2022 FIRST Robotics Competition RAPID REACT

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center took part in the annual For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Aerospace Valley Regional Robotics Competition at Eastside High School in Lancaster, California. The event had over 120 volunteers, most of which were from the local aerospace community that include NASA Armstrong, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, and the US Air Force. Hundreds of high school students competed in the 2022 season challenge, “Rapid React” presented by Boeing. Robots must collect large rubber balls, or “cargo,” and deposit them into the upper and lower bins in the center of the playing field, or “tarmac.” At the end of the game, the robots rush to “hangars” and traverse overhead rungs, like a playground monkey bars. This year, NASA provided a mobile fabrication shop, specifically used for robotic events. Based at Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, the shop is staffed by a NASA crew who manufactured or repaired parts for teams on