Macquarie’s FIRST Robotics team – winners on the world stage

Macquarie University’s FIRST* Robotics Team 3132, aka Thunder Down Under, is a group of high school students and mentors who share a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

The students, from years 8-12, come from more than 40 high schools across Sydney.

They are advised and guided by mentors from industry and academia as they design and build robots from gears, motors, metal and electronics, with the aim of competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC): the annual ‘Olympics’ for young people competing to build and program robots to perform tasks.

This year’s challenge began in the summer with an intensive six-week robot ‘build session’. In April, team members joined around 15,000 students from around the world in the US city of Houston to compete with their robot in the FRC.

For their efforts, Thunder Down Under won the competition’s highest honour, the Chairman’s Award for the team best representing a model for other teams to emulate and that best embodies the FIRST purpose and goals for inspiration and recognition of science and technology.

The award is a huge achievement for Team 3132, being the first winner from outside North America and the first to win so quickly after its formation.

Click here to see the team’s competition submission.

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_{FIRST® (For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology) Robotics is an internationally acclaimed robotics program that inspires a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in young people.
FIRST® Australia was established at Macquarie University in 2006 and has partnered with schools and universities across Australia with teams and competitions held in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.}