Pennsylvania FTC Championship Tournament

The Judges Award is given at the discretion of the Judges to a Team they have encountered whose unique efforts, performance or dynamics merit recognition, yet the Team does not fit into any of the existing Award categories.

Here is what the judges had to say about the winner:

This small team of young warriors fought the obstacles of circumstance and distance to win our hearts. They performed admirably at competition and battled their way to the top. We know they will become Knights in the future. The Rising Star Award goes to team 9812, T-Noble!

The Compass Award recognizes an adult coach or mentor who provided outstanding guidance and support for a FIRST Tech Challenge Team throughout the year. The winner of the Compass Award is determined from candidates nominated by FIRST Tech Challenge student Team members, via a 40-60 second video submission, highlighting how their mentor has helped them become an outstanding Team and truly demonstrated what it means to be a Gracious Professional.

The Promote Award is given to the Team that is most successful in creating a compelling message for the public designed to change our culture and celebrate science, technology, engineering and math. The FIRST Tech Challenge Public Service Announcement Video was evaluated by the Judges to determine the winner of this Award. Teams must present a thoughtful and high-quality video which appeals to the general public and best exhibits this year's topic of "This is how I plan to pay FIRST forward..."

The Control Award is given to the Team that demonstrates innovative thinking in the control system to solve Game challenges such as Autonomous Operation, enhancing mechanical systems with intelligent control, or using sensors to achieve better results on the Field.

Here is what the judges had to say about the winner:

This team used their sensors to score big in autonomous. They used PID algorithms to maximize their power. Their IMU and filters gave them clean data.

The Motivate Award celebrates the team that exemplifies the essence of the FIRST Tech Challenge competition through team building, team spirit and exhibited enthusiasm. This team celebrates their team, their individuality and their spirit through team attire, and exhibits their outstanding team spirit. This teams enthusiasm and spirit motivates others to embrace the culture of the competition and FIRST. The team has also made a collective effort to make FIRST known throughout their school and community.

Here is what the judges had to say about the winner:

This team has been a gift to many other teams in their area. They go to great 'lengths' to show the 'depth' of their commitment to STEM. It's good that they are not taped shut so they can go OUT and spread the message of FIRST.

The intent of the PTC Design Award is to expand the challenge, inspiring Teams to incorporate industrial design into their robots. These elements can be shown in the simplicity of the design as it applies to the tasks, the look and feel of the robot, and how the design allows us to think of robots in new ways. The Design aspect must serve a function but they should also differentiate the robot in a unique fashion not an easy task with a limited set of parts and game challenge.

Here is what the judges had to say about the winner:

This team had a well documented robot design, supported by analysis, mathematics, prototyping and CAD models. Their robot design strategy was as clear for the judges to see as the internals of their robot. With an abundance of 3D printed parts, they really turned the heat up on the competition.

The Rockwell Collins Innovate Award celebrates a Team that not only thinks outside the box, but also has the ingenuity and inventiveness to make their designs come to life.

Here is what the judges had to say about the winner:

This team's innovative approach weighed heavily in the judge's deliberations. Their 3-pronged strategy for the game led to their success on the field. They gravitated to the top with their all-around good performance.

The Connect Award, is presented to the Team that the Judges feel most connected with their local community and the engineering community. The best Team is more than the sum of its parts, and recognizes that their schools and communities play an essential part to their success. The recipient of this Award is recognized for helping the community understand FIRST, the FIRST Tech Challenge, and the Team itself. In addition, the Team that wins this Award is aggressively seeking engineers and exploring the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science and technology.

Here is what the judges had to say about the winner:

The team that won this award showed their 'metal' by hosting many engineering outreach events. They gained a lot of publicity for FIRST in their local news. They even slithered their way across the globe.

The Think Award is given to the Team that the Judges feel best understood the role of the engineering notebook in the design process. The Engineering Notebook is the key reference for Judges to help them identify the most deserving Team. This Team's Engineering Notebook focused on the design and build stages of the Team's robot and exemplified their journey as a team and engineers.

Here is what the judges had to say about the winner:

Using math charts, diagrams, and design matrices, this team documented their journey with engineering precision. Their notebook was easily 'red' and filled with pure gold. These wise ones celebrated their experiences by spreading the joy of FIRST to communities near and far. (d'hee_rhay d'hee_rhay).

FIRST Dean's List Finalists are outstanding student leaders whose passion for and effectiveness at attaining FIRST ideals is exemplary. These students were nominated by their teams for their direct contributions and impact on others exemplifying leadership and commitment, on their FIRST Tech Challenge team, in their school, and in their community. FIRST Dean's List Finalists, recognized here today, are also our nominees for the FIRST Dean's List at the Championship.

The Inspire Award is given to the Team that the Judges felt truly embodied the challenges of the FTC program. This Team serves as an inspiration to what this program, and the young minds involved, can accomplish. The Team that receives this Award has performed well in all Judging categories and was chosen by the Judges as a model FIRST Tech Challenge Team. The Judges used Match performance, observations made during interviews and in the pit area, the Team's Engineering Notebook, and performance on the playing field in determining the winner.

Here is what the judges had to say about the winner:

This well-rounded team showed the judges a great robot, design process, and extensive community outreach. Despite the color of their robot, this team from the west was no dark horse. This award winning team demonstrated that when the mind fuses with STEM, BIG things can happen.