Firestone Robotics was created during the VEX's 2011-2012 season, though they did not compete. The small group of students who had to make do with the few funds they had, and was also inexperienced, still started to get into VEX with their big motivation. The students from the Principles of Engineering (POE) class at Firestone taught by Dan Spak had eagerly experimented with starter kits during class projects. Wanting to do more, they founded the Firestone Robotics club with Spak as the coach. Not long after, they discovered the VEX Robotics competition which was run all over the world.

    With very little knowledge and experience in VEX, they still created a small machine. This first robot, shown on the left, had only two motors, both of which powered its drive train, and string which controlled its main lift, which gave the bot its appropriate nickname of "Stringbot."

    The bot never left the engineering room, as it would have not been competition-ready. Despite this, those who would not graduate that Spring vowed to return the next year to build a new robot and enter into the VEX Robotics Competition