About

We’re the FireBears, Team 2846. A FIRST Robotics Competition team out of Roseville Area High School.

Mission

The FireBears aim to reinforce education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to create a better future for everyone. Sanctioned by the national FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) organization, we work hard to show the importance of science and engineering through our creation of a robot and outreach to the wider community. Our goal for the future is to create a path for the young in hopes that they will begin to admire our heroes—the scientists, mathematicians, and engineers in our world.

History

The Roseville FireBears Team #2846 was founded in fall 2008 with 19 students and three mentors. Boston Scientific came forward to serve as the lead sponsor and provide a lead mentor. As the team began showcasing their work, the Roseville Robotics Team soon earned a reputation of success and quality.

-2009: 10,000 Lakes Regional, finalists
-2009: Minnesota State Fair Competition, 1st place
-2009: Twilight Star Mini Regional Competition, 1st place
-2010: 10,000 Lakes Regional, Dean’s List Finalist Sean Grogan
(top individual award); quarterfinalists
-2010: Twilight Mini Regional, 3rd place
-2011: Dean’s List Finalist Ben Prather
-2012: Dean’s List Finalist Ben Wiggins; Imagery Award 
-2013: 10,000 Lakes – Semifinalists
-2014: 10,000 Lakes – Imagery Award
-2015: 10,000 Lakes – Industrial Design Award
-2015: Northern Lights – Semifinalists
-2015: 10,000 Lakes – Quarterfinalist
-2016: Lake Superior – Imagery Award
-2016: 10,000 Lakes – Finalists, Industrial Safety Award, Team Spirit Award
-2016: World Championships
-2018: Lake Superior – Finalists, Imagery Award
-2018: Medtronic – Finalists, Imagery Award
-2018: World Championships
-2018: Minnesota State Competition
-2019: 10,000 Lakes – Imagery Award
-2020: Northern Lights Regional – Woodie Flowers Finalist Award (Tom Lageson)
-2020: Northern Lights Regional – Regional Finalists
-2021: Upper Midwest Region Event – Regional Chairman’s Award
-2022: Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Regional – Team Spirit Award
-2023: Iowa Regional – 3rd place
-2023: Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Regional – Autonomous Award
-2023: Minnesota State Competition – Dunwoody Engineering & Design Award

Our robotics team is split into five sub-teams. The mechanical team builds the body of the robot, creating the metal frame and structure of the robot, using mills, saws and power tools. The computer aided design team does the blueprints of the robot, designs the concept for the robot, and creates a computer model of it using SolidWorks. The programming team codes the brains of the robot using Java code. The electrical team does the veins of the robot, wiring up the electrical, and pneumatic components of the robot. The marketing team designs the uniform, does fundraising and does web and promotional materials for the robot. If you are going to Roseville Area High School and would like to join the robotics team, attend a meeting from 7-9pm on Tuesday in our FireBears Den (D116).

If you’re a spectator who likes to watch robots, we participate in the State Fair Exposition in the Education Building, we also host the Minnesota Robotics Invitational, a fall off-season competition in the Roseville Area High School Lower Gym. Other events we typically attend it the Minne Mini at Prior Lake High School, the Northern Lights Regional in Duluth, the 10,000 Lakes Regional at the University of Minnesota William’s Arena, and the Gitchi Gummi Get Together in Duluth.

Robots are expensive. In order to continue to do the things that we do, we need donations and sponsorship. If you would like to learn more about sponsoring our robotics team, view the PDF here. Sponsors get their logos on t-shirts, and banners, and help support the next generation of STEM leaders.