Robotics Community Center

eoboyle Thu, 06/25/2026 - 18:39

2026-09-12T06:30:00-0400 _2026-09-12T19:00:00-0400

2026-09-13T06:30:00-0400 _2026-09-13T19:00:00-0400

51Ʒ��

The 51Ʒ�� Kickoff competitions are held at the Connie & Jim John Recreation Center at 51Ʒ��.

Please note: These events are not an FIM event and FIM is not organizing, sponsoring or running the event.

Teams will play the 2026 season game using the 2026 season rules. These are two separate events held in one weekend. Teams may compete in one or both 51Ʒ�� Kickoff events, which is particularly beneficial for teams from out-of-state. Each team will be assigned a 10’ x 10' pit with access to electricity. Each team will be assigned 2 tables that they can use for team food/beverages.

The campus tour begins at 4:30 PM both days. Teams who participate in the campus tour at 4:30 PM will then be permitted to load their team items into their pit at 5:00 PM Standard load-in for teams that do not register to tour begins at 6:00 PM the night before their event or 6:30 AM the day of their event. Teams should register by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, September 9th.

Tours are limited, so please register soon Please complete only one registration per team.

The link for the early load-in tours will be provided in an email to registered teams.

Event Schedule:

Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th

6:30 AM – Pits Open 7:30 AM – Driver’s Meeting
8:00 AM – Opening Ceremonies
8:15 AM – Noon – Qualification Matches
Noon – 1:00 PM – Lunch Break
1:00 – 3:30 PM – Qualification Matches
3:30 PM – Alliance Selections
4:00 – 6:30 PM – Playoff Matches and closing awards ceremonies
7:00 PM– Event Ends and Venue Closes

Overview: Each event can welcome 40 teams Teams may register for both events (a great opportunity for out-of-state teams to compete multiple times in one travel period) Registration and Payment The registration fee for each event is $300 per team, per event The registration fees are non-refundable (teams should avoid registering early and then canceling at a later date) Registration is first come, first served

We encourage in and out of state teams to take advantage of the opportunity to compete in two separate events in one weekend

Payment can be made: Send a check made payable to 51Ʒ�� Robotics Note the Team # and the event(s) in the memo,
ex: Team 1234 - 51Ʒ�� Kickoff 1, 51Ʒ�� Kickoff 2, or 51Ʒ�� Kickoff 1 &2

Mail to: 51Ʒ��, Attn: Kim Shumaker
1700 University Ave, Flint, MI 48504

Pay by credit card: link for payment will be included in the email to registered teams

Meal vouchers can be purchased in advance for lunch for $12/person using the link in an email to registered teams. ONLY order the vouchers using the robotics portal. DO NOT order using another portal: admissions, welcome center, etc. The robotics center does not receive those vouchers nor the payments. Unused meal vouchers are not refundable but can be used at future competitions at 51Ʒ��. If you are unsure how many you need, please keep in mind that you can pay at the register for a higher fee.

Hotels: Preferred hotels with team discounts will be included in the email sent to registered teams.

Questions? Please email us at roboticscenter@kettering.edu

Students Test, Troubleshoot, and Fly at the North Central Aerial Drone Regional Championships, presented by Firefly Drone Shows

lmadaus — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:27:06 +0000

Students Test, Troubleshoot, and Fly at the North Central Aerial Drone Regional Championships, presented by Firefly Drone Shows

Recreation Center

lmadaus Thu, 05/28/2026 - 12:27

At the North Central Aerial Drone Regional Championships, presented by Firefly Drone Shows, students rarely sat still for long.

Inside 51Ʒ��’s Connie and Jim John Recreation Center, middle and high school teams from 10 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces moved constantly between competition fields and tables lined with laptops, controllers, batteries, and replacement parts as they reviewed flight footage, checked drone components, and discussed piloting and autonomous flight performance between Matches.

The activity extended well beyond the competition floor. Teams rehearsed piloting sequences in open space near the fields while others reviewed engineering logbooks and prepared for upcoming rounds.

“You could see students constantly adjusting and responding to problems throughout the day,” said Kim Shumaker, Director of Robotics Outreach & Robotics Center at 51Ʒ��. “They weren’t standing on the sidelines watching technology work. They were in the process. Testing things, troubleshooting failures, making decisions under time pressure, and immediately trying again when something didn’t go as planned.”

Coaches occasionally stepped in with guidance, but most revisions happened student-to-student in hurried conversations around laptops and performance data minutes before teams returned to the field. A missed gate, rough landing, or unstable autonomous sequence usually triggered another round of testing, debate, and revisions before competition resumed.

"What struck me most was how few students needed to be told what to do," said Matthew Sanker, Director of Sales and Business Development for Firefly Drone Shows. "When something went wrong, they weren't looking around for a coach to fix it. They were figuring out their next move. That kind of ownership is something you can't really teach in a classroom. Watching middle and high schoolers operate that way, with real urgency and real stakes, was genuinely exciting to see."

As competition rounds wrapped up Friday evening, many students traded laptops and telemetry screens for blankets and lawn chairs outside near the Recreation Center, joining families and spectators gathered across the field.

Shortly after sundown, Firefly Drone Shows launched hundreds of synchronized drones into the night sky above the 51Ʒ�� GM Mobility Research Center.

Advanced drones, designed and built by Firefly Drone Shows, moved in coordinated formations overhead, transforming technical precision into a large-scale public light performance visible across campus.

The night's drone show scaled up many of the same principles students had tested in competition, with hundreds of drones moving through synchronized formations overhead.

“The challenges students were working through are much more similar to what we do than people might expect,” Sanker said. "Whether you're flying a single drone through competition gates or hundreds of drones through a choreographed series of animations for a live audience, the core challenges are the same: timing, positioning, and making sure every piece of the system is talking to every other piece reliably."

The championship further highlighted 51Ʒ��’s growing role in Michigan’s broader robotics and STEM ecosystem through competitions, camps, workshops, and outreach initiatives that connect students with hands-on technical learning earlier in their educational journeys. Support from the GM Community Impact Grant and Magna Grant programs has also helped expand robotics center programming and aerial drone technologies at the university.

By the end of the night, students who had spent the day reviewing flight footage, adjusting code, and troubleshooting drones were gathered outside the Recreation Center, watching hundreds of aircraft move in coordinated formations across the sky above campus.

Michigan’s Top Student Engineers Compete at VEX Robotics State Championship

lmadaus — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:27:59 +0000

Michigan’s Top Student Engineers Compete at VEX Robotics State Championship

Recreation Center

lmadaus Thu, 03/05/2026 - 13:27

Consumers Energy T-shirts spin through the air inside 51Ʒ��’s Connie and Jim John Recreation Center as a sea of student engineers leapt to catch them.

Minutes later, many of those same students were back at their workstations, laptops open and tools in hand, making last-minute adjustments to robots they had spent months designing.

At 51Ʒ��, scenes like this are familiar: young engineers testing ideas, refining designs, and pushing their robots further with every match.

Over two days, teams from across the state gathered at 51Ʒ�� in Flint for the Consumers Energy Michigan VEX V5 High School State Championship, one of Michigan’s highest levels of student robotics competition.

Robots navigated scoring zones while alliances formed and dissolved between matches. Between rounds, students huddled over laptops and toolboxes, rewriting code, tightening bolts, and swapping parts in rapid attempts to improve performance before the next match began. Six competition fields ran simultaneously across two divisions. Additional practice and robot skills fields gave teams opportunities to test strategies, refine programming, and make last-minute mechanical adjustments.

When the matches concluded, multiple teams earned recognition for their engineering achievements and competitive performance:

The Excellence Award, the event’s highest honor, went to Team 39Y – Yolt from Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, who also captured a Tournament Championship and the Robot Skills Champion title.

The second Tournament Champion was Team 7760X – Airplane Mode from Seed Seek Robotics, also based in Bloomfield Hills.

Tournament Finalists included Team 39Z – Bobby Wasabi and Team 39H – HNS, both representing Cranbrook Schools.

Tournament Semifinalists were:

Team 36620H – jim, Unity Christian High School, Hudsonville
Team 2140A – Quiet Riot, Jenison High School, Jenison
Team 40684D – Griffilicious, Napoleon High School, Napoleon
Team 288A – RoboDawgs: Counter-Strike, Grandville High School, Grandville

Additional awards recognized excellence in engineering design, documentation, and team performance.

Design Award – Team 11591S – John Deere, Plainwell High School
Innovate Award – Team 74485B – Perpetual, Benzie Central Senior High School
Think Award – Team 2140A – Quiet Riot, Jenison High School
Amaze Award – Team 39H – HNS, Cranbrook Schools
Build Award – Team 36620B – Blue Crew, Unity Christian High School
Create Award – Team 63600C – Eaglebots: Blackjack, Grand Rapids Christian High School

Several of these honors — including Excellence, Tournament Champion, Tournament Finalist, Design, Innovate, Think, Amaze, Build, Create, and Robot Skills Champion — qualify teams for the VEX Robotics World Championship, where they will compete alongside the best robotics teams from around the globe.

The weekend of robotics activity continued the following day with a FIRST Robotics “Week 0” scrimmage at the 51Ʒ�� Robotics Center, where teams tested their machines before the official competition season began.

For 51Ʒ��, hosting the state championship is part of a broader effort to support the next generation of engineers. Throughout the year, robotics teams visit campus for competitions, camps, and outreach programs that connect students with faculty, alumni, and industry partners.

Event sponsors included Consumers Energy (title sponsor), Financial Plus Credit Union (field build sponsor), and Hampton Inn Flint/Grand Blanc and Hyatt Place Flint/Grand Blanc (hotel sponsors).

51Ʒ�� Robotics Center Awarded $20,000 GM Community Impact Grant

lmadaus — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:51:37 +0000

51Ʒ�� Robotics Center Awarded $20,000 GM Community Impact Grant

Grants

VEX

lmadaus Thu, 01/08/2026 - 10:51

51Ʒ�� has been awarded a $20,000 Community Impact Grant from General Motors to support robotics center programming that expands hands-on STEAM education opportunities for students in Flint and Genesee County.

The funding will support hands-on training for students and mentors involved in the university’s eight robotics teams, as well as participants in the 2026 Intro to Computer-Aided Fabrication course. Programming will include experiential learning with robotics and aerial drone technologies, providing students with direct opportunities to design, operate, and test advanced systems used in modern industries.

The grant also supports drone-focused activities that reflect growing real-world applications, including industrial inspection, logistics, and remote data collection, fields where automation and risk reduction are increasingly critical.

“51Ʒ��’s robotics and drone programs are built around applied learning. Our students don’t just study technology, they use it,” said Kim Shumaker, Director of 51Ʒ��’s Robotics Outreach & Robotics Center. “Grants like these help ensure more students can access meaningful, hands-on STEAM experiences that connect directly to future careers.”

The award is part of a broader $300,000 Community Impact Grant investment distributed to nine Genesee County nonprofit organizations. Through the program, General Motors is supporting youth education and community-focused groups, including the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Flint, Factory Two, and the Flint Children’s Museum, to advance STEAM education and road safety initiatives across the region.

“Local nonprofits can do their best work when they have support from local businesses, and we’re thrilled to contribute to their amazing and tireless efforts,” said Theo Lavergne, General Motors Flint Assembly plant executive director, in a statement issued by the company.

GM’s Community Impact Grants are selected in collaboration with local General Motors and United Auto Workers leaders and are designed to strengthen educational access, workforce development, and community well-being across the Flint area.

Beyond the grant funding, General Motors reports that its Flint-area employees contributed nearly $225,000 in personal donations and more than 10,500 volunteer hours to local causes in 2025 through GM Cares.

“I love this program because it helps bring our communities together,” Lavergne said, “It supports growth and learning, and allows our team members to see the direct impact that their hands, minds, and hearts have in the areas where we live and work.”

Ready for Launch: 51Ʒ�� Prepares to Host the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff

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

Ready for Launch: 51Ʒ�� Prepares to Host the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff

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

On January 10, 2026, 51Ʒ�� 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 51Ʒ��, 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.

51Ʒ��’s Role in Michigan’s Robotics Landscape

For over two decades, 51Ʒ�� 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.

51Ʒ��’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, 51Ʒ�� 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, 51Ʒ�� 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.

51Ʒ�� 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, 51Ʒ�� Robotics Center
February 15, 2026 - 51Ʒ�� Robotics Scholarship Application Deadline
February 16-26, 2026 - 51Ʒ�� Robotics Scholarship Award Decisions (88 awarded in 2025)
March 1, 2026 - Week 0 Competition for FIRST Robotics teams, 51Ʒ��
March 20-22, 2026 - 51Ʒ�� is the Pit Sponsor for the FIM Kearsley District Event
April 10-12, 2026 - 51Ʒ�� is the Pit Sponsor for the FIM Fenton District Event
April 16-18, 2026 - 51Ʒ�� will exhibit in Scholarship Row at the FIRST in Michigan State Championship
April 29-May 2, 2026 - 51Ʒ�� 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, 51Ʒ�� Connie & Jim John Recreation Center
July 20-31, 2026 - Robotics camps for FIRST Robotics students, 51Ʒ�� Robotics Center
September 12-13, 2026 - 51Ʒ�� Kickoff 1 & 2 Off-season Competitions for FIRST Robotics teams, 51Ʒ�� 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

51Ʒ�� Combat Robotics Team

VEX

Undergraduate

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

Combining ingenuity, bold strategy, and cross-league collaboration, 51Ʒ��’s robotics team stands out on the global stage.

At 51Ʒ��, students don’t wait to build the future — they engineer it now. That mindset powered KUdos, 51Ʒ��’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 51Ʒ��. “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 51Ʒ�� 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.”

51Ʒ�� Awarded $25,000 in Grants for Robotics Center and Pre-College Robotics Programs

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

51Ʒ�� Awarded $25,000 in Grants for Robotics Center and Pre-College Robotics Programs

Campus

Grants

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

51Ʒ��’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 51Ʒ��'s transformative summer camps, learn new skills and explore a college campus,” said Kim Shumaker, Robotics Community Center and Robotics Outreach Director at 51Ʒ��.

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.

51Ʒ��’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 51Ʒ��, 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 51Ʒ�� 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 51Ʒ��'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 51Ʒ�� and build their interest in STEM through various robotics programs, including drones.

"The Welch Foundation has awarded many grants to 51Ʒ�� 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. "51Ʒ��’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 51Ʒ��'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 51Ʒ��."

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