 had a solid second season in 2000, winning our home regional once again. The team also traveled for competition for the first time in its history, venturing to Texas to win the Lone Star Regional. After the season concluded, our robot Rocky won two off-season events.

Co-Opertition FIRST was the 2000 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition. The...

Posted Mar 16, 2000

Team 254 had an all-star rookie year. The team went to our local Silcon Valley Regional and won despite fierce comptition from valley veterans and our sister team, the 252 Bay Bombers (since discontinued). After coming out with a bang, the team traveled to the FIRST Championship and won a coveted Judge’s Award.

Double Trouble was the 1999 game for the...

Posted Mar 16, 1999