Skip to content
i2E
  • Programs
    • E3
    • Bridge2
    • ACT Tulsa
    • Love’s Entrepreneur’s Cup
    • OKBio
  • Client Portfolio
  • Services
    • Access to Funding
    • Venture Advisory Services
  • About
    • Our Values
    • Meet Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Corporate Partners
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Programs
    • E3
    • Bridge2
    • ACT Tulsa
    • Love’s Entrepreneur’s Cup
    • OKBio
  • Client Portfolio
  • Services
    • Access to Funding
    • Venture Advisory Services
  • About
    • Our Values
    • Meet Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Corporate Partners
  • Contact
  • Media
Search

FIRST Robotics programmed to captivate

Get in Touch

By Scott Meacham

Copyright © 2014, The Oklahoma Publishing Company

Xavier Zwirtz first got into robots at a 4-H meeting.

At the time, he was an Oklahoma teenager and interested in video games. He readily admits that all the talk about horseback riding and leather making made him think he was in the wrong place. But then the 4-H leader passed around a piece of paper and asked the teenagers to check what interested them.

The word “robotics” was on the list, and Xavier, who has always been homeschooled, was hooked. He joined the 4-H Stars, an Oklahoma FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition team.

With FIRST Robotics Competition, student teams are challenged to build a robot with specific capabilities and then compete against other teams. Xavier describes his early experience as great, even though his team didn’t have a lot of success in the competitions.

“With robots, it’s just impossible not to think they are just awesome, no matter what,” he told me.

The most surprising thing about the FIRST Robotics Competition to Xavier was that it isn’t actually focused on the robot.

Instead it’s focused on getting kids trained to go into the world of science and technology and actually perform.

Xavier kept going with FIRST. He and a group of other homeschoolers with the leadership of parent Vince Liao formed a homeschoolers team, the Lightsabers, now more than 25 members strong; Xavier’s job on the team was to program the robot.

The team has gone to FIRST World Competition multiple times, most recently as the winner of the prestigious Regional Chairman’s Award. This award is given to the “role model” team — the team that goes beyond having a great robot to encourage more students and mentors to get involved.

Although Xavier has completed his high school studies and is now employed as a professional programmer, he still participates hours every week as a team mentor.

“The parallels I see between FRC (First Robotics Competition) and my real job are shocking. FRC was the perfect incubator,” he says. “I would tell every kid to get involved with FRC. No matter what they are interested in, there is something there to get them excited. If they like to work with their hands, they can fabricate. If they like computers, they can program. If they are more into talking with people, they can handle the competition interviews.”

That sums it up.

From oil to aerospace to information technology, it’s a challenge to find enough trained people to fill technical jobs. The secret to attracting students to technical fields is to interest them early on and keep them engaged and excited.

The FIRST Robotics Competition does exactly that.

Scott Meacham is president and CEO of i2E Inc., a nonprofit corporation that mentors many of the state’s technology-based startup companies. i2E receives state appropriations from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. Contact Meacham at [email protected].

DID YOU KNOW?  There are more than $19 million in 850-plus scholarship opportunities from 150-plus providers available to the 67,500 students on 2,700 FIRST Robotics Competition teams.

Click here to read the article at newsok.com

  • admin
    admin

More News

Loading...
headshot of Meredith Wilkerson
Blog, i2E
02.15.23

i2E Spotlight: Meredith Wilkerson, Life Sciences Venture Advisor & OKBio Director

Read more
Black doctor smiling with stethoscope
Blog, i2E
02.09.23

Titan Intake Automates Patient Referrals to Accelerate Care

Read more
man and woman reviewing paperwork at a table
Blog, i2E, News
01.10.23

Stories of Oklahoma Innovation: Building a Startup

Read more
woman in lab conducting a study
Blog, i2E
12.13.22

Bayesic Technologies Improves Effectiveness and Efficiency of Data Analysis in Healthcare

Read more
Bison grazing fields
Blog
11.30.22

Bison Underground Merges Nature, Science, and Technology to Tackle Climate Change

Read more
African American family sitting on couch reading and chatting
Blog, E3, i2E
11.22.22

Fokes Connects Families, Caregivers and Care Agencies for Smoother Communications and Care 

Read more
i2e blog post graphic
Blog, News
11.03.22

Introducing: Stories of Oklahoma Innovation

Read more
Default Featured Image
OKBio
06.28.22

Oklahoma Grown! i2E Invests in BIO startups

Read more
Default Featured Image
OKBio
06.13.22

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation BIO

Read more
Default Featured Image
OKBio
06.13.22

Moleculera Labs BIO

Read more
Default Featured Image
OKBio
06.13.22

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center BIO

Read more
Default Featured Image
OKBio
06.13.22

Oklahoma State University BIO

Read more
i2E

Oklahoma City Office

840 Research Parkway, Suite 250
OKC, OK 73104
+1 (405) 235.2305

Tulsa Office

100 S. Cincinnati Ave – Suite 514
Tulsa, OK 74103
+1 (918) 582.5592

  • Client Portfolio
  • About Us
  • Media
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Resources

© 2023 i2E Privacy Policy

Follow us:

Linkedin Twitter Facebook Instagram

Programs

  • E3
  • Bridge2
  • ACT Tulsa
  • Love's Entrepreneur's Cup
  • OKBio
  • Client Portfolio

Services

  • Access to Funding
  • Venture Advisory Services
  • Contact
  • About
  • Our Values
  • Our Team
  • Board of Directors
  • Corporate Partners
  • Media
i2E