FIRST Robotics is a “Cheesecake Factory” of Ideas

Sharing Technology is a Key Part of Gracious Professionalism

By Meghan Valade 

One of the fun things about FIRST robots is cheesecakes. 

In robotics, “cheesecake” is not a snack, it’s the nickname for technology that teams share during competitions. It’s part of a FIRST emphasis on helping students strengthen their teamwork abilities. 

Sharing ideas is a key part of what FIRST founder, Woodie Flowers called gracious professionalism. Gracious Professionalism emphasizes the value of others and respecting everyone and everything. 

FIRST builds key skills that are necessary to be successful in students’ future professional careers. To incorporate gracious professionalism in its activities, the Foley Freeze always reaches out to help others whether it be giving a piece to a struggling team or helping fix a robot of an opposing team. 

Last year, the team provided vision kits, prepackaged cameras, to other teams that didn’t have a vision system. Helping other teams in this way raises the level of competition, allowing teams to capitalize on a good design by enhancing their ability to control it.

 This year the team is also studying some of the ideas developed by other teams to make a better robot.

“It would be very hard without the help of other teams,” said Gavin Zhang, who is a member of the prototyping subteam.