THE 2023 FIRST GLOBAL CHALLENGE
2023 THEME: HYDROGEN AS A CLEAN ENERGY CARRIER
As our dependence on energy continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important to innovate the solutions that will ensure a cleaner and more equitable energy future around the world. While renewable energy comes from natural sources that are continually replenished, including the sun, wind, geothermal heat, and water, Hydrogen-based energy technologies allow for enhanced methods of carrying and storing this energy. The 2023 FIRST Global Challenge challenged FIRST Global teams to reimagine the future of energy by harnessing the power of hydrogen to create more sustainable ways to power our planet.
For the seventh edition of the FIRST Global Challenge, teams gathered together at the Singapore EXPO Centre to compete under this theme in the game titled “Hydrogen Horizons.” In the game, teams learned about the impact of energy usage on our environment and the hydrogen technologies being used to create more sustainable energy systems. With the tagline “empowering our planet,” the Challenge embodied how we can work together to not only power, but empower, our communities and planet through STEM innovation and green energy technologies.
191 TEAMS
including a team of refugees, participated in the season.
1,800 STUDENTS
directly impacted.
37% FEMALE PARTICIPATION
including 30+ female-majority or all-girl teams.
85+ PROJECTS
developed by teams to advance renewable energy.
2023 PLAYLISTS
THE CHALLENGE
TEAM PROFILES
SIDE FIELD MATCHES
2023 GAME: HYDROGEN HORIZONS
In the Hydrogen Horizons game, two three-team regional alliances work together to produce, store, transport, and convert hydrogen — commonly found bonded to oxygen in water — into other usable forms of energy. Each alliance produces hydrogen by first extracting water molecules from a central reservoir and using energy to separate them into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Robots store hydrogen in hydrogen tanks, while both robots and human players store oxygen in oxygen accumulators. Once the hydrogen tanks are filled, robots transport them to align with the oxygen accumulators. The regional alliances then initiate the conversion process by releasing oxygen into the hydrogen tanks, representing either the combination of hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell or the combustion of hydrogen, depending on the accuracy of the alignment.
In the last 30 seconds, all six teams form a global alliance to support each other. Teams demonstrate their proficiency in hydrogen technologies by positioning their robots on the hydrogen hub. If five or six robots are fully supported by the metal structure, the global alliance earns a Coopertition Bonus.
Hydrogen Horizons Game Manuals
Hydrogen Horizons Playing Field Drawings
Playing Field CAD Model
Hydrogen Horizons Questions & Answers
ENGLISHLearn more about the science behind the 2023 FIRST Global Challenge Hydrogen Horizons Game.
2023 NEW TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE: ENERGY EVOLUTION
The New Technology Experience (NTE), an annual component of the FIRST Global Challenge, is a means for the student community to stay current with cutting edge technology. The 2023 FIRST Global Challenge New Technology Experience — Energy Evolution — engaged FIRST Global teams beyond the Hydrogen Horizons game. Students learned about all types of renewable energy, selected a topic of importance to their community or nation, and then developed their own innovative solutions to create a clean energy future. The gold, silver, and bronze winners were Lebanon, Republic of Moldova, and Tunisia, respectively.
LEARN MORE →“Hydrogen Horizons is an exciting opportunity to rethink the future of energy in a way that doesn’t compromise the global environment. Pollution doesn’t stop at the arbitrary lines on the globe, so saving our global environment depends on cooperation among countries.”
— Dean Kamen, FIRST Global Founder
2023 NATIONAL TEAMS
Teams not visible on the map: American Samoa; Cook Islands; Hong Kong, China; Hope (Refugees); Kiribati; Marshall Islands; Palau; Tonga.
“No diplomatic action can ever unite the world as FIRST Global does — 190 countries willingly working together is more than just an event, it is a milestone that represents what society should strive to be. This experience has gotten me to see how different countries cooperate in favor of technology; it helped to debunk pre-established notions about different cultures, and made me appreciate them more. Thank you for this opportunity, FIRST Global is changing the world and we can feel that from deep within.”
—Male participant, Team Brazil 2023
“FIRST Global has shown me the value of teamwork because if I had not participated in this challenge, I would have not known how much of a difference working together in unity can make.”
—Female participants, Team Eswatini 2023
“FIRST Global literally changed my life. Before participating in 2019 [as a student], I had never heard of it and had zero expectations when I was preparing for the event. However, the experience was beyond my imagination and it opened up my mind not only to STEM, but to the world as a whole… volunteering is the best opportunity to be part of FIRST Global again and to make the experience of other students as good as mine was.”
—Priscillah, Team Kenya 2019 alumna and 2023 volunteer
“Preparing for the FIRST Global Challenge has been a journey of growth. Late-night brainstorming, solving tough problems – all have molded me into a more resilient engineer. I like solving tough problems even more now. FIRST Global changed my perspective on how I view the world.”
—Male participant, Team Pakistan 2023
IN THE NEWS
INSPIRATIONAL STORIES
2023 AWARDS
2023 RANKINGS
2023 IMPACT REPORT
This year we united the greatest number of FIRST Global teams in-person at the event — 191, as well as made great strides in our programming and partnerships. For full insights into this amazing year, including statistics and stories, view our 2023 Impact Report.
2023 SPONSORS
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Lam is a leading global supplier of semiconductor equipment and services that allow chipmakers to build smaller and better performing devices.
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