FIRST Tech Challenge

The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), formerly the FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC), is a mid-level robotics competition targeted toward high-school aged students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit.


The ultimate goal of FTC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, and engineering. The FIRST Tech Challenge grew out of the existing FIRST Robotics Competition and the FIRST Robovation platform. FIRST, RadioShack, and Innovation First collaborated to develop an improved version of the FIRST Robovation kit. The kit was significantly upgraded and was called the Vex Robotics Design System. For the 2008 Season Pitsco developed a platform that uses the NXT brick along with additional hardware and a new structural framework under the new name of TETRIX. Using aluminum parts that will allow participants to add Lego parts and sensors the kit includes 4 DC motors and larger wheels. In addition to hardware changes the system may now be programmed by the NXT software, C, and Labview.

In 2005-06, FIRST piloted the FIRST Vex Challenge as a potential program. The pilot season brought together over 130 teams to compete in 6 regional tournaments. Fifty teams participated in the FVC tournament at the FIRST Championship in April, 2006. On April 29, 2006 the FIRST Board of Directors voted to extend FVC for the 2006-07 season.

In Summer 2007, after two pilot seasons as the FIRST Vex Challenge, FIRST announced that the program would now be named the FIRST Tech Challenge and be an official FIRST program.