UK National Championship 2022-23
39 groundbreaking teams across the UK united at the Cambridge University Sports Centre on 23 June 2023, fired to take on the global POWERPLAY game once more to be crowned National FIRST Tech Challenge UK champions.
Powered up by a national force for good
The day marked the first time UK teams have competed at a national level after advancing from their regional tournaments back in March. Sponsored by industry partners Arm Inc., Raytheon Technologies, and Disney among others, and fuelled by our squad of industry Game Changers, the champs was a supercharged, electric experience with collaboration taking centre stage.
A game played by legends
All-star teams flooded the arena ready to apply their advanced technical knowledge and soft skills on the game field. With bags of energy, confidence and savvy robots, teams shot for success with a calibre of Coopertition and Gracious Professionalism never seen before at a UK event – a monumental progression from the regionals. We can still hear the roaring cheers from supporters that rumbled the venue.
A mission worth supercharging
A huge thanks to industry role models who made the event possible, and a special shoutout to Rosie Lawrence, STEM Ambassador and Aircraft Fitter from Raytheon Technologies for her inspiring talk, and Vikrant our Founder for sharing how much we’ve achieved over five years of advancing an unwavering mission. And lastly, a massive congratulations to all teams who participated like gracious professionals this season and those that left with industry-judged awards. You should all be very proud!
And now for the highlights…
Raytheon Technologies Division Rankings
| Rank | Number | Name | RP | TBP1 | TBP2 | HS | Played |
| 1 | 19270 | UK 068 – Calderstones | 2 | 35 | 30.40 | 131 | 5 |
| 2 | 21000 | UK 344 – Digital Pancakes | 2 | 29.60 | 33.40 | 138 | 5 |
| 3 | 22486 | UK 326 – Denstone College | 1.6 | 20 | 30.8 | 138 | 5 |
| 4 | 21648 | UK 429 – Alconbury HS – Mr. Krabs | 1.6 | 20 | 28 | 110 | 5 |
| 5 | 20981 | UK 035 – St John Fisher – Circuit Breakers Vol2 | 1.6 | 17 | 22 | 104 | 5 |
| 6 | 22576 | UK 463 – St. Paul’s Girls School – SPGS | 1.6 | 13 | 17.4 | 91 | 5 |
| 7 | 22640 | UK 465 – Harrow School – Team Euclid | 1.2 | 23 | 25.8 | 117 | 5 |
| 8 | 21207 | UK 425 – Trumpington 2 | 1.2 | 14 | 24.6 | 87 | 5 |
| 9 | 19284 | UK 248 – Team ROS | 1.2 | 12.4 | 23 | 110 | 5 |
| 10 | 21203 | UK 108 – Oldfields | 0.8 | 16.4 | 16.4 | 62 | 5 |
| 11 | 22487 | UK 459 – Oxford High School – Cubotics | 0.8 | 15 | 19.6 | 85 | 5 |
| 12 | 21008 | UK 165 – The Observatory School 1 | 0.8 | 13.8 | 20 | 86 | 5 |
| 13 | 20993 | UK 090 – Outwood Academy Newbold – GroundX | 0.8 | 10.4 | 16.8 | 57 | 5 |
| 14 | 21187 | UK 426 – Equuleus | 0.8 | 8 | 11.4 | 43 | 5 |
| 15 | 22619 | UK 450 – Poole Grammar School – Robotron | 0.8 | 6 | 22.6 | 83 | 5 |
| 16 | 20992 | UK 384 – Berkeley Robotics | 0.4 | 10 | 17.4 | 72 | 5 |
| 17 | 22456 | UK 447 – BSG – BSGRobotics | 0.4 | 5.4 | 20.8 | 90 | 5 |
| 18 | 22593 | UK 451 – Harris Academy Sutton – Drakon | 0.4 | 5.4 | 9.6 | 69 | 5 |
| 19 | 21011 | UK 105 – Bishop Perowne | 0 | 20.2 | 11.8 | 76 | 5 |
| 20 | 21003 | UK 126 – AUEA – Bostin Dynamics | 0 | 0.6 | 16.6 | 62 | 5 |
Arm Division Rankings
| Rank | Number | Name | RP | TBP1 | TBP2 | HS | Played |
| 1 | 15469 | UK 170 – Alconbury HS – The Scally Lads & The Wrench | 2 | 27.2 | 21.4 | 120 | 5 |
| 2 | 19280 | UK 235 – Blackout Robotics | 2 | 21.6 | 26 | 120 | 5 |
| 3 | 20982 | UK 032 – St John Fisher – Hotwire Rewired | 2 | 20 | 28 | 123 | 5 |
| 4 | 19259 | UK 279 – Brighton College | 1.6 | 13.2 | 17 | 120 | 5 |
| 5 | 18889 | UK 063 – Perton Middle School – Team Snap Wire | 1.2 | 28.4 | 24.2 | 123 | 5 |
| 6 | 20998 | UK 239 – fernDOWNLOAD#239 | 1.2 | 16.4 | 17.6 | 79 | 5 |
| 7 | 23053 | UK 272 – Lilian Baylis Technology School | 1.2 | 16.4 | 8 | 52 | 5 |
| 8 | 22808 | UK 457 – St John’s – Horizons | 1.2 | 13.2 | 14.8 | 116 | 5 |
| 9 | 21014 | UK 009 – Woodhouse Academy – Sleepy Sloths | 1.2 | 5.6 | 11.4 | 60 | 5 |
| 10 | 22706 | UK 049 – St Patricks College – SPC | 0.8 | 10.2 | 12 | 77 | 5 |
| 11 | 21849 | UK 449 – TechTonics | 0.8 | 9.8 | 9.2 | 76 | 5 |
| 12 | 22877 | UK 149 – The Petchey Academy – Petchey Robotics | 0.8 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 120 | 5 |
| 13 | 21116 | UK 381 – MCB Robotech | 0.8 | 5.2 | 12.6 | 107 | 5 |
| 14 | 22699 | UK 454 – Barking Abbey – Techerz | 0.8 | 4.4 | 9.4 | 85 | 5 |
| 15 | 22457 | UK 456 – BSG – BSGRobotics | 0.4 | 20.4 | 8 | 49 | 5 |
| 16 | 21206 | UK 183 – Trumpington | 0.4 | 20 | 11.8 | 100 | 5 |
| 17 | 22663 | UK 041 – SMWCA – VNation | 0.4 | 8.8 | 12.6 | 47 | 5 |
| 18 | 22802 | UK 323 – Swanage | 0.4 | 8 | 7 | 98 | 5 |
| 19 | 21135 | UK 007 – Newbotics 101 | 0 | 8 | 7.6 | 55 | 5 |
Table key
| RP – Rank Points | TBP – Tie Breaker Points | HS – High Score |
| TBP1: For a single Team competing remotely, the Team’s Autonomous Period score for a Qualification Match is used as their TBP1. Total TBP1 is the sum of the TBP1s of all non-Surrogate Qualification Matches that a Team plays in a Tournament. |
| TBP2: For a single Team competing remotely, the Team’s End Game specific task score for a Qualification Match is used as their TBP2. Total TBP2 is the sum of the TBP2s of all non-Surrogate Qualification Matches that a Team plays in a Tournament. |
Team Awards
Judges Award Winner, The Spirit of FIRST, ‘unique efforts, performance and dynamic’
UK-323, 21118, The Swanage School
“This award came to be because we’ve heard about how some of the teams here are participating in FIRST Tech Challenge for the first time today, a feat we find admirable. The winning team is a small and tight-knit team. They’re new to this and are learning while doing. Even through technical difficulties, matches and judging inspections, they’ve always kept their spirits high, like fish, they’ve just kept swimming.”
Control Award sponsored by Arm, Inc Winner, ‘mastering robot intelligence’
UK-068, 19270, Calderdrones, Calderstone School
“This award is given to the team that was very clever with their programming and has shown innovative thinking in the control system to solve game challenges.”
“This was a hard-fought category, with a number of teams exhibiting brilliant algorithms in action on the field. The winning team was chosen because they made sure that their robot worked at great speed and accuracy when we watched their engineering portfolio on the field. The team showcased their best performance in terms of control with the amazing ‘Roadrunner + meep-meep’ algorithms.”
1st runner up – UK-235, 19280, Blackout Robotics, American School in London
2nd runner up – UK-426, 21187, Equuleus, Nonsuch High School
Motivate Award Winner, ‘sparking others to embrace the culture of FIRST’
UK-426, 21187, Equuleus, Nonsuch High School
1st runner up – UK-041, 22663, VNation, St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy
2nd runner up – UK-451, 22593, Drakon, Harris Academy Sutton
Design Award Winner, ‘industrial design at its best’
UK-041, 22663, VNation, St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy
“This award goes to a team with a robot that functions well, and looks great too. The innovative design does not compromise the practical operation of the robot, but complements its purpose.”
“This award covers many aspects of engineering, not just the main function of the build but also its compact and individual design. What has nudged this team into first place is the mixture of year groups within the team, contributing towards the various tasks and its aesthetic design of a circuit layout in the build.”
1st runner up – UK-456, 22457, Ultraviolet, Bournemouth School for Girls
2nd runner up – UK-426, 21187, Equuleus, Nonsuch High School
Innovate Award sponsored by Raytheon Technologies Winner, ‘bringing great ideas from concept to reality’
UK-381, 21116, MCB Robotech, Methodist College Belfast
“This award celebrates a team that thinks imaginatively and has the ingenuity, creativity, and inventiveness to make their designs come to life. This award celebrates a team that thinks outside the box and has the most innovative and creative robot design solution to any specific components in the FIRST Tech Challenge game.”
“This team has impressed the judges with their innovative, out of the box ideas. We have seen their creative design brought to life. This team developed a stable pressure clamp from concept in their engineering notebook to reality on the field.”
1st runner up – UK-463, 22576, St Paul’s Girls School
2nd runner up – UK-108, 21203, Oldfields
Connect Award Winner, ‘connecting the dots between community, FIRST, and the diversity of the engineering world’
UK-032, 20982, Hotwire Rewired, St John Fisher Catholic College
“This team has helped the community understand FIRST, the FIRST Tech Challenge, and the team itself, and has recognised that engaging their local STEM community plays an essential part in their success.”
“This was really hard, we shortlisted 13 teams who surpassed the values of the Connect Award. What stood out about the winning team was the level of detail, thought and planning demonstrated in their engineering notebook. We felt like we’d been with them on every step of their journey this season. We picked our winner as the ‘hottest’ team because of their persistence in building connections with the STEM community. After lots of deliberation, we ‘rewired’ our thinking to make the final pick.”
1st runner up – UK-456, 22457, Ultraviolet, Bournemouth School for Girls
2nd runner up – UK-457, 22808, Horizons, St Johns Marlborough
Think Award Winner, ‘removing engineering obstacles through creative thinking’
UK-456, 22457, Ultraviolet, Bournemouth School for Girls
“This award recognises a team with an amazing engineering section in their Engineering Portfolio. The team has carefully noted the journey they have taken throughout the engineering design process during the build season.”
“Many teams had a great engineering portfolio, but this team’s portfolio was ‘ultra’ detailed and very balanced between presenting their journey and describing the engineering process. The effort this team put into documentation should be awarded. And we can’t glance over their choice of team colour!”
1st runner up – UK-426, 21187, Equuleus, Nonsuch High School
2nd runner up – UK-068, 19270, Calderdrones, Calderstone School
Raytheon Technologies Division Finalists
UK-326, 22486, Denstone College
UK-429, 21648, Alconbury Middle School
Raytheon Technologies Division Winners
UK-068, 19270, Calderdrones, Calderstone School
UK-344, 21000, Digital Pancakes, Friend’s School
Arm Division Finalists
UK-235, 19280, Blackout Robotics, American School in London
UK-170, 15469, The Scally Lads & The Wrench, Alconbury Middle School
Arm Division Winners
UK-032, 20982, Hotwire Rewired, St John Fisher Catholic College
UK-063, 18889, Team Snapwire, Perton Middle School
Inspire Award Winner, ‘the BIG one’
UK-235, 19280, Blackout Robotics, American School in London
“They have embodied the ‘challenge’ of the FIRST Tech Challenge programme, were a top contender for many other judged awards, and are all-rounded gracious competitors.”
“We have been blown away by the competition, making the decision very difficult. The winners of the inspire award demonstrated that your first idea isn’t always the best but through a lot of designing, testing and changing of game strategy, proved to be the one. This was clearly shown in their detailed portfolio and during their fantastic interviews. They truly embody what being part of FIRST is all about.”
1st runner up – UK-344, 21000, Digital Pancakes, Friend’s School
2nd runner up – UK-170, 15469, The Scally Lads & The Wrench, Alconbury Middle School
Photo highlights
To download an image for use in your school or company’s comms, hit the link to open the photo gallery in a new window, open the photo you want to use and click the download icon. Please credit all photos used to “FIRST UK and Black Star Photography”. All images ©️ FIRST UK 2023.
And there we have it! It’s been a wild ride and we hope you’ve enjoyed every moment as much as have at HQ.
To the community of industry heads from Arm, Raytheon Technologies, Qualcomm, Bloomberg, Haas Foundation, Twilio team leads and mentors who donated their time, energy and exceptional people to invest in the STEM futures of young people, thank you all for a momentous year!
For now, give the bots a break and we can’t wait to see you back on the game field with teams reaching new heights of excellence in a fresh season. It’s time to pack up the POWERPLAY gear and set up for STEAM in 2023-24.
Let’s keep building #MoreThanRobotsUK.
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