Robotics Competion, scheduled to begin this Friday at the Sports Arena.
This is a great event that involves students from all over the county.
Contact Maria Sheperd for access and other information.
Jack Brandais
Media Relations
San Diego Unified School District
(619) 725-5570 (desk)
(619) 607-0477 (cell)
+ + +
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Maria Isabella Sheperd
FIRST FTC Regional Manager
Cell# 619-251-9662
Email Address: MSheperd.FIRST@gmail.com
THIRD REGIONAL FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION
Come Catch the "Lunacy" FIRST Robotics Game
Over 2,000 students, all members of over 25 Teams, and a Brazilian Team
Will Battle for the chance to go to the WORLD COMPETITION MARCH 6th
Friday & 7th Saturday, SAN DIEGO SPORTS ARENA, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd.,
San Diego, CA 92110
Pits Open 8:00AM, Opening Ceremonies 9:00AM
Opening Speakers: Captain Paul Marconi Commander of the Point Loma Naval
Submarine Base; Mayor Cheryl Cox from Chula Vista; Naval Ceremonial Band
& Naval Salsa Band
Life-changing program inspires young people to become individual
economic stimulus packages and pursue opportunities in science and
technology. Over $9 million in scholarship funds available
Manchester, NH, January 3, 2009 - FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition
of Science and
Technology) launched its eighteenth FIRST Robotics Competition season
today with a Kickoff of a new robotics game called "Lunacy" at Southern
New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH, hometown and headquarters of
FIRST.
"Forty years ago, NASA fueled a generation's imagination with the
success of Apollo 11. As we celebrate that remarkable feat of technology
and engineering with our 2009 game, "Lunacy," we are sparking more of
that kind of inspiration through the FIRST Robotics Competition," said
FIRST founder, Dean Kamen. "Just as NASA scientists landed a man on the
moon and returned him safely to earth in 1969, so too will these young
people go on to explore new frontiers and develop breakthrough
technologies that will change the world."
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that helps
students discover the
rewards and excitement of science, engineering, and technology. More
than 42,000 high-school students on 1,686 teams from the U.S., Brazil,
Canada, Chile, Germany, Israel,
Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Turkey, and the U.K. are
participating in this year's competition.
"In today's social environment, FIRST has a chance to re-define the
larger economic and moral playing field," noted Dr. Woodie Flowers,
FIRST national advisor and Pappalardo professor Emeritus of Mechanical
Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Our students can be
their own economic stimulus packages by leveraging their skills into
self-sustaining careers and help with the issues we face in the 21st
century."
In the "Lunacy" game, robots are designed to pick up 9" game balls and
score them in trailers
hitched to their opponents' robots for points during a 2 minute and 15
second match. Additional points are awarded for scoring a special game
ball, the Super Cell, in the opponents' trailers during the last 20
seconds of the match. "Lunacy" is played on a low-friction floor, which
means teams must contend with the laws of physics.
At today's Kickoff, teams were shown the game field and received a Kit
of Parts made up of
motors, batteries, a control system, and a mix of automation components
- but no instructions. Working with mentors, students have six weeks to
design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season's
engineering challenge. Once these young inventors create a robot, their
teams participate in competitions that measure the effectiveness of each
robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.
Sponsored by NASA, PTC, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Worcester Polytechnic
Institute, the exciting Kickoff event gave teams the opportunity to see
the new game for the first time. Teams across the nation and in Canada,
and Israel watched the proceedings via NASA TV broadcast or webcast from
52 local Kickoff sites, many of which also offered workshops and a
chance to meet other teams. The agenda included presentations by FIRST
founder Dean Kamen; PTC executive vice president and chief product
officer James E. Hepplemann; NASA program executive Dave Lavery; FIRST
chairman John Abele; FIRST national advisor Dr. Woodie Flowers; and
FIRST president Paul R. Gudonis. The program also featured the premiere
of the 2009 FIRST Safety Video, presented by the Fabricators and
Manufacturers Association and Underwriters Laboratories.
In 1992, the FIRST Robotics Competition began with 28 teams and a single
14 x 14 foot playing field in a New Hampshire high school gym. This
season, 1,686 teams - including 322 rookie teams- will participate.
Forty regional competitions in the U.S., Canada, and Israel, plus seven
district competitions and one state championship in Michigan, will lead
up to the 2009 FIRST Championship at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, April
16-18 2009.
FIRST programs are operated by over 85,000 dedicated volunteers
worldwide, many of them professional engineers and scientists who mentor
the next generation of innovators.
To find FIRST Robotics Competition events and teams in your area, visit;
www.usfirst.org <http://www.usfirst.org/>
About FIRST
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and
Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an
appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in
Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build
self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young
people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering.
Since its beginning, FIRST has had a positive impact on students and
academic communities. Participating high-school juniors and seniors are
eligible to apply for more than $9 million in scholarships from leading
universities, colleges, and companies. Research has shown that FIRST has
significantly improved students' attitudes about math and science and
has fostered a culture of teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence. In
fact, FIRST participants are 50% more likely to attend college, twice as
likely to go on to major in science or engineering, three times as
likely to major specifically in engineering, and four times more likely
to expect to pursue a career in engineering than a comparison group of
students with similar backgrounds in high school math and science.
FIRST Founding Sponsors include Boston Scientific Corporation, Baxter
International Incorporated, The Chrysler
Foundation, DEKA Research & Development Corp., Delphi Corporation,
General Motors Corporation, Johnson &
Johnson, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Motorola Incorporated, and
Xerox Corporation. FIRST Strategic Partners include BAE Systems, The
Boeing Company, FedEx Corporation, General Motors Corporation, Johnson &
Johnson, NASA, National Instruments, Rockwell Automation, and Rockwell
Collins.
With the support of many of the world's most well-known companies, the
not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST
Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge for high-school students,
the FIRST LEGO(r) League for children 9-14 years old, and the Junior
FIRST LEGO League for 6 to 9 year-olds. To learn more about FIRST, go to
www.usfirst.org <http://www.usfirst.org/> .
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