Far East FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Championship showcases student innovation across Pacific
OKINAWA, Japan – Twelve schools from South Korea, Guam, mainland Japan, and Okinawa came together March 10–11, 2026, for one of the most anticipated STEM events of the year—the Far East FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Championship. With 20 robot teams and 79 students from grades 9–12, the competition brought energy, ingenuity, and collaboration to the forefront as students put their engineering skills to the test.
Each year, FIRST issues a brand‑new robotics challenge, requiring students not only to build functional robots but to design them under strict engineering standards and detailed gameplay rules. Months of brainstorming, prototyping, wiring, coding, testing, and revision culminated in a fast‑paced, high‑tech showdown where every movement of each robot reflected countless hours of student dedication.
This year’s winning alliance demonstrated exceptional teamwork and technical skill. The championship title was claimed by Eagles Robotics from Edgren High School (Alliance Captain) paired with HammerSpace from Yokota High School, whose coordinated strategy and consistent performance set them apart on the field.
The competition was also anchored in FIRST’s core principle of “Gracious Professionalism”—described as “a way of doing things that encourages high‑quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community”—a value displayed in every pit, match, and handshake throughout the event.
Several judged awards recognized engineering excellence, creativity, and community impact.
Samurai Robotics I from M.C. Perry High School earned the Design Award, honoring their robot’s outstanding engineering aesthetics, structural integrity, and well‑documented design process.
The Control Award went to Yo‑Hi Yokai from Kinnick High School in Yokosuka, Japan, highlighting the team’s advanced programming, sensor integration, and autonomous strategy.
Yokota High School’s HammerSpace received the Connect Award for building meaningful partnerships within their local STEM community and showing strong outreach beyond the competition field.
Innovation took center stage as the Innovate Award was presented to Fire Robotics from Kubasaki High School in Okinawa, celebrating their creative engineering solutions and inventive robot mechanisms.
The Think Award, recognizing excellence in the engineering notebook and documentation process, was awarded to the Bats team from Zama High School.
The highest honor of the event—the Inspire Award—went to Dragon Robotics, also from Kubasaki High School, celebrating their overall excellence in design, engineering, outreach, teamwork, and performance.
Parents also witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of the program.
“From our past experience with the First Lego League level of learning, teamwork, and competition to the high school level first tech challenges, it is amazing to see how the program grows students in their building, coding and teamwork abilities,” said Tara Baxley Nguyen, parent of 9th‑grade competitor Asa Nguyen of Kubasaki High School. “Even though it was a competition, the teams get to compete individually, but also build relationships and friendships through their alliance collaborations. It’s not all about one team. It's about building a community for our kids in the Pacific to ping ideas of each other and grow their knowledge, for their future in college and beyond.”
From the energy in the arena to the pride on students’ faces, the Far East FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Championship highlighted not only technical skill, but teamwork, creativity, and mutual respect. As the robots power down and teams return home, the legacy of this year’s challenge continues—fueling curiosity, inspiring future engineers, and strengthening the STEM community across the Far East region.
