The Northern Force FIRST Robotics Team 172 from Falmouth and Gorham High Schools has been selected as one of only ten U.S. teams to participate in an inaugural US-China technology and cultural exchange this spring.

Hosted by the FIRST China Robotics Association, as part of the “Sino-US United Project,” the team of seven students and three mentors will travel to China from May 24 through June 5, joining other teams from around the world to participate in the largest FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) competition series to ever take place in Asia.

Students participating in the US-China Robotics Competition Exchange are Ivan Cadigan, Annie deCastro, Teddy Lockman (Gorham resident), Alanna Luce, Tavish McDaniel, and Julian Wiley, all from Falmouth High School, and Simeon Willey from Gorham High School. Mentors are John Kraljic, Michelle Moutinho, and Jay Crosby.

“It is an honor to be selected and such a wonderful opportunity for our students,” said John Kraljic, Robotics Coach and Falmouth High School instructor, who will accompany the students.

The Northern Force team was selected based on an application process. Of its 40 plus team members, the opportunity to go was offered to all veteran team members. From those interested, mentors selected students who have experience in several of their sub-teams (mechanical, electrical, programming, and design) and the students who are comfortable instructing others. Several seniors from Falmouth chose not to attend because it conflicts with their high school graduation.

The team will be paired with a rookie Robotics team from Zhengzhou, a city of nine million located in east-Central China. Northern Force students will work with their Chinese partner team, sharing design, programming, and building strategies to construct a 120 pound industrial robot.

The teams will then travel to Shanghai to compete at the prestigious Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, against 200 other Robotics teams. Students will also have an opportunity to tour the region and take in local historic sites and other cultural attractions.

“It’s going to be an incredibly busy, exciting experience for all of us,” said Kraljic. “We are especially excited to be working alongside a team of Chinese students.”

While the FIRST China Robotics Association is covering the cost of all food, housing, and transportation within China, individual team members are responsible for the cost of visas, air fare, and spending money while in China. The team is holding fundraisers to offset the costs of the trip and has established a GoFundMe page to accept tax deductible donations.

FIRST was founded in 1991, to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Now an international organization, FIRST Robotics Competition features over 500,000 participants from more than 80 countries who work during a high-adrenaline six-week season from January to March to build a robot to play a sports-style game, different every year.