Fastenal Builds Ramps for Robotics Competitions

Fastenal provided dozens of ramps to an organizer of youth robotics competitions in an effort to improve accessibility at the events, company officials said Tuesday.

The fastener and industrial product distributor said that the manufacturing team at its Winona, Minnesota, headquarters produced 50 ramps for FIRST — or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology — in partnership with FIRST engineers and with financial support from local partners.

The custom-engineered ramps, Fastenal officials said, would help wheelchair users on FIRST teams have clear sightlines to view and operate their robots. Their lines of sight were previously obscured by the walls and netting at the contests.

Representatives from Fastenal and members of Team 3313 Mechatronics at the inaugural FRC Bluff Country Regional, Winona, Minn.FastenalThe ramps were first used in April and have since become part of the “standard competition show floor kit.” The company credited FIRST Robotics Competition Team 3313 Mechatronics, based in Alexandria, Minnesota, for the idea. Team 3313’s Andrew Fleming is a wheelchair user.


"With a focus on education and engineering, FIRST is a natural fit for Fastenal's community efforts," Fastenal Marketing Director Sally Olson said in a statement. "Two of our core values are innovation and teamwork — both were on full display with this project.”