About Our Team
Orbit Robotics is a “Community Team” that was founded in May 2015 by a group of experienced volunteer adult mentors to expand FIRST programs to students who did not have access to a school team.
We are independent of any school board and therefore have to raise the required amount of funds it takes to operate this team through membership fees (30%), grants, donations, and sponsors.
Largely based on word-of-mouth recruitment by current members and their families we have grown to operate five teams, one FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and four FIRST Lego League (FLL). Across all the teams, we have 100+ members from 36 different schools.
Our primary mission is to inspire students to be STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts & mathematics), and FIRST leaders by providing real-life STEAM experiences to students who don’t have these opportunities at their schools. We embrace the vision that we are not just people building robots, but we understand that the FRC experience is actually about robots building people. We strive not only to increase STEAM enthusiasm, excitement, and education, but more importantly to give our students confidence, an abundance of leadership opportunities, a chance to hone their soft skills, and the ability to work as a team.
FRC Team 1360 is committed to bringing equity, diversity, and inclusion to all of our team members. Our core philosophy is making FIRST, and consequently STEAM, accessible to all who wish to take part. Going forward, we will build on our many successes and continue to spread the language and values of FIRST.
- Opportunities to enrich your leadership, presentation, teamwork, and problem solving skills in a stimulating and creative environment.
- Experience hands-on learning in many STEAM areas including design, build, electrical, engineering, machining, media, animation, and programming in a dynamic setting.
- Advance your skills of creative problem solving, working with sponsors in industry, making a business plan, planning events, writing essays, and speaking in a professional manner.
- Experience the world of handling professional social media platforms, photography, video and photo editing, branding and marketing.
- Work with dedicated mentors from diverse backgrounds who together have over 160 years of experience guiding students on FRC teams.
- Have fun! Enjoy collaborating with other students who are dedicated to the many areas of our team including STEM, business, and media.
The Robot Challenge
The first weekend in January is called “kickoff weekend”. Kickoff weekend marks the beginning of the design and build season. Robotics teams worldwide find out what this year’s game will be. Teams have the opportunity to meet at “local” kickoffs to compare notes, get ideas, make friends, learn the game, pick up their “kit of parts,” and get geared up for the exciting competition season ahead.
An important element of our program is to have our team participate in FRC. These competitions combine the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of students are challenged to design, build, and program a robot to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to “real-world engineering” as a student can get.
During March and April, we compete in District Competitions, and if we are successful, we progress to the District Championships, where the top 80 FRC teams in Ontario compete. If we place in the top 30 teams in Ontario, we progress to the World Championships in Detroit, MI, USA at the end of April.