Robotics Community Center

Ready for Launch: ɫ��Ƶ Prepares to Host the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff

lmadaus — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:45:52 +0000

Ready for Launch: ɫ��Ƶ Prepares to Host the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff

lmadaus Thu, 12/11/2025 - 09:45

On January 10, 2026, ɫ��Ƶ will welcome hundreds of students and mentors to campus for the FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff, the highly anticipated moment when teams from around the globe learn the new season's challenge and begin the intense process of designing and building their robots.

More than 54 teams will travel to Flint to watch the official reveal together and collect their Kit of Parts, the foundation for every robot they will build this season. The official game reveal will be streamed live on the FIRST Robotics Competition YouTube Channel for those who do not travel to a host site.

While the Kickoff marks the start of the engineering cycle, it also reunites the FIRST community. It is the first shared moment of the year: the return of familiar jokes, predictions about the new game, and the energy that comes from students seeing themselves as part of a far-reaching STEM movement.

For ɫ��Ƶ, hosting Kickoff reflects a long-standing commitment to FIRST programs across Michigan. Thousands of students visit campus each year for robotics events, pre-college programs, training sessions, and team meetups—a relationship that connects young competitors with university-level tools, spaces, and mentorship.

FIRST Robotics Competition: A Foundation for Future Engineers

The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges high school students to design, build, and program industrial-style robots while developing the teamwork, communication, and engineering judgment essential to STEM careers. Guided by professional mentors, students learn to think strategically, collaborate under pressure, and solve complex problems with creativity and precision.

FIRST’s culture reinforces these skills. Gracious Professionalism encourages students to operate with integrity and respect, while Coopertition rewards collaboration even in competitive environments. Together, these principles help prepare students for careers in college, industry, and research.

More than 3,600 teams are expected to participate this season at district and regional events, culminating in the FIRST Championship this spring.

ɫ��Ƶ’s Role in Michigan’s Robotics Landscape

For over two decades, ɫ��Ƶ has played a pivotal role in advancing Michigan’s robotics ecosystem. The university hosts major FIRST and VEX events, provides development and gathering spaces for teams statewide, and offers youth robotics programs that introduce students to engineering well before college.

ɫ��Ƶ’s commitment extends far beyond campus. The Robotics Center and admission staff regularly visit high school build sites, attend competitions across the country, and volunteer at events throughout the season, including 19 competitions since September, with seven more planned before the end of February. The university has also broadened its outreach by sponsoring teams and events in Michigan and across the U.S., helping offset rising costs that challenge many programs. In 2025, ɫ��Ƶ awarded 88 Robotics Scholarships, with 85% of recipients enrolling, clear evidence of the university’s investment in students who begin their engineering journey through robotics.

Hosting the 2026 Kickoff continues this tradition. By welcoming students at the very start of the season, ɫ��Ƶ helps set the stage for months of collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving—and offers competitors a direct connection to an institution shaped by hands-on, industry-centered education.

Looking Toward the 2026 Season

Once the game is revealed, teams will begin brainstorming strategies, prototyping designs, and building the robots they will use in the competition. For many students, the next six weeks will shape not only their performance on the field, but also their academic and career aspirations.

ɫ��Ƶ is proud to support those journeys—and to again serve as a launch point for Michigan’s FIRST community as the 2026 season begins.

January 2026 - Robotics Pre-college Camps Registration Opens
February 7, 2026 - Kitbot/Robot in 3 Days Competition for FIRST Robotics teams, ɫ��Ƶ Robotics Center
February 15, 2026 - ɫ��Ƶ Robotics Scholarship Application Deadline
February 16-26, 2026 - ɫ��Ƶ Robotics Scholarship Award Decisions (88 awarded in 2025)
March 1, 2026 - Week 0 Competition for FIRST Robotics teams, ɫ��Ƶ
March 20-22, 2026 - ɫ��Ƶ is the Pit Sponsor for the FIM Kearsley District Event
April 10-12, 2026 - ɫ��Ƶ is the Pit Sponsor for the FIM Fenton District Event
April 16-18, 2026 - ɫ��Ƶ will exhibit in Scholarship Row at the FIRST in Michigan State Championship
April 29-May 2, 2026 - ɫ��Ƶ will participate in the Innovation Faire at the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas
July 18-19, 2026 - All-Star Alliance Invitational for FIRST Robotics teams, ɫ��Ƶ Connie & Jim John Recreation Center
July 20-31, 2026 - Robotics camps for FIRST Robotics students, ɫ��Ƶ Robotics Center
September 12-13, 2026 - ɫ��Ƶ Kickoff 1 & 2 Off-season Competitions for FIRST Robotics teams, ɫ��Ƶ Connie & Jim John Recreation Center

Visit /robotics for more information as event dates approach.

Built to Break the Mold: KUdos Wins Innovate Award at VEX Worlds

rnorris — Thu, 29 May 2025 14:30:50 +0000

Built to Break the Mold: KUdos Wins Innovate Award at VEX Worlds

Competition Teams

Combat Robotics

Robotics

Robotics Community Center

VEX

Undergraduate

rnorris Thu, 05/29/2025 - 10:30

Combining ingenuity, bold strategy, and cross-league collaboration, ɫ��Ƶ’s robotics team stands out on the global stage.

At ɫ��Ƶ, students don’t wait to build the future — they engineer it now. That mindset powered KUdos, ɫ��Ƶ’s VEX U robotics team, to win the Innovate Award at the 2025 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas.

The award recognizes teams whose engineering approach challenges convention and advances the game. KUdos delivered on both.

“We came up with a strategy that had never been done before in VEX history,” said Andrew Bolthouse ’27, an engineering major with a specialization in mechatronics systems from Hudsonville, Michigan. “Our robots, Rafiki and Simba, connect at the start of the match and stay joined the entire time. That decision shaped everything.”

Instead of focusing on scoring rings, the team prioritized maximum elevation. The KUdos climbing system allowed Rafiki and Simba to scale anywhere on the field, even on top of other game elements, as long as they touched the ladder. That move gave KUdos a competitive edge that other teams couldn’t match.

“We really just focused on ways to win without caring what our opponents did and without scoring a ton of rings,” said Connor O’Keefe ‘25, the Strategy Lead for the team.

“We knew the points for a top-tier climb were so high that if we could pull it off consistently, we’d force other teams to adjust to us,” Bolthouse said. “And they did.”

What made the KUdos win even more impressive was the diversity of experience behind the build. The team includes alumni from VEX, FIRST Robotics, and Square One, combining distinct competition mindsets into a single, high-performing unit.

“It’s rare to see a team bring together students from three different robotics leagues and have them mesh so well,” said Kim Shumaker, Director of the Robotics Center & Robotics Outreach at ɫ��Ƶ. “That kind of collaboration is what sets KUdos apart. They’re not just building for competition — they’re building on each other’s strengths.”

Many KUdos team members come from out of state, drawn to ɫ��Ƶ by its robotics culture and its 50/50 rigorous academic and paid professional Co-op program. Connor O'Keefe ‘25, a computer science major, hails from Vancouver, WA. He spends his Co-op terms in Troy, MI, working at MAHLE. Nathan Nguyen ‘26, a mechanical engineering major from Cypress, CA, made the decision to complete his Co-op assignment closer to home at RadiaBeam in Santa Monica, CA. Katee Callicutt ‘27, a mechanical engineering major, found Co-op work in her hometown of Greenville, SC, at Magna Seating on its BMW account. Bolthouse credits his Co-op with helping him understand the value of documentation and version control.

“What I’ve learned on the job, I’ve brought back to the team,” Bolthouse said. “Every time we made a change to the robot, I took photos, tracked updates, and kept our process transparent. That discipline made us stronger.”

Throughout the season, the team met virtually while split between school and work terms and collaborated on CAD and documentation using tools like Onshape and Google Docs. The team’s engineering notebook — another competition component — was the product of real teamwork.

“We like to say: two sections, one team,” said Callicutt. “We can pass off what we’re doing with the robot and know confidently that our teammates on the other section are going to do what they need to do.”

“My proudest moment was when Bob Mimlitch, the co-founder of VEX Robotics, stopped by our booth,” Bolthouse added. “He took photos of our robot, asked questions, and told us how impressed he was with our approach. That made it all worth it.”

As KUdos looks ahead to future seasons, the vision is clear: keep pushing, keep climbing — and maybe one day, take the world title.

“We’re proud of what we built,” Bolthouse said. “But we’re not done.”

ɫ��Ƶ Awarded $25,000 in Grants for Robotics Center and Pre-College Robotics Programs

rnorris — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:08:13 +0000

ɫ��Ƶ Awarded $25,000 in Grants for Robotics Center and Pre-College Robotics Programs

Campus

ɫ��Ƶ Combat Robotics Team

Grants

Robotics

FIRST

Robotics Community Center

Robotics

rnorris Tue, 02/20/2024 - 10:08

ɫ��Ƶ’s Robotics program has received $25,000 in grants from three organizations to support pre-college robotics camps and to purchase machining equipment for its Robotics Community Center.

Those philanthropic organizations and contributions include:

The Arthur G. Bishop Charitable Trust - $10,000
The James A. Welch Foundation - $10,000
The Nartel Family Foundation - $5,000

“The grants from the Arthur G. Bishop Charitable Trust, James A. Welch Foundation, and Nartel Family Foundation will empower students in Genesee County to attend ɫ��Ƶ's transformative summer camps, learn new skills and explore a college campus,” said Kim Shumaker, Robotics Community Center and Robotics Outreach Director at ɫ��Ƶ.

The 9,600-square-foot Robotics Community Center opened in 2014. It features machining and designing areas, a regulation-size practice field and bays for robotics teams to store equipment.

ɫ��Ƶ’s pre-college robotics camps sharpen student's collaborative problem-solving abilities through hands-on activities. Because students are interested in many different aspects of robotics, camps cover various topics from programming to design to construction to leadership. Because all camps take place at ɫ��Ƶ, students are immersed in the college environment and can choose between day camps and residential camps.

The $10,000 grant from the Arthur G. Bishop Charitable Trust will help Flint and Genesee County students overcome financial barriers to participating in pre-college summer camps at ɫ��Ƶ and gaining experience with various robotics programs, including aerial drones. The grant also helps fund Robotics Center mobile camps and workshops, which can bring fun and learning through robotics to schools or facilities in underserved communities.

"Educational opportunities in Genesee County are key to our mission, so we are honored to continue our support of ɫ��Ƶ's stellar Engineering and Computer Science programs," said Dennis Leyder, Trustee of the Arthur G. Bishop Charitable Trust. “Besides expanding their understanding of robotics, students will gain teamwork skills to prepare them for the future. The students come away with a sense of accomplishment, and—best of all—it's fun.”

Similarly, the $10,000 grant from the James A. Welch Foundation will help reduce financial barriers for students from Genesee County, enabling them to participate in pre-college summer camps at ɫ��Ƶ and build their interest in STEM through various robotics programs, including drones.

"The Welch Foundation has awarded many grants to ɫ��Ƶ due to their support and outreach to Genesee County students and their cultivation and identification of talented youth," said Dr. Gail Ganakas, President of the James A Welch Foundation. "ɫ��Ƶ’s robotics programs engage teams to explore their gifts and talents in STEM activities. Students are provided opportunities to demonstrate higher-level thinking skills that often go unrecognized."

The $5,000 grant from the Nartel Family Foundation will fund the purchase and installation of a computer numerical control (CNC) machine in the Robotics Center. Students can cut various parts using the CNC machine and learn to use more advanced robotics build concepts such as computer-aided design (CAD).

"The Nartel Family Foundation is proud of ɫ��Ƶ's role in helping young people find their potential through pre-college programs and advanced machinery,” said Timm Allen, Communications Officer & Trustee of the Nartel Family Foundation. “We feel that what these young people learn and experience will help them in their future careers. We are honored to support ɫ��Ƶ."

In addition to pre-college programs and machinery, gifts can also fund robotics scholarships. The University offered its first two scholarships to robotics students in 1999 and has awarded more than $5.5 million since then.

Creativity Fuels Student-Led Teams in FIRST Robotics Annual Robot in Three Days Challenge

eoboyle — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 14:45:59 +0000

Creativity Fuels Student-Led Teams in FIRST Robotics Annual Robot in Three Days Challenge

Academic Building

Robotic Systems

Robotics

Robotics Community Center

“We're catering to the younger teams and students who are looking for ideas and inspiration, so we really have to think outside the box and find the simplest solutions.“

Kirsten Smith '26
Mechanical Engineering

eoboyle Thu, 01/18/2024 - 09:45

As a returning Robot in Three Days strategist, Kirsten Smith (’26, Mechanical Engineering) understands the value of thinking outside the box.

“Strategy is absolutely everything,” she explained. “Of course, we want to build a working robot that can be competitive, but we have to keep in mind who our audience is. We're catering to the younger teams and students who are looking for ideas and inspiration, so we really have to think outside the box and find the simplest solutions.”

Smith, from Brighton, participated in FIRST’s annual Robot in Three Days (Ri3D) Challenge, which requires competitors to build a robot for the 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Game, CRESCENDO. The Ri3D Challenge took place Jan. 6-9 in the Robotics Community Center at ɫ��Ƶ.

In CRESCENDO, teams compete to score notes and amplify their speakers, aiming to harmonize their robots onstage and take the spotlight within a time limit. In the first 15 seconds of the match, robots operate autonomously. Drivers control the robots during the remaining two minutes and 15 seconds. Teams earn bonus points when they meet scoring thresholds and cooperate with opponents.

“If strategy is everything, creativity is even more,” Smith said. “We have to be resourceful, not only with our time, but with the spare parts and materials available. We don't want to intrude on the teams' stocks, so we have to use parts and chunks of old robots that are years old.”

As teams work within a three-day time frame, tools like Computer-Aided Design (CAD) modeling software are a crucial part of the build. This year, ɫ��Ƶ shared the Bulldogs’ progress by making the team’s virtual CAD platform, named OnShape, available to the public.

For students unable to make the trip to ɫ��Ƶ's Robotics Community Center, watching teams design and build robots online is inspiring.

“FIRST students from all around the world go to the First Updates Now (FUN) YouTube channel or OnShape to see the many designs created by Ri3D teams like ɫ��Ƶ,” said Kim Shumaker, the ɫ��Ƶ Director of Robotics Outreach & Robotics Center. “These designs are often a starting point for the high school teams and can save design time, especially for rookie teams.”

As ɫ��Ƶ continues to support young robotics teams, platforms like YouTube continue to be a crucial connection point for new students.

“The FUN YouTube channel is a go-to for robotics students. The attention they dedicate to robotics is phenomenal,” Shumaker said. “They’re an important partner for ɫ��Ƶ as we reach out to these talented young students involved with robotics.”

This year, ɫ��Ƶ will host two FIRST Robotics District events Feb. 29-March 2 and March 7-9.

Teams can watch videos from the build here.

Click here for more information about robotics at ɫ��Ƶ.

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Engineering (BSE)

Robotics Community Center

Ready for Launch: ɫ����Ƶ Prepares to Host the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff

Built to Break the Mold: KUdos Wins Innovate Award at VEX Worlds

ɫ����Ƶ Awarded $25,000 in Grants for Robotics Center and Pre-College Robotics Programs

Creativity Fuels Student-Led Teams in FIRST Robotics Annual Robot in Three Days Challenge

Ready for Launch: ɫ��Ƶ Prepares to Host the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff

ɫ��Ƶ Awarded $25,000 in Grants for Robotics Center and Pre-College Robotics Programs