Bedford Express FIRST Robotics Team 1023

The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), formerly FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC), is a mid-level robotics competition announced by FIRST on March 22, 2005.  This program started as a more affordable way for high schools to participate in FIRST robotics. Here in Bedford we use it as somewhat of a gateway team, because a lot of students we're saying how big of a leap it was from building with legos to building with 80/20. 4 of Bedford Express' members were on the FTC team that won the Inspire award against a competition with teams stronger and older than them. 

Bedford Express mentors and sponsors 1 FTC team:

(Photos courtesy of Michelle German, GSK Creations!)

The Loose Screws - BJHS   

                          
Coach: Richard Marquardt/Bryan Kennedy  

Bedford Junior High School  began competing in the FTC (formerly VEX) competition in the fall of 2007.  The Dana Broncobytes were a team of FLL students that wanted a bigger challenge when they hit junior high school.  The first competition the Broncobytes participated in  was made mostly of high school students and was held in Cincinnati. The following year, FIRST switched to the Lego Tetrix component and the FTC program was reborn.  The Broncobytes competed in Chicago in the 2008-2009 School year and were joined by a second team, the Revolution Robots.  The Revolution Robots participated from 2008 - 2010.  In 2011, the junior high school was unable to have a FTC team so we were excited to get this program back in motion this year.  With the creation of a middle school FTC program in the state of Michigan, it will be much easier for us to continue participating in this program.  Many BX team member are alumni of these FTC teams! 

FTC