Kettering University became the first district site in the United States to host back-to-back FIRST Robotics competitions from March 3-5 and March 10-12. A total of 81 teams - 40 and 41 respectively - from across Michigan participated in the competitions at the Recreation Center on Kettering’s campus.

“Experience gained from participating in FIRST Robotics is valued by employers,” said Bob Nichols, Director of the FIRST Robotics Community Center at Kettering University. “The engineering, teamwork and leadership skills that students gain are invaluable as they continue their education and careers.”

This year’s game, “Stronghold,” consisted of alliances of three teams trying to penetrate their opponents’ fortress, weaken their defenses with boulders and capture the opposing tower. The game was revealed on January 9 which gave teams approximately six weeks to build a robot to compete in the competitions.

The winning alliance from March 3-5 was Fridgebot Inc. (#5084) from Corunna, Benzene Bots (#4384) from Troy and More Martians (#70) from Goodrich.

The winning alliance from March 10-12 was MooBotics (#5926) from Port Huron, Volatile Chaos Inhibitors (#5203) from Sanford and Brighton TechnoDogs (#3707) from Brighton.

“This is the 17th consecutive year that Kettering has hosted a FIRST Robotics competition on our campus,” Nichols said. “FIRST Robotics is a tradition at Kettering University.”

Kettering is currently hosting eight teams in the FIRST Robotics Community Center (FRCC) on campus. The FRCC allows Kettering to offer a new, vibrant space that benefits the community, while helping prepare students with in-demand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills that will prepare them for both continuing education and the workforce. Since 1999, Kettering has also awarded over $3 million in scholarships to students who participate in FIRST Robotics.