HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Huntsville, Alabama, will host a
regional FIRST Robotics Competition for the third consecutive year
on Friday and Saturday, March 16-17,
in the South Hall of the Von Braun Center. The First Robotics
Competition "Rocket City Regional" is sponsored by NASA and
supported by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.
An estimated 1,800 high-school students on 50 teams from 12
states, Brazil and Canada will compete against one another in a
new robotics game called, "FIRST POWER UP." In January, each FRC
team received an identical kit of parts and was given a six-week
deadline to design, build and test a robot, with the help of adult
mentors.
Opening ceremonies begin at 8:30 a.m.
CDT, with qualification matches starting at 9 a.m. on both March
16 and March 17. The Friday
awards ceremony will begin at 5:45
p.m., while the Saturday awards ceremony will begin at
4:30 p.m. The event is free and open
to the public, with hands-on educational activities provided by
sponsors and exhibitors.
News media interested in covering the event should contact the
Marshall newsroom at 256-544-0034 no later than 3 p.m. Thursday, March 15.
The "FIRST POWER UP" game features two alliances of video game
characters and their human operators who are trapped in an arcade
game and working to defeat a "boss" in order to escape. Each match
begins with a 15-second autonomous period in which robots operate
only on pre-programmed instructions. During this period, robots
work to earn points according to the game's rules. During the
remaining 2 minutes and 15 seconds, student drivers control robots
to earn points. For more details on the game's rules, click
here.
About FIRST
The FIRST -- "For Inspiration and
Recognition of Science and Technology" -- Robotics Competition is a
worldwide program for students in grades 9-12 that inspires the
next generation of explorers to pursue careers in the fields of
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). FIRST also offers
the LEGO League, LEGO League Jr. and Tech Challenge programs for
younger age groups. FIRST Robotics district and regional
competitions are held across the country during March and April,
providing teams a chance to qualify for the 2018 FRC Championship
events at Houston and Detroit.
NASA and its Robotics Alliance Project provide grants for high
school teams and support for FIRST Robotics Competition in an
effort to address the critical national shortage of students
pursuing STEM careers.
For Rocket City Regional event information, visit:
http://firstinalabama.org/events/frc-events
For more information about Marshall Space Flight Center's
support for education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/centers/marshall/home/index.html
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SOURCE NASA