TAS FRC Team Selected as Global Innovation Challenge Finalist

TAS FRC Team 4253 "Raid Zero" has been chosen as one of 20 FIRST® Robotics Competition Finalists for the FIRST® Global Innovation Awards for the technology project the students are developing to assist stroke patients. This means that they have been selected as a Top 20 team worldwide and will go on to the next round of judging this summer.

Their project is called the NATASHA, which stands for Neural-Network Augmented Therapy Assistance Stroke Healing Approach. 

The team also won three additional awards: the Skills Competition Finalist Award, the Innovation Challenge Semi-Finalist, and the Regional Chairman's Award. 

Tech Cube Director Matt Fagen explains that the Chairman's Award is the award he is most proud of for his students. "Chairman's is for STEM outreach, not just technical excellence," said Fagen. "This puts us in the top 24 in the world for robot ability, top 20 in the world for service-oriented innovation, and world finalists for STEM outreach so far this season. Our kids are smart, kind, talented, and genuinely want to help others."

Team "Raid Zero" will also go on to another round of online interviews at the virtual world championship, but it's not the only TAS team to win awards at the recent FRC competition.

JV Team 8503 also won the Rookie Game Changer Award.

"The team members that lead the JV FRC team are also the ones currently competing in the online VEX World Championships," said Fagen. "So, no matter how the rest of the year plays out, they have had an incredible season."

This good news arrived at a much-needed time as the school began to implement its distance learning plans as a result of governmental Level 3 pandemic protocols. Fagen says that our robotics students have shown incredible resilience, on and off campus, in order to make their STEAM dreams a reality.

"Despite having a strange year, they still found a way to give it their all and make their mark on the world stage," said Fagen.